Internships are an integral part of your education. They allow you to refine and expand the knowledge and skills you gain inside and outside of the classroom. There are two categories of internships for Greenlee majors – required and optional.
Required internship for majors
As a Greenlee major, you are required to complete a 300-hour professional internship as your capstone course through ADVRT/JLMC/ PR / SMC 4990A.
While you are responsible for securing an internship at any company, agency, or media outlet of your choice, the Greenlee School is committed to your success and provides many resources to help you land your dream experience.
To help offset the cost of completing an internship, the Greenlee School awards several internship scholarships each spring to Greenlee majors who are enrolled in summer 4990A internships.
To meet the criteria for 4990A scholarships, you must be enrolled full-time with a primary major in advertising, journalism and mass communication, public relations, or sports media and communication for the semester in which the scholarship is issued. You are considered full-time during the semester for which you are enrolled in ADVRT, JLMC, PR, or SMC 4990A: Professional Media Internship. Learn more about 4990A scholarships and deadlines.
Optional additional internship
If your schedule allows, you may complete additional internships beyond the 4990A required internship to gain even more professional experience. If you want to earn academic credit for additional internships, there are a couple options you may explore with your faculty mentor:
- ADVRT/JLMC/PR/SMC 4990B is an optional course that allows a Greenlee major to earn 1 to 3 credits based on the number of hours worked at an internship in your specialization. Contact your faculty mentor to find out if your internship qualifies. (Note: This course is not a replacement for 4990A and is not tracked through Canvas).
- Contact LAS Career Services to explore other ways to obtain academic credit for the internship. Note: You cannot use your ADVRT/JLMC/PR/SMC 4990A or 4990B internship to obtain academic credit from any other department at Iowa State University.
To make an appointment with the Greenlee internship coordinator, Juli Probasco-Sowers, please email greenlee-internships@iastate.edu, call 515-294-4342 or stop by 101 Hamilton Hall.
LAS support for unpaid internships
In 2022, over 75% of Greenlee internships were paid. Historically, more than half of Greenlee students find paid internship opportunities. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences awards a limited number of scholarships each semester to support undergraduate students completing unpaid internships. These scholarships are one-time awards. Students who work at non-profit and government organizations off-campus will receive priority consideration. Learn more about LAS unpaid internship scholarships and deadlines.
Do you have questions about internships? Contact LAS Career Services at lascs@iastate.edu. You may also consult with the Office of Student Financial Aid to explore the financial aid options available to you while enrolled in 4990A.
Finding an internship
Finding your ADVRT/JLMC/ PR / SMC 4990A internship may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! Start early and don’t get discouraged – realize that it may take more than a year to find an internship that’s a good fit for you. The following tips, tools and resources can help with your search.
CyHire
Employers who are recruiting Iowa State University students for internships and jobs post positions on CyHire. You can search for positions by college or major, upload your resume, view career fair information and more. You can even automate your CyHire search to have relevant new opportunities emailed to you weekly. Get started.
Greenlee Resources
Search the Greenlee School’s Jump-Start Internship Database, which lists 4990A internships successfully completed by recent Greenlee majors.
LAS Career Services
Explore the helpful tips, resources and information offered by the LAS Career Services staff who can also partner with you to:
- Create a personalized career plan
- Write a resume or CV
- Compose a cover letter
- Search for an internship
- Prepare for an interview
- Check out a padfolio
- Reserve a room for a phone or virtual interview
- Answer additional career-related questions
Current students may set up an appointment with LAS Career Services staff through CyHire.
Need more help?
- Learn about new internship opportunities on LinkedIn through the Greenlee Internships group and in our weekly jobs/internships newsletter.
- Need a sounding board? Make an appointment with your faculty mentor through EAB Navigate or the Greenlee internship coordinator, Juli Probasco-Sowers, by calling 515-294-4342 or emailing greenlee-internships@iastate.edu.
- The People to People Career Fair and Business, Industry, and Technology Career Fair are held in September and February. They are co-hosted by LAS Career Services. See a complete list of upcoming Iowa State career fairs.
