Internship Courses

What internship courses are offered, which one do I take?

The Media Studies Department offers three courses where students can enroll and get professional experience either on-campus or off-campus. Each course is unique in what types of training and knowledge it covers and whether or not the units fulfill major, minor or CORE requirements.

All students are encouraged to supplement their studies with practical production and professional experience.

The three courses are as follows:

What areas do each of the internship courses fulfill?

MS 302, Communication for Change

  • Community Engaged Learning (CEL) CORE
  • Media Studies major or minor, 300-level Advanced Electives
  • Film Studies with permission from director; must be film-related

MS 395, Media Workshop

  • Media Studies major or minor, 300-level Advanced Electives
  • Film Studies with permission from director; must be film-related

MS 396, Media Internship

  • Film Studies with permission from director; must be film-related

Can internship courses be taken more than once?

You can take MS 395 or MS 396 or a combination of both courses, for a total of 12 units. Each unit equals 20 placement hours. 

MS 395 or MS 396 can only be taken once for the Film Studies minor for 1-4 units.

Compensation

Under federal law, students must either be paid and/or receive college units for their internships. Under the Media Studies Department policy, a student needs to be enrolled in MS 320, MS 395 or MS 396 the same semester as they are working at the internship.

Am I responsible for finding an internship?

Yes, students who enroll in these three courses are responsible for finding their own internships. However, the department has some helpful resources to assist you. The Media Studies webpage has a listing of current internships - and new internships are also included in the “Media Studies Weekly” emails.

Can I take Media Internship during the summer?

If you plan on having a summer internship, you’ll need to register for the Media Internship course, unless you’re getting paid. Your internship doesn’t need to be in San Francisco, in which case, you’ll be in contact with the instructor via email.