Information for Employers Seeking KSU Communication Majors
for Internship Positions

The KSU Communication Department considers a successfully-completed internship to be an invaluable part of our students’ education. If you are an employer seeking interns, please complete the Internship Posting Request Form and fax or email it to Internship Coordinator Tom Gray. His fax number is 770.423.6740; email tgray17@kennesaw.edu.

Your posting will be made into a summary posting accessible to students online through this website, as well as on a bulletin board in the communication building.

Employer Eligibility and Expectations
The employer must meet the following criteria before an internship may be approved:
• The employer must offer an opportunity for the intern to apply, practice and develop skills and knowledge emphasized in the Communication major’s three tracks.
• Work is expected to be substantive and varied, not clerical or “gopher” duties, and must be related to the Communication curriculum. Typically, this means work in media, public relations, employee training and development or human resources fields. Sales positions, telemarketing, and staff or management positions in non-communication related fields are not eligible for credit through the Communication Department.
• Because the Department encourages students to seek positions where they will have a professional mentor and networking opportunities in the communication field, in cases where a student’s supervisor does not have an academic or professional background communication, media, public relations or human resources, students will be limited to a maximum of three, non-repeatable credits.

The conditions of an internship should be established with the student before he or she reports. These include the nature of the internship, supervisory arrangements, specific responsibilities of the intern, compensation (if any), and work schedules. It is expected that employers will provide a safe environment in which students can work and the materials that students need to complete their assignments (a desk, computer, etc). Once the internship begins, employers should review the students' work with them regularly and treat them as professionals. The supervisor must also complete the employer's evaluation form, due on the last day of classes.

Click on Internship Policies and Guidelines if you wish to view student eligibility and documentation requirements.

Communication with KSU
At the beginning of the internship term, employers will receive a mailing from the Communication Department containing a contract verifying the students’ hours, as well as the employer’s evaluation form. Employers providing non-paid internships will also receive insurance liability waiver forms to ensure that all parties are aware that non-paid interns are not covered under workers compensation insurance. These serve to protect the employer and KSU from lawsuits should a student be injured while at the internship.

Unless an employer experiences problems with an intern, the only other communication that is required occurs at the the end of the term, when the supervisor submits the evaluations form on the intern.

Answers to frequently asked questions from employers

Q: Do I need to pay an intern?
A: It is not necessary to offer a salary or stipend for internships; however those that do tend to be more attractive to students and to fill the fastest. Payments currently range from minimum wage up to $12 per hour. Other internships offer lump-sum stipends paid at the end of an internship or made in several payments throughout the internship period. Employers who offer pay should be aware that under Georgia law, interns who are paid any amount are eligible for worker’s compensation coverage.

Q: I need an intern fast. How can I get one immediately?
A: Please note the urgency of your request in a cover email to Dr. Kinnick, and she will email faculty asking them to announce the position in their classes. Creating flyers that can be posted in the hallways and restrooms of the communication building also seems to be effective. If you mail flyers to Dr. Aust, he will see that they are posted.

Q: What if the intern doesn’t work out?
A: While problems with KSU student interns are rare, we encourage employers to 1) immediately discuss with the intern with any concerns they have about his/her performance, and if possible, to allow the student to correct the deficiency; and 2) report the problem to the Internship Coordinator, Dr. Philip Aust. If deficiencies are not addressed to the employer’s satisfaction, the student may be removed from the internship. Employers who dismiss an intern must let the Communication Department know about this decision immediately. Students who receive an unsatisfactory grade (“U”) in an internship are not allowed to enroll in an internship again in the future.

Q: Can I keep the same intern more than one term?
A: Students may accumulate up to 9 credits in Internship. A student may re-enroll in an internship at the same site so long as the employer eligibility and expectations above continue to be met, the student’s supervisor is a communication professional, as noted above, and the student’s GPA remains above a 2.5.

If you have additional questions, please contact Dr. Philip Aust, Departmental Internship Coordinator, at tgray17@kennesaw.edu.