Internships
As students near their junior and senior year, they may begin to wonder what else they can do in order to set themselves apart from the competition for employment after graduation. More than anything else, the School of Communication strongly encourages students to pursue internships during their time at Northwestern, in order to gain invaluable work experience and create strong working relationships with Communications professionals.
According to The National Association of Colleges and Employers’ 2010 student survey, 42.3 percent of seniors with an internship received at least one job offer, while only 30.7 percent of their peers without internship experience received a job offer. Additionally, the median salary offered for seniors with an internship was 31 percent higher than those without experience.
The School of Communication offers a unique internship program in three major cities each semester: Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. Students will not only have the opportunity to intern with reputable, innovative companies, but also to participate in a weekly internship seminar with a well-connected NU alum in each city. In addition to the seminar, students will hear from alumni and guest speakers, participate in networking events, and attend field trips to well-known facilities to gain exposure to a variety of career paths.
For more information about each program:
Los Angeles
Students have the opportunity to gain experience in the heart of the entertainment industry by interning in places such as production companies, talent agencies, management companies, or studios.
Sample internships:
- CAA
- Lionsgate Entertainment
- NBC Universal
- Playtone Productions (Tom Hanks production company)
- Spyglass Entertainment
To gain academic credit for the experience, students meet once a week with L.A. internship instructor and faculty emeritus David Downs. The class includes several guest speakers and field trips.
Sample guest speakers:
- Whitney Anderson: Writer - The upcoming Buffy the Vampire franchise
- Heath Corson: Writer
- Michael Cotter: Actor - Twixter
- Zach Gilford: Actor - Friday Night Lights
- Dave Holstein: Writer - Weeds
- Richie Keen: Writer, Director - Dimitri Martin show segments
- Robin Shorr: Writer - The Loop, Samantha Who?
- Eric Siegel: Writer, Actor
- Lauren Stamile: Actress - Midnight Bayou
The Los Angeles program is available in the winter and summer quarters.
Chicago
Students are able to intern in Chicago or Evanston. Students meet in a weekly class to discuss their internships in the context of topics such as culture in the workplace, leadership and management, generational differences, work/life balance, etc. The class is also supplemented by guest speakers.
Sample guest speakers:
- Mike Sands: Partner at The Pritzker Group, former COO of Orbitz
- Danniele Meglen: MTV Networks
- Marissa Bieschke: Deloitte Consulting
New York
The New York program is taught by NU alum Carey Graeber, an entrepreneurial filmmaker and former co-President of the NUEA East and New York Women in Film and Television. Students intern in a spectrum of industries - ranging from theatre, to marketing, to film and television.
Sample internships:
- Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
- MTV Networks
- Oxygen Media
- Prada (Public Relations)
- Second Stage Theatre
- David Letterman
In addition to the classroom experience, students attend field trips and hear from NU alums and friends of the school.
Sample guest speakers and field trips:
- Comedy Central tour and meeting with the executives
- Viewing of the Colbert show
- NUEA East events
Other Cities
Students also have the option to intern in other US cities. Rather than attend a class, students are connected to a faculty member using Blackboard. They participate in discussions and submit assignments and are able to receive one to four academic credits.
