Internships

We encourage our Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature undergraduates to pursue an internship during their time at the U. Internships are a great way for you to test out potential career choices and find the type of employment and job environment that suits you. An internship can also help you develop professional skills and build your network—all factors that can help you land that first job upon graduation.

Students majoring in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature and Studies in Cinema and Media Culture have completed internships at various sites in recent years. Previous sites most relevant to the cultural studies field include the MSROP Scholar Program, History Museum Fellowship, and NBC

CSCL/SCMC 3896: Internship for Academic Credit 

CSCL and SCMC students who would like to pursue paid or unpaid internships can also earn credit toward their degree. This course includes a series of reflective assignments on the internship experience that help students develop their career goals, aspirations, and plans. CSCL and SCMC students often find internships at media companies, advertising agencies, film festivals, art institutions and galleries, publishing houses, non-profits, and community organizations. With prior written approval, and under certain circumstances, a semester-long internship can be approved as an elective course within the major. 

Typically, a student's work is supervised and evaluated by a site coordinator and the instructor works with a student on readings and assignments. 

Credits taken are determined by the number of weekly or total hours for onsite internship work, course readings, assignments, and meetings. The following are minimum hours and weekly averages based on a 16 week semester:

  • 1 credit - 45 -hour minimum (average 3-4 hours per week)
  • 2 credit - 90-hour minimum (average 5-7 hours per week)
  • 3 credit - 135-hour minimum (average 8-9 hours per week)
  • 4 credit - 180-hour minimum (average 10-12 hours per week)

There is also a deferred enrollment section of the course that allows students to take a summer internship followed by fall enrollment for credit. Students interested or registered in this section are encouraged to contact the instructor at the start of their internship or during registration for more information. Students are also encouraged to apply for CLA Internships and Leadership Scholarships

For more information on this course or internship possibilities, please contact the Internship Coordinator, Graeme Stout (stou0046@umn.edu). Students can also use Handshake to search for internship possibilities.