ENGLISH INTERNSHIPS AT BELMONT UNIVERSITY

When looking at internships for English credit, the first and most important consideration should be whether the prospective internship meets the standards of the Belmont English Department. Foremost, the internship needs to involve substantial work with language.

  • This condition preferably involves writing or producing language-based material in some way. “Language,” however, is interpreted broadly such that web design, photography, and other visual media efforts can count. 
  • Past interns have also dealt with language in pedagogical fashion—tutoring at Nashville Adult Literacy Council, for instance, and working with lesson plans and professional communications.

That said, the department does not want interns just stuffing envelopes or running errands.

 

Finding the Internship

  • Students are responsible for securing their own internships, and the Belmont Office of Career and Professional Development offers excellent resources for students who are looking. Please visit the following pages:
  • In addition, the Belmont English Department has a track record with a number of places. The following organizations have noted they will welcome internship applications for Fall 2023 and/or Spring 2024, and contact persons are listed or links are provided:
    • The Porch, unpaid internship for Fall 2023. Seeking intern to help with social media for new lit magazine, with blog, and with newsletter, as well as administrative tasks. 3-5 hours/per week, mostly virtual. Requires excellent writing skills, graphic design experience suggested. Send letter and resume to Susannah Felts at susannah@porchtn.org
    • Music Mecca, unpaid internship(s). Seeking 1 to 2 music journalist interns for Fall 2023. Work is mostly remote, 10 to 15 hours weekly. Contact Paul Howard at paul@musicmecca.org or complete application available via Handshake. 
    • Stacia Morgan Photography, unpaid internship(s). Seeking interns for Fall 2023 and Spring 2023 to assist with the following areas: blog writing & posting, written website content, website design updates on Wix, writing & creating social media posts, & photography and videography assistance. Work is mostly virtual. Contact Stacia Morgan at info@staciamorgan.com
    • Working Holiday, unpaid internship(s). Seeking creative direction interns for Spring 2024. Hybrid content creation, some in-person. 12 hours/week minimum. Send applications and resumes/portfolios to Frank Paris at frank@workingholiday.media
    • With the Band, LLC, unpaid internship(s). Seeking Spring 2024 interns for social media management, blog management, video editing and content creation, public relations, and artist relations. Details available on Handshake or at this link. Contact Carlyn Warren at carlynwarren@withtheband.co

  • In recent semesters, the department has had interns at the following organizations, and students are welcome to check and see if these organizations are currently seeking interns:

Publisher Spotlight 
Wisdom House Books
Fieldhouse Pottery
Turnip Green Creative Reuse
frog design 

 

Then What? Next Steps...

  • Once you’ve applied for and secured an internship with an organization, you’ll need to work with your immediate supervisor there to fill out the appropriate Internship Agreement—either the paid version or the unpaid version. These forms are linked below (once the form page loads, click the three dots at top-right to download) or are available upon request from me, Dr. Lovvorn, the English Internship Coordinator. Please be sure to include actual signatures from you and your supervisor in Section E of the form. If you need to bring a physical copy by my office, that’s fine.
  • To decide which section of the internship course to take, you’ll need to consider several factors: the intern hours required by the organization, the intern hours you can contribute, the number of credit hours you need, and possibly, tuition cost. Please keep in mind the following semester totals to evaluate how intern hours line up with course credit. This evaluation will determine whether you're eligible to take a one, two, or three credit-hour section of ENG 3960.
    • minimum of 36 intern hours for 1 credit hour;
    • above 72 intern hours for 2 credit hours;
    • above 108 intern hours for 3 credit hours.
  • Once I receive the completed and signed paperwork, I will approve a course override for the appropriate section of ENG 3960, and you can register.

Finally, what is ENG 3960?

ENG 3960, English Internship is an online, asynchronous class that runs alongside your internship activities at an organization. In line with best-practice experiential education, the class involves reflection on the experience, and you'll be required to complete three reflections across the semester. You'll also be required to complete several composition assignments meant to reinforce the conventions of professional genres. These assignments include:

    • professional email communications
    • blog analysis and blog writing
    • cover letter for a job listing
    • professional online portfolio 


Hope this information helps! 

Please contact me at the email address below if you have questions or if you have secured an internship and need an Internship Agreement form.

 

Sincerely,
Dr. Jason Lovvorn
Associate Professor of English and Internship Coordinator
jason.lovvorn@belmont.edu