All students enrolled in the agricultural communication major are required to complete two (2) internships as part of the curriculum – one will be worth three (3) credits and one will be worth two (2) credits. Students completing a three-credit hour course should work at least 198 hours with their employer. Students completing a two-credit hour course should work at least 132 hours with their employer.
An agricultural communication internship must be communication related (not limited to the agriculture industry) and supervised by a communication professional. Internships for a business owned or operated by a family member of the student seeking an internship, or with a business or organization where a family member would serve as a supervisor are not allowed.
Before Your Internship
During Your Intenrship
After Your Internship
Frequently Asked Questions
Before Your Internship
Internship Agreement: All students are required to complete and sign an internship agreement between the student completing the internship and the supervisor. Failure to comply with this agreement may result in an unsatisfactory grade. Contact Dr. Annie Specht as soon as you have an internship offer or if you are exploring the opportunity of completing an internship. Internships completed without the prior approval of the course supervisor may not be granted academic credit.
Professionalism Contract: This contract ensures you understand the level of professionalism you are expected to show as an intern and representative of the agricultural communication major, the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership, and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
During Your Internship
Blog: Students are expected to record their internship experiences in a blog each week. Blog posts will be checked each week for updated entries. Posts should include summaries of projects and assignments for that week, likes and dislikes of the internship, new skills you have learned, connections to courses, etc. Blogs can be created on platforms such as Blogspot, Wordpress or u.osu.edu free of charge.
Hour Log: Students should keep a record of how many hours they work each day. This should be turned in at the end of the internship. Do not wait until the end of the internship to complete the log!
Portfolio: Samples of your work should be kept throughout the internship. This may include copies of completed print pieces, newspaper articles published online or in print, photos from an event, video clips, scouting reports, news releases, etc. Each internship will be unique, therefore there is not a standard form portfolio. This can be an online or print portfolio. Students will be asked to share pieces at their internship review.
After Your Internship
Supervisor Evaluation: At the end of your internships, supervisors will be asked to complete an evaluation of your performance, professionalism and skill. This evaluation will be sent directly to your supervisor by the internship coordinator.
Student Evaluation: At the end of your internships, students will be asked to complete an on-line evaluation of your internship experience. Evaluation links will be sent directly to students by ACEL internship coordinator.
Internship Review: Each student will be required to complete one of the following options as an end of semester “review.”
- Option 1: Students can create a 60-90 second video with photos, videos and voiceover highlighting their internship. Videos should include samples of projects, events and other internship highlights.
- Option 2: A limited number of presentation spots will be available to share experiences, projects, assignments, likes, dislikes, etc. through a presentation during the agricultural communication intro class. A portfolio of work should accompany this presentation. Dates and times for this option will be shared once dates are set by the course instructor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours do I need per credit hour?
You need 66 hours of contact hours with your internship per credit hour. So for 2 credits you need 132 hours and for a 3 credit hour internship you need 198 hours.
Do I have to take the credit the semester I do the internship?
No, you do not, but you do have to fill out the forms and do the course assignments while completing the internship. Credit can be received the semester the internship is completed or delayed one semester.
What if my internship is only a week. Do I still need to blog?
No, if your internship is a short term position of less than 3 weeks long you can opt to write a 4-page paper discussing what you did during your internship, what you enjoyed, what you disliked, and what you learned. You will turn that in during your exit interview. The internship coordinator must approve this option prior to the start of your internship.
What counts as an agricultural communication internship? The general guideline is you must have some form of communication professional as your supervisor and mentor during the internship. The internship must be communication related (ie. sales, marketing, photography, design, writing, public relations, Extension, radio). All internship opportunities should be shared with the internship coordinator prior to the start.
I’m majoring in …. can I double count my internship?
It depends. If the internship still meets the qualifications above you can propose this to the internship coordinator to allow it to double count. Decisions will be made on a case by case basis depending on the work being done.
Where do I blog? You can use blog platforms such as blogger, wordpress, or the University's u.osu.edu. Blogs may be kept private, but you need to add the internship coordinataor to the reader list.