Department of Communication

Most internships are not paid positions, though this varies depending on the company and the requirements of the internship. As you might expect, paid internships are more common in for-profit companies and less common in non-profit organizations. Also, you should know that many companies that do not pay interns do require students to receive credit for an internship in order to work the company.

To receive three hours of internship credit, the student must complete 150 hours at the job site. During a regular fifteen-week semester, this means a student must work an average of 10 hours per week for the entire semester. The student is required to act professionally, meaning that students must be serious, dependable, punctual, and able to follow the work rules of the company or agency hosting the internship. The Department of Communication supports internships during the fall, spring and summer semesters. To document their work experience, students must keep a work journal describing their daily activities and use the journal to complete an internship assessment paper at the end of the experience.

Communication students have completed internships at a variety of commercial firms, companies, and non-profit agencies. These include news organizations such as the Tulsa World, the Albuquerque Tribune, KJRH Channel 2, KOTV Channel 6, King television in Seattle, KMOX radio in St. Louis, and other news outlets. Broadcasting students have interned at Cox Communications in Tulsa, KTUL Channel 8 in Tulsa, K-HITS radio Tulsa, KCBC in Los Angeles and other radio and television stations. In public relations and advertising, students have worked at local agencies such as Schnake Turnbo Frank, Berger & Berger, Littlefield, Hinkle & Associates, and many other firms. Students have also worked at area non-profit agencies, including the Tulsa Area United Way, the YMCA, YWCA, St. Francis Hospital, Hillcrest Hospital, Domestic Violence Intervention Services, and many other agencies.

To prepare for an internship in an upcoming semester, you should take the following steps: (1) Notify the internship coordinator (Prof. John Coward) of your intention and make sure that you meet the departmental requirements above; (2) prepare a formal resume to give to prospective sponsors; (3) select your specific field of interest (journalism, PR, advertising, broadcasting, non-profit work, etc.) and prepare a list of companies or agencies that are on interest to you; (4) begin contacting companies or firms about an internship.

The internship coordinator, Prof. Coward, can assist you with contacts and information about local companies and answer additional questions about the internship. Contact him at john-coward@utulsa.edu or
ext. 2542.

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Department of Communication
Oliphant Hall, 128 [campus map]
(918) 631-2541
fax (918) 631-3809

Mailing Address:
800 South Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104


	Communication Students Report on Women in Prison TU Honors Tulsa Tribune Publisher Student Internship Information Communication Students Report on Women in Prison Twelve TU Communication students went to prison during the spring 2008 semester in the name of documentary journalism. The students, part of Prof. John Coward's Documentary Workshop course, traveled to the Eddie Warrior Correctional Center in Taft, Okla., to interview prisoners at the women's facility there. The students met with selected inmates and toured a dormitory during their two-hour visit to the minimum-security prison. The idea of the prison visit, Prof. Coward said, was to get students off campus where they could interview people different from themselves. "It was an eye-opening experience for me and my students," Coward said. "We learned a lot about the Oklahoma prison system and especially the impact of drugs on Oklahoma women." Coward noted Oklahoma has the nation's highest rate of women in prison, a statistic that reflects the serious drug problem in the Sooner state. Each TU student interviewed an inmate and wrote a profile about her life in and out of prison. The profiles were collected and posted on a website set up by the class. The site, Oklahoma Prison Project, also includes inmate and student photos, as well as a video interview with one inmate. The web address for the site is okprisonproject.blogspot.com. TU Honors Tulsa Tribune Publisher The TU Department of Communication inducted Jenk Jones Jr., former publisher of the Tulsa Tribune, into its Hall of Fame in a ceremony and dinner held January 10, 2008. Jones, who worked for the Tribune for 32 years, used the occasion to speak on Oklahoma history, delivered an after dinner a talk on the state's "Wildest and Wackiest Years," the 1920s and 30s. A graduate of the University of Colorado, Jones worked on newspapers in Colorado, Minnesota, Alaska, and Oklahoma. He covered the state capitol and Washington for the Tribune and went on to serve as editor and publisher of the newspaper. He has reported from more than 70 countries and all continents. Jones covered eight political conventions and the early years of the U.S. space program. Jones received the top Oklahoma Associated Press award for feature writing, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department Travel Writing Award, Associated Press Managing Editors Association Meritorious Service Award and The Nature Conservancy's Excellence Award. Jones was presented with the Ed Johnson Award by John Coward, chair of the TU Faculty of Communication. The TU Communication Hall of Fame recognizes alumni and friends of the Department of Communication at TU for their contributions to communication and communication education. The award is named the Ed Johnson Award in honor of Ed Johnson, the former head of the journalism program at TU. Johnson taught at the university from 1948 until his retirement in 1974. Jones was the tenth inductee into the Communication Hall of Fame. Previous inductees have included Jim Hartz, former host of NBC's Today show; Bob Losure, former anchor of CNN's Headline News; Saidie Adwon, former general manager of KTUL Channel 8 in Tulsa; Ken Greenwood, Tulsa radio and broadcasting pioneer; Robert Lorton, publisher of the Tulsa World; and Becky Dixon, pioneering network sports broadcaster. Student Internship Information Most internships are not paid positions, though this varies depending on the company and the requirements of the internship. As you might expect, paid internships are more common in for-profit companies and less common in non-profit organizations. Also, you should know that many companies that do not pay interns do require students to receive credit for an internship in order to work the company. To receive three hours of internship credit, the student must complete 150 hours at the job site. During a regular fifteen-week semester, this means a student must work an average of 10 hours per week for the entire semester. The student is required to act professionally, meaning that students must be serious, dependable, punctual, and able to follow the work rules of the company or agency hosting the internship. The Department of Communication supports internships during the fall, spring and summer semesters. To document their work experience, students must keep a work journal describing their daily activities and use the journal to complete an internship assessment paper at the end of the experience. Communication students have completed internships at a variety of commercial firms, companies, and non-profit agencies. These include news organizations such as the Tulsa World, the Albuquerque Tribune, KJRH Channel 2, KOTV Channel 6, King television in Seattle, KMOX radio in St. Louis, and other news outlets. Broadcasting students have interned at Cox Communications in Tulsa, KTUL Channel 8 in Tulsa, K-HITS radio Tulsa, KCBC in Los Angeles and other radio and television stations. In public relations and advertising, students have worked at local agencies such as Schnake Turnbo Frank, Berger & Berger, Littlefield, Hinkle & Associates, and many other firms. Students have also worked at area non-profit agencies, including the Tulsa Area United Way, the YMCA, YWCA, St. Francis Hospital, Hillcrest Hospital, Domestic Violence Intervention Services, and many other agencies. To prepare for an internship in an upcoming semester, you should take the following steps: (1) Notify the internship coordinator (Prof. John Coward) of your intention and make sure that you meet the departmental requirements above; (2) prepare a formal resume to give to prospective sponsors; (3) select your specific field of interest (journalism, PR, advertising, broadcasting, non-profit work, etc.) and prepare a list of companies or agencies that are on interest to you; (4) begin contacting companies or firms about an internship. The internship coordinator, Prof. Coward, can assist you with contacts and information about local companies and answer additional questions about the internship. Contact him at john-coward@utulsa.edu or ext. 2542. top Department of Communication Oliphant Hall, 128 [campus map] (918) 631-2541 fax (918) 631-3809 Mailing Address: 800 South Tucker Drive Tulsa, OK 74104