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APRIL 7

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Customizing an Experience

Through two professional internships, Alex Bushong '18 gained valuable experience toward his digital communications degree.

Portfolios and Professional Development

LVC digital communications faculty will closely attend to your professional preparation. The digital communications curriculum, combined with LVC's career resources at your disposal, helps prepare you for life after college. 

Digital communications students in all concentrations must design, develop, and present in the spring of their sophomore year a portfolio of their work (DCOM 099). Portfolio preparation is infused throughout all years of the digital communications curriculum and successfully passing the portfolio presentation is a prerequisite both for the required internship and for graduation.

Internship Opportunities

Internships

An internship is a practical and professional work experience that allows students to participate in the operations of business, industry, education, government or not-for-profit organizations. Internships provide students with opportunities to integrate their classroom learning with on-the-job experiences and to test practical applications of their liberal arts education in a variety of settings.

To be eligible for an internship sponsored by an academic department or program, a student generally will have junior or senior standing. Students must request and receive permission from their departmental chair or program directors to enroll in internships. The student must also enlist a faculty internship supervisor from the department sponsoring the internship and an on-site internship supervisor from the internship location.

For each semester hour of credit, the intern should invest at least 45 hours of time at the internship location. Academic departments and programs establish other specific criteria and procedures for internships. In addition to the practical on-site experience, internships have an academic component that may include readings, reports, journals, seminars and/or faculty conferences. A student may enroll for 1–12 credit hours of internship during any one semester. A student may use a maximum of 12 credit hours of internship to meet graduation requirements. All internships have a course number of 400.

 

The application form shall be completed by the student and approved by the student’s academic advisor, faculty internship supervisor, on-site internship supervisor, and department chair prior to registration.

Requirements

Internships play a large role in Digital Communications. Students who declare digiCOM as their major will be required to take at least three credits of internship, which is pass/fail.  The requirements for the internship are:

  • a Portfolio of work performed during an internship
  • a short reflection piece (500-750 words or one video of similar length) describing how they applied principles, methods or ideas from specific classes in the major
  • a  journal detailing their activities and a log of hours time mailed weekly to the faculty advisor
  • a time log (spreadsheet listing hours and tasks),  and
  • an internship evaluation form filled out by an on-site supervisor


Since its origination in 2002, Digital Communications students have interned in the following areas:

  • journalist intern for a regional newspaper
  • instructional design intern for the website of a public television affiliate
  • public relations intern
  • graphic design intern
  • trade management intern for an international chocolate corporation
  • web commerce and promotions
  • usability and info design intern for a national supplier of agricultural supplies
  • intern responsible for website design and development
  • e-marketing intern for a metropolitan online restaurant and activities guide
  • webmaster for an international law firm
  • network and IT support intern for a law firm
  • help desk and support intern for public Radio/TV station
  • many PR/Advertising/New Media interns (creative and account management) for agencies and in-house marketing departments