Media Studies Academic Credit for an Internship
Spring 2024 Important Deadlines
Domestic Students: Complete Information and Intake Form no later than Monday, February 5, 2024* (two days before the add/drop deadline).
International Students: Complete the Information and Intake Form and email your F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) with employer verification letter and internship description to Dr. Matthew Berry (matthewberry@berkeley.edu) with a copy to Laura Demir (demir@berkeley.edu) no later than Monday, January 22, 2024* (two weeks and two days before the add/drop deadline since additional time is needed to process the CPT form in Media Studies and Berkeley International Office). Meet with Laura Demir in scheduled appointment or drop-in advising to go over CPT form.
* Exceptions to these deadlines may be possible if you have not exercised your one semester late change of class schedule option and depending on the timing of your internship. See Late Change of Class Schedule on the L&S Advising website.
Earning Academic Credit for an Internship
Internships can be an important aspect of your college experience, and an essential part of your career preparation. Juggling a job, internship and coursework, however, may not always produce happy results. It is our program’s policy to discourage freshmen and sophomores from taking school-year internships. Junior and senior year are more appropriate times to begin gaining internship experience. Focus on your prerequisite coursework in your first and second year!
The Media Studies Program offers internship units and services only during the fall and spring semesters to officially declared Media Studies majors with at least junior standing.
Media Studies does not offer summer units for internships. If you need academic credit related to an internship during the summer, see Independent U.S. Summer Internship Credit Option on the Career Center’s website. Your local community college may be able to offer units for an unpaid summer internship and a quick internet search for “community college internship credit” may provide other options, such as online courses that offer credit for internships. Domestic students may earn academic credit in the fall semester related to their summer internship and request letters from the Media Studies Program to give to their employers if needed.
When you are ready to undertake a media-related internship, contact Dr. Matthew Berry (matthewberry@berkeley.edu), faculty advisor for the Supervised Independent Study for Internships Program. For more information about what is expected if you undertake an internship for credit through Media Studies, please review the first page of the Information and Intake Form. Once you have a confirmed media-related internship and you would like to apply for enrollment for internship units, review and submit the entire Information and Intake Form.
Enrollment in Media Studies 199
Students may enroll in Media Studies 199: Supervised Independent Study for either one or two P/NP units. Dr. Berry will provide students with permission codes to enroll if their applications are approved. Note: The University does not allow more than 16 units in total from 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, or 199 courses.
The units earned are based NOT on the number of hours worked or tasks performed in the internship. Instead, units are based on the length of the essay you will write for Media Studies 199. For one unit of P/NP credit, you must write a five-page essay, employing a single concept presented in a Media Studies class. The essay should define the concept and illustrate it with observations or experiences gained from the internship. For two units of P/NP credit, students must write a ten-page essay, choosing two or three concepts and defining and illustrating each. Essays must include a Works Cited page. Please think carefully about how many units you wish to take for Media Studies 199.
Media Studies 199 may be retaken for credit provided a different media theory is selected and applied each time a paper is written. Students retaking Media Studies 199 may intern for the same company or a different company if they produce a new paper evaluating a different aspect of their internship experience that draws on and applies a different media theory to that experience. If you are an International student, consult with a Berkeley International Office Advisor before enrolling in more than one Media Studies 199 related to your internship in case it affects your future CPTand OPT plans.
How to Find an Internship
If you do not have an internship and need guidance on finding one, the UC Berkeley Career Center is a great place to start. Visit the Career Center’s page for undergraduates to learn about resume writing, searching for an internship, interviewing, networking and more. Sign up for Handshake. Read the Media Studies Events and Opportunities Newsletter sent to students declared in the major. Talk with your faculty, classmates, family and friends. Word of mouth is one of the best sources. If you know where you would like to intern, maybe a specific company or industry, go directly to the relevant websites to find internship positions or contacts you can ask about openings. Join LinkedIn where you can meet Cal Media Studies alumni. And, if you are uncertain about your internship and future career path, start with the Career Counseling Assessment and Library. They can help you explore options and identify a direction that is meaningful to you