Integrative Public Relations Internships

The integrative public relations major requires you to participate in a public relations internship experience (IPR 555) to gain real-world experiences and a competitive professional portfolio. You must successfully complete six hours of internship credit (300 work hours) in the major.

Before the internship

To be eligible to enroll in IPR 555, you must meet all of the following requirements:

  • Signed IPR major
  • Junior/senior standing and completion of 56 credit hours
  • Completed all required courses except for 500 level
  • C or higher in all classes in the program, including electives taken thus far
  • Minimum GPA of 2.5 in the major
  • Signed and approved CMU Affiliation Agreement (Processing can take up to four weeks)
  • Approval of the Internship Coordinator
    NOTE: Each credit hour equals 50 work hours.

The internship coordinator will assist you in identifying organizations that may have internship opportunities. Financial compensation depends solely on the supervising organization. If you meet the course prerequisites, you can pursue these leads or develop leads on your own. With the approval of the internship coordinator, you can fill out the necessary forms and begin the process. It is imperative that you meet with the internship coordinator for the final approval and the site supervisor agrees to the terms and conditions of sponsoring you as an intern.

The following forms are required to complete this application process and must be typed and filled out in their entirety.

Frequently asked questions and required forms

To complete the internship

You must work a minimum of 300 documented hours when enrolled in IPR 555. Additional hours must be negotiated between the intern and the field supervisor prior to the start of the internship.

As outlined in the syllabus and IPR 555 Blackboard materials, there are assignments and evaluations you must complete and submit before a grade can be assigned. All assignments must be received within two weeks upon completion of the last day of the internship.

The following evaluation form must be completed by the Field Supervisor and sent to IPRinternships@cmich.edu:

  • IPR Field Supervisor Evaluation Form

The following assignments must be uploaded to Blackboard within two weeks upon completion of the internship:

  • Journal
  • Reflection paper
  • Internship portfolio
  • Assessment (case study and assessment instrument)
    NOTE: All assignments are on Blackboard.

A FINAL GRADE FOR THE INTERNSHIP CANNOT BE POSTED UNTIL THE STUDENT HAS COMPLETED ALL OF THE ASSIGNMENTS AND THE FIELD SUPERVISOR EVALUATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED.

Once ALL materials have been submitted, they will be graded within two working weeks. The university is closed during holidays and semester breaks, thus not considered working days. A “Z” will be submitted as the final grade and changed to a letter grade once all materials are graded.

International internships must be approved by the IPR internship coordinator and the study abroad office. This takes additional time and is your responsibility to work with both offices.

Supervisor Evaluation