International Internships
Welcome to the College of Communication Arts and Sciences International Internships site! Browse the menu at left to find out about internship programs, application information, important dates and deadlines, and scholarship offerings.
Background
Many opportunities for CAS majors exist in semester long, unpaid, international internships. The opportunities are aligned with your major and are designed to engage you in substantive work related to your major. Work assignments depend upon your skill sets and aptitude. Interns often work at medium-size or small organizations where they are expected to contribute on a daily basis to their unit just as full-time, paid employees do. Our students often report working on projects of considerable importance to the organization once they have “learned the ropes” and acclimated.
Typically, students have completed 60 credits prior to departure and have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. CAS majors earn 12 credits while working (in most cases 32 - 36 hours per week) for 12 weeks. (London interns earn 13 credits.) You will live with other interns in flats with other MSU interns or in homestays, depending upon the country. Check the International Internship weblinks for specific requirements for each program.
The application process takes into consideration your work interests, prior work experiences, work knowledge and skills, ability to live in an international location, and, in some cases, language skills. The application process also serves to prepare materials that will be submitted to provider organization, which arranges the internship.
In each city, we use provider companies who arrange your placement and housing. We work with these companies closely and they are the best in their field. They will go through your application and the applications of others, evaluating applicants’ career preparedness in general and development in your chosen field. Based on this assessment, they will match your materials to the needs of/requests from their 500 or so providers. So, internship placements are much more driven by your general preparation and interests than by a certain job description at a specific organization.
It is important for you to prioritize your work interests in its sub-fields. For example, Advertising majors might list their interests as: (1) Public Relations; (2) Research; and (3) Marketing. You should include your three interests in your cover letter.