UndergraduateToggle Section Navigation

You are here

Home / Undergraduate / Real-World Experience

Internships

“I would not only recommend, but strongly advise other students to complete an internship during their time at the University of Minnesota. Honestly, there are so many lessons and skills that I learned while working at St. Jude Medical that I would have never been able to learn in the classroom.”
–Alexa Keenan, BS 2015

We encourage technical writing & communication majors to complete an internship after junior year or during senior year. Internships give you a real-world opportunity to contribute to the success of a business or organization while gaining hands-on experience to enhance your formal education. It can also help you build your professional network and secure a job after graduation!

Academic skill areas for technical communication internships:

  • Writing and editing
  • Conducting research in science, technology, or legal issues and public policy
  • Working on computer applications, websites, graphics, and visual presentations
  • Participating in organizational or intercultural communication strategies
  • Participating in information design and project management
  • Developing communication materials for government, education, business, scientific and technical fields, or other related fields
Internship Coordinator
& Instructor:
Barb Horvath
horva003@umn.edu
612-624-1902
202 Nolte Center

You have two options for internships: a 3-credit approved internship or a non-credit internship. For credit, you can enroll in Internship in Technical Writing & Communication (WRIT 4196), the 3-credit internship course that fulfills a technical writing & communication major elective. The internship position must be approved by Internship Coordinator & Instructor Barb Horvath before you register for WRIT 4196. More information about WRIT 4196, including tips for locating an internship, is available on our internship course page.

If you are doing an unpaid internship, you should consider applying for the CLA Undergraduate Internship Scholarship.

“The amount of autonomy and power I had as an intern was surprising; I had real responsibilities, deadlines, and power very early on. Boston Scientific Corporation treats their interns as real employees, and they are expected to do real work and have an impact, which is exciting.”
–Carah Kucharski, BS 2014