Internship in Writing (UWP 92 and 192)
For students who wish to earn academic credit while exploring potential career paths, gaining practical skills, and/or making professional contacts, an internship in writing is an opportunity to get real-world work experience in a professional environment. Site supervisors are required for an internship and provide interns with a mentor who can help them improve their writing skills while developing professional relationships. Interns can also compile writing samples from the internship as a way to showcase their experience and skills to future employers. Interns may work on or off campus, with appropriate publications, campus units or departments, schools, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, or private corporations. Grading is on a P/NP basis.
Deadlines
- Internship registration: by the 12th day of the quarter
- Progress Report/Consultation with Internship Coordinator: by week 5
- Final packet submission: by final exam week
Process for Locating and Applying for an Internship
Internship Forms
Information for Organizations Interested in Creating an Internship
Process for Locating and Applying for an Internship
Professional Writing Interns receive academic credit for writing and/or editing in professional settings. Interns may help to draft/edit marketing copy, grant proposals, policy statements, position papers, web content, video tutorials, or other informative texts or multimedia materials for public and private agencies. Work that does not involve the production of finished text, such as research or administrative assistance, is not appropriate for UWP 192 internship credit.
Although the UWP does not place students in writing internships, we do send out emails regarding internship announcements (email uwpadvisor@ucdavis.edu to be placed on the listserv). The Internship and Career Center (ICC) also offers guidance on finding internships.
If you are unsure of what kinds of internships count towards credit for the minor, we have an Internship Directory for students that catalogs positions offered or completed in the past with descriptions, requirements, qualifications, and more about each internship (email uwpadvisor@ucdavis.edu for access).
Most writing internships are approved for 1 to 4 units per quarter, with some internships requiring interns to complete work on-site and some remotely (or a combination of both). One unit of credit requires 30 hours of writing-related work during the quarter; four units require 120 hours.
To be eligible for internship credit, interns must successfully request credit for an internship before enrolling and beginning to work. The process for requesting credit is as follows:
- Locate an internship offered in a professional setting.
1.1 Intern will need a professional to serve as both a mentor and supervisor.
1.2 If the organization is student-run (e.g., Morning Sign Out), the intern needs to also identify a professional who will, along with any student supervisor, serve as a site supervisor. Contact Katie Rodger (fall 2023) if you are interested in receiving UWP 192 internship credit for your work at the California Aggie.
- Once you have identified your internship, complete the Request for Approval of Internship for Academic Credit.
2.1 Make sure all proposed tasks are clearly defined writing or editing tasks. (If the proposed tasks are not writing-related--or seem vague/unclear--the proposal will not be approved.)
2.2 The Faculty Sponsor is Dr. Katie Rodger (fall 2023). The Site Supervisor is the on-site professional who will be supervising your internship.
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Receive an email that your request was either approved or denied.3.1 If approved, you will receive a CRN# from Dr. Katie Rodger.
3.2 If denied, you will receive an email notification that asks you to contact the Internship Coordinator, Dr. Katie Roger, at uwpadvisor@ucdavis.edu.
- Enroll in internship (UWP 92/192) before the deadline to add classes (https://registrar.ucdavis.edu/calendar/quarter.cfm).
5.1 There are no provisions for late adds or retroactive credit, so you must observe the registration deadline.
5.2 To receive credit for an internship continuing over more than one quarter, you must repeat this process each quarter. Check with your department’s undergraduate advisor about limits on internship units.
- Follow instructions for submitting required materials. During the internship, there will be a mid-quarter check-in with the Internship Coordinator. At the end of the quarter, you will submit your log of hours and a writing portfolio. Your site supervisor will submit a site supervisor evaluation. All of this information and more details will be provided to you upon registering for either UWP 92 or UWP 192. Instructions are also posted in the UWP 192 Canvas site. Interns will receive additional email instructions at strategic times throughout the quarter.
Note: To obtain more specific notation on a transcript (e.g., “Journalism,” “Public Relations Writing,” or Legal Writing”), obtain the ICC's Internship Transcript Notation Form, complete it, get it signed, and then submit to the ICC. You will also need to show the ICC a copy of the letter you received from the UWP's internship coordinator confirming that your request for credit has been approved.
Internship Forms
If you are a current or prospective intern, please refer to these forms for requesting credit, logging hours, or changing past internship credit.
Request for Approval of Internship for Academic Credit
Petition for Retroactive Change
Information for Organizations Interested in Creating an Internship
You may be able to use undergraduate interns to write or edit for your organization. For example, interns might be able to help your organization write/edit marketing materials, reports, instructions, grant proposals, Web content, and other useful texts and multimedia projects. Read the Professional Writing Internship Program description to learn more about the program.
If you are interested in creating an internship, please contact Internship Coordinator, Dr. Katie Rodger (fall 2023) (uwpadvisor@ucdavis.edu), to discuss your internship idea and ways to promote the internship opportunity. Please also complete the Request Form for a Professional Writing Intern. Dr. Rodger will review your request and contact you regarding next steps.
If you wish, you could request that interns possess a specific type of writing experience, have already taken an upper division writing course, or have taken a specific writing course, such as journalism, business writing, writing in the health professions, legal writing, or professional editing.
For students to receive 1 unit of credit, they need to complete 30 hours of writing-related work (total) during the quarter (10 weeks in the regular academic year and/or 6 to 12 weeks in summer session). You may offer 1, 2, 3, or 4 units of credit (4 units = 120 hours of writing-related work during the quarter).
Since the Professional Writing minor internship is designed to be an educational experience, the UWP requires that students will receive constructive feedback on their work and will also be assigned increasingly challenging tasks appropriate to their level of expertise.
For sample descriptions of internships or more information, contact the Internship Coordinator at uwpadvisor@ucdavis.edu.