About the Course

How to get Started

Register for the Course

RTVF Interns must be registered for RTVF 198 while they are doing the internship; retroactive credit is not allowed according to department and university policy. If you are not registered for the class, you will not receive credit, regardless of whether you completed the internship work.

NOTE: Students MAY NOT substitute one internship for another without advisor's consent. The Internship Courses have a syllabus, required assignments, and paperwork. Most importantly: Students must not begin work before submitting a contract (complete with Hold Harmless, Informed Consent Statement) containing all required signatures from the internship site, SJSU internship faculty.

Secure an Internship

Ideally, interns should secure an internship IN ADVANCE of the semester they plan on doing the internship. Interns should contact organizations where they would like to work and complete any required applications or interviews. The internship director can discuss assignment possibilities with student interns (prior student placements, etc.) but ultimately, students must secure their own internship. All internship assignments must be approved by the internship director.

The Final Course Meeting

Attend the final course meeting and submit all required documents. Check the syllabus for date, time, and location. All final paperwork is due by this meeting, including the site supervisor’s evaluation.

Please note that students are responsible for their own internships, and all assignments must be approved by the faculty internship director. Once the internship has been approved, university and department contracts are taken to the location for signatures by the site supervisor. The program requires each student to complete a minimum of 100 hours of supervised work for the participating organization. Students who wish to do so may make arrangements with their sites to continue their internships beyond the 100-hour minimum requirement. In addition, the following requirements must be fulfilled in order to receive RTVF 198 credit (3 units):

Internship Portion of the Course

Résumé

Initially, students must prepare a brief résumé to present to the internship director and, later, to the potential placement (if required).

Contract

Upon completion of the résumé, students contact their placement, make an appointment and attend an interview. If accepted by the placement, the intern and the site supervisor agree on duties and a work schedule (8-10 hours per week) on the contract form. This contract is then submitted to the internship director who signs it and provides copies to the intern and site supervisor.

Background Research Report

Next, students do research on their potential placement and prepare a one page report that provides basic background on the organization.

Research Design

You get more out of an internship when you clarify what you want to learn. Once students have established their internship, a preliminary version of learning objectives is drafted on the internship contract agreement and a research design is developed as a plan to accomplish these objectives. At a minimum, the research design should set forth some questions to be asked and some means of answering them.

Interns should record their activities in a journal, work file or detailed daily calendar. The weekly journal entry should not be a description of what the intern did that day; rather, it is a record of what the intern learned.

Monthly Consultations

Interns must report (preferably by e-mail) to the internship director once each month (three times during the semester) to monitor progress, discuss journal entries, share experiences and ideas and get feedback that enhances their on-site learning.

End-of-Semester Paper

The paper should review, analyze and criticize the fieldwork experience. Two copies must be prepared: one is filed with the department, the other is sent to the placement.

Site Supervisor’s Evaluation

At the end of the semester, the site supervisor must provide a performance evaluation and confirmation of hours completed by the intern. The supervisor may write a letter or the department can provide a form to assist the supervisor with the evaluation.

Thank-you Letter to Site Supervisor

A thank-you letter demonstrates professional courtesy and shows participating agencies that we appreciate the opportunities they present us. A copy of the letter must be submitted to the internship director. More complete and detailed requirements are provided in the course syllabus.

Portfolio Portion of the Course

Students are required to set up an online presence (to showcase their skills and assist in gaining employment after graduation). Students will work with the internship director to organize their portfolios.

Grading

Grades are awarded for completion of 100 hours with the site along with other requirements for the course including attendance at consultations, résumé, background research on the placement, contract, research design, weekly journal entries, consultations with the director, final paper, placement's evaluation, and thank-you letter from the student to the placement. No late reports will be accepted without prior arrangement.