Apply to Receive Internship Credit
How can I apply for credit for my internship? Do I approve my internship with the University before or after I've applied for the position? What paperwork is involved?
You must have a formal job offer by the organization you are interning with before you can fill out the application form to get your internship approved. For more information about internship requirements, check out the Requirements page.
To apply for credit and get your internship approved, you will need to complete the “Internship Approval Form” on iPlan by clicking on the “Create an Internship Request” button and determine whether you will apply for 1 or 2 credits.
Once your internship has been approved, you will be authorized to add the COMM 498R class (you can easily add the class by searching for the course when registering for classes).
- The approval process can take anywhere from several days to several weeks, depending on the number of students applying for internships. This can depend on how quickly you respond to instruction you receive from Professor Emily Russell and the Internship Office. Nontraditional internships—including those that are remote, on campus, outside of the United States, or entrepreneurial in nature—may require additional paperwork and approval time. Please be patient and considerate of those who are helping approve your internship. Impatience, entitlement, and rudeness will not be tolerated and could result in a reduction in your COMM 498R grade.
- If you need help with the form, please contact the Internship Office at 208.496.9827 or internships@byui.edu.
Please be thorough and accurate in filling out the internship approval form. Your internship should help you increase the skills you are learning in your major and for your desired career. Be sure to include details of how your internship meets the Communication Department and University requirements. This will save you from having to resubmit the form later.
- If you encounter technical problems or errors while filling out the “Internship Approval Form,” please report them to the Help Desk at (208) 496-1411 or BSCITHelp@byui.edu.
Depending on whether or not your employer has hosted BYU-Idaho interns before, Academic Advising may contact you about having your employer create a "master agreement," a contract made by the employer, the student and BYU-Idaho. It is your responsibility to ensure this happens quickly.
The BYU-I Comm Department also requires that your supervisor have some training in communications so that he or she can appropriately mentor you. The supervisor is also required to have oversight in the communications activities you are involved in, within the organization. Under the “job description” section on the approval form, describe in a few sentences your supervisor’s training and role in this area.
Once you complete the approval form, the Internship Office will review it for processing approval. They will then send the form to Professor Emily Russell for Communication Department review and approval. Once the application receives department approval, it will be sent back to the Internship Office for final University approval.
If any of the parties have questions or need clarification, they will contact you directly. Otherwise, please wait for an email from the Academic Advising notifying you that you can add COMM 498R. If you are on track, you may add the course directly; if you are off track, Student Records and Registration may have to add it for you.
If you encounter any changes to your internship—including information relating to start or end dates, schedule or compensation—please report them to both Professor Emily Russell and the Internship Office immediately.