Many English majors and PPW Certificate students find internships a profitable way to combine their academic work with practical job experience. An internship develops important contacts that may lead to jobs or at least to decisions about your post-graduation career, gives you a look at the workplace in a communication/writing-related field, and expands your college experience.
Almost all internships are for academic credit, though occasionally one will offer some pay in the form of a stipend as well. Writing, PPW, and Literature majors and PPW certificate students are encouraged to do more than one internship, but they may not do more than two internships for credit, and only one in a given term. Film Studies students can only count one internship (up to 3 credits) as an elective for the major. Students may receive pay and academic credit for the same internship.
Selecting and Registering for an Internship
Select an internship site through your own research or consult "Finding an Internship" below. Make sure you have also read the internship requirements.
If you have general questions about internships, contact English and Film Advising.
To inquire about program-specific internship opportunities or to discuss an internship for which you plan to apply or have already secured, contact the appropriate person:
- Literature, Writing, Public & Professional Writing, and DNID students: Sarah Leavens
- Film Studies majors: Mark Best
- Non-Writing Intensive Internships: Lori Campbell Tanner
To register, download and carefully read the learning agreement, make sure that all sections of the learning agreement are complete, and return it to the advising office or your program's internship coordinator (listed above) to register for your internship.
In addition to getting in touch with English Advising or the Department Internship Coordinator, majors in English Literature, Writing, and Film Studies who are thinking about doing an internship are encouraged to seek additional information, and attend workshops and events presented by the Pitt Career Services Internship Office: Internship Events and Internship Prep Program.
Finding an Internship
Many currently available internships can be found on Handshake. Additionally, to browse internships for:
- Literature, Writing, Public & Professional Writing, and DNID students, visit the English Internship Database here.
- Film and Media Studies Majors, browse a list of appropriate internships on the interdisciplinary Film and Media Studies site.
Study Abroad Programs with Internship Opportunities
Pitt in London during the regular semester, during summer session 1, or during summer session 2
Pitt in Sydney during the regular semester or during summer term
International Internship Program: Berlin, Dublin, Paris, or Madrid.
The English Department Internship Course and Faculty-Sponsored Internships
Internships for which you earn college credits must have an academic component. Your best option is to take the internship course: ENGWRT 1900 (for Writing and/or Literature majors), ENGCMP 1900 (for PPW and/or DNID students), or ENGFLM 1930 (for Film majors); or you may satisfy the academic part of the internship by asking a faculty member to take responsibility for meeting with you and assigning and evaluating work appropriate to your internship. For either option, you will be expected to do work beyond what you will do on site. Typically, this includes regular journal entries and a final paper/project. You and the faculty sponsor must fill out the Learning Agreement and return it to English and Film Studies Advising or the Internship Coordinator, where you will receive a registration number with which to enroll. Just as with a class, you must complete work for the term grading deadlines and the instructor will then submit the grade for credit.
Financial Assistance for Internships
The Department of English and Film Studies Program are grateful for the continued support of our sponsoring partners, which provide grants for Pitt undergraduates pursuing media, public relations, and film internships:
Flora R. Rathburn Endowed Internship Fund
The Flora R. Rathburn Endowed Internship Fund was established in January 2017 through a gift from Karen P. Rathburn and the Rathburn Family Foundation to support nonfiction majors completing internships with newspapers, journals, and magazines who have financial needs related to unpaid internships or living expenses.
The Rotharmel Memorial Fund
The Rotharmel Memorial Fund was established in December 2012 through an estate gift from Sue Adele Rotharmel of Washington, D.C., to the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. The purpose of the fund is to support students with unpaid internships related to nonfiction writing in the publishing and media industry, with preference for experiences in major publishing centers (e.g. New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C.) and/or internships at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Daniel Booker Fund
Mr. Booker created the Booker intern program to help support student internships in journalistic reporting and writing at Pitt and in Western Pennsylvania. Students who have published in The Pitt News or other student-run journalistic media approved by the English department are eligible for funding. Preference for the Booker Fund is first for internships at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; secondarily, at other regional journalistic media such as PublicSource. If student is selected for internship position, they will automatically be awarded this grant unless they have previously received an English Department Internship Grant. As such, students do not need to apply for this grant; they will be considered for it as applicants for an internship at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PublicSource.
Daniel I. Booker is a 1968 graduate of the School of Liberal Arts. He went on to the Law School of the University of Chicago and then to an active law practice with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the global law firm Reed Smith. From 1991 through 2001, he was the Managing Partner, or CEO, of Reed Smith. He has been recognized as a leading counselor and trial lawyer to businesses throughout the U.S. and is a leader of multiple community, civic, and professional organizations. While an undergraduate at Pitt, Mr. Booker’s principal extracurricular activity was working as a reporter, news editor, and managing editor at The Pitt News. He also worked part time while at Pitt writing for local professional media. He attributes a great deal of his success to his experience collecting, writing, and editing news.