Internships

Communication Department students have a wide variety of opportunities to gain advanced and specific experience as an intern to help propel your career goals. Many Communication students do internships in local firms and organizations, including media companies, advertising and public relations firms, non-profits and community organizations.

Resources for Finding an Internship

Participate in the Academic Internship Program (more info below)
Review the Career Center's Internships webpage
Reach out to UCSD Alumni through Tritons Connect
Research professional associations
Talk with your professors about your interests during office hours
Research companies on their websites and LinkedIn
Use the Triton Career Guide to draft your resume, cover letter, personal statement
Make an appointment with The Writing Hub to help refine your written materials

Off-Campus Internships

The department's extensive list of off-campus internships will give you a sense of the kinds of internship opportunities previous Communication students have experienced.

Communication Department Internship Opportunities

Internships available in the Communication Department are posted on our Department Internships & Fellowships webpage.

The Academic Internship Program

The University's Academic Internship Program (AIP) allows students to participate in an internship while simultaneously enrolled in an AIP course. Students thereby integrate academic theory and ‘real world' practice, engage in research that explores the relationship between the two, and gain hands-on experience in professional settings.

Interested students should review the AIP website to learn more about the program, quarterly deadlines, and to view available internship opportunities in their database, InternLink. The AIP Office is located at Geisel Library in the Teaching + Learning Commons.

AIP Faculty Mentor

Participation in AIP requires a Faculty Mentor. The Communication Department assigns AIP Faculty Mentors each quarter during the academic year:

AIP Communication Department Faculty Mentors

Fall 2024: Professor Morana Alač

Winter 2025: Professor Gary Fields

Spring 2025: Professor Morana Alač

Summer: Faculty Mentors are not automatically assigned or guaranteed. Students should contact the Communication faculty member whose mentorship they hope to secure to ask if they are available during the summer.

AIP 197

Participation in AIP also requires students to enroll in an AIP course. AIP 197 is an upper-division, special studies course; Communication students must enroll for 4 units if they wish for the course to count towards the COMM or MIC major (see process below).

Students may petition to count a maximum of one AIP 197 (4 units) towards the major's Intermediate Elective requirement. Steps:

Once the AIP 197 grade is posted to the your Academic History, complete an Undergraduate Student Petition. Include in the body of the petition:
- the name of the company/organization,
- the start and end date,
- 3 - 5 sentences about how the internship relates to the major,
- and the name of your AIP Faculty Advisor (must be a member of the Communication Department faculty).
Submit your completed petition via the COMM UG Petition Form. The department's Faculty Advisor will review it and you will be notified of the result via the VAC.