An internship can begin at any time during the semester. You can intern on a part-time or full-time basis during the fall, spring, or summer term, and you can extend an internship over more than one semester. You can even serve more than one internship at the same company or at different ones. 

Some internships are paid; some are not. Whether you receive pay (and, if so, how much) is strictly a matter of negotiation between you and the internship company or organization. 

Internships may be taken for credit or no credit. To qualify for credit in English, your internship must involve primarily writing, editing, research and/or training. English 496 and 528 offer variable credit depending on the number of hours worked and the nature of the internship. Minimum requirements include an internship journal, a progress report, an annotated bibliography, and a final report with samples of work produced during your internship.

Internship projects at Fortune 500 corporations, small companies, government agencies, and university offices have ranged from editing manuscripts for publication, to creating user manuals and online documentation for software products and services, to providing tutoring and training workshops.

It's never too early to start planning for an internship. But we suggest the following strategy:

• Enroll in Technical Writing (English 308 or English 526)
• Enroll in Technical Editing (English 403 or English 527)
• Familiarize yourself with the most current word processing and desktop publishing software programs
• Join NIU's student chapter of the Society for Technical Communication

The Northern Illinois University Department of English can help your organization arrange internships. Many of our students have experience in technical writing, editing, and training, and they are ready to help you with your communication needs. 

Would your organization like help developing material such as the following:

• Web pages
• documentation for products and services
• policies and procedures (e.g., ISO 9000)
• specifications
• flow charts and forms
• manuals and instructions
• training materials
• job descriptions
• brochures
• newsletters
• press releases
• promotional materials
• grants
• flow charts and forms
• campaign material

If you have such needs, but lack the time or resources to devote to projects like these, then you might be interested in having a student (or students) serve an internship with your organization. 

In today's workplace, good communication is vital to good business. Our students have excellent writing skills, and they recognize the importance of language and communication in business. Interns can help you create or revise documents, develop training materials, or provide tutorials or workshops on writing. 

Through internships, your organization benefits by obtaining temporary workers who are highly motivated, dedicated, and cost effective. You are also able to facilitate your entry-level recruitment and preview each intern's potential. Furthermore, internships benefit the students by giving them practical, professional experience before they graduate. 

• Length -- Internships typically last for one semester or summer term. However, other arrangements are possible. Every attempt is made to offer flexible scheduling in order to accommodate both your organization's time frame and the student's academic schedule. 


• Supervising -- Students serving credit internships are co-supervised by a faculty member and a person from your organization. During the internship, your organization participates in the intern's evaluation. 


• Pay -- As the sponsoring organization, you decide whether the internship is paid or unpaid. 

Internships in writing, editing, and training are easy to arrange. 

• Describe the internship you would like to set up, including the following:
• the intern's responsibilities
• the duration of the internship
• name(s) of those who will supervise the intern pay
• Contact Us for more information!

Although some internships can be filled immediately, we ask that you allow about a month's lead time for placement.