How to Get Units for Your Internship:

Obtain and accept an offer for an internship. Once you have an internship, decide if you would like the internship to count for academic unit; if so follow the instructions below based on the department your program is housed in.

Students can get units for paid internships. Please see the section below regarding federal laws around unpaid internships.

Faculty Internship Coordinators

Undergraduate Students:

COM CO 575 is a zero – unit, ungraded professional experience required to be completed at least once by all undergraduate COM major students earning a degree from the College of Communication. COM minors are not eligible. It is also an inexpensive option for internships that require students to get units during the summer.

The purpose of the requirement is to ensure students engage with the field of professional communication, applying their curricular and extracurricular experience to practice. The COM CO 575 course is repeatable and can be on your academic record for any semester in which you are enrolled at the College of Communication.

  • Only students enrolled in a College of Communication major are eligible to enroll in COM CO 575.
  • COM CO 575 can only be registered for during the semester that the approved experience is taking place.
  • Students who register for COM CO 575 over the summer will be charged a university registration fee. ($60 as of summer 2024)

Graduate Student Summer Internship Process:

This process applies to graduate students who:

  • Plan to pursue a summer internship for academic unit
  • Will enroll in the following fall term
  • This policy does not apply to students who:
    • Plan to graduate in August (summer graduation) and need academic unit for their internship.
    • Will be participating in a BU Abroad program.

Summer Internship Course (CO599s):

  • All eligible students will be enrolled in a placeholder course, CO599s, for “0 units” during the summer term.
  • This course serves as a placeholder for a summer internship experience.
  • A $60 student fee applies to CO599s.

Fall Internship Courses:

  • Upon receiving approval from their faculty internship advisor, students will be registered in the appropriate internship course for their program:
    • CM809
    • FT953/FT954
    • JO737
  • These fall internship courses carry academic units and are included in the fall tuition (maximum 18 units).

Important Notes:

  • This process allows graduate students to receive units for their summer internship experience through both the placeholder “0” units summer course (CO599s) and the academic unit fall internship course.

Summer Internship Questions:

*Please check your student link for your faculty mentor assigned by your department.

Information By Department:

Undergraduate Students:

  • Students earning COM CO575 credit for a Film & TV internship that is not for 2 or 4 units need to fill out the College of Communication Professional Experience form, have their faculty mentor approve via signature on the form, and submit it to the Film and Television Department (filmtv@bu.edu) by no later than the W drop deadline for the term that the experience is taking place. 
  • If a student would like to earn 2 or 4 units for an internship (Film & TV 493/494), they will need to email Professor Sheila Sitomer (ssitomer@bu.edu) with information about their internship. She will work with those students throughout the term to ensure they complete all the necessary paperwork for an internship for unit.
  • The course pre-requisites for COM FT 493/494, a 2 or 4 credit Film and Television Internship include: COM FT 201, COM FT 310, at least rising junior standing, and a 3.0 or better COM GPA. 

Graduate Students:

  • Graduate students are eligible for FT953/954 credit (graduate-level internship class)
  • MFA Screenwriting and MS Media Ventures students will pursue internships through the Boston University Los Angeles program.
  • MS Television students are required to pursue an internship and can apply to pursue internships through the Boston University Los Angeles program.
  • International students generally need to complete two full-time semesters before interning off-campus. Contact isso@bu.edu with more questions.

Undergraduate Students:

  • Students earning COM CO575 unit for an Advertising, Public Relations, or Media Science internship that is not for 2 or 4 units need to fill out the College of Communication Professional Experience form, have their faculty mentor approve via signature on the form, and submit it to the Mass Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations Department (mcadvpr@bu.edu) by no later than the W drop deadline for the term that the experience is taking place. 
  • If a student would like to earn 2 or 4 units for an internship (COM CM 471), will need to work with the internship coordinator based on their major and meet some course pre-requisites: 
  • Advertising – Michelle Sullivan – COM CM 471, Undergraduate Advertising Internship, Pre-Reqs: COM CM 217, COM CM 331, and at least rising junior standing 
  • Public Relations – Todd Van Hoosear – COM CM 471, Undergraduate Public Relations Internship Pre-Reqs: COM CM 215, COM CM 331, and at least rising junior standing 
  • Media Science – Traci Hong – COM CM 471, Undergraduate Media Science Internship, Pre-Reqs: COM CM 280, COM CM 331, and at least rising junior standing 

Graduate Students:

  • If a graduate student wants to get unit for their internship, they apply to take CM 809 (graduate level internship class). This course can be completed for 2 or 4 units and students must receive approval from their program internship coordinator to add the class.
  • All graduate MS Public Relations students must complete COM CM 580 PRLab or COM CM 809 Internship (adding up to at least 4 units).
  • MS Advertising, MS Media Science, and MS Media Science: Marketing Communication Research students can pursue an optional internship. An internship is not required.
  • Students must complete one term before enrolling in CM 809. International students generally need to complete two full-time terms before interning off-campus. Contact isso@bu.edu with more questions.

Undergraduate Students:

  • Students earning COM CO575 unit for a Journalism internship that is not for 2 or 4 units need to fill out the College of Communication Professional Experience form, have their faculty mentor approve via signature on the form, and submit it to the Journalism Department (jodept@bu.edu) by no later than the W drop deadline for the term that the experience is taking place. 
  • If a student would like to earn 2 or 4 units for an internship (COM JO 412), they will need to contact Professor Gina Gayle (ggayle@bu.edu) with information about their internship. She will work with those students throughout the semester to ensure they complete all the necessary paperwork for an internship for credit. 
  • The course pre-requisites for COM JO 412, a 2 or 4 units Journalism Internship include: COM JO 200, COM JO 205, and at least rising junior standing. 

Graduate Students:

  • ALL MS Journalism students are required to pursue an internship or to enroll in the Statehouse class.
  • Students should fill out the Journalism Internship Registration form, which will then get sent to Professor Gina Gayle (ggayle@bu.edu) to get approval. Please check to ensure you meet the Registrar compliance requirements before submitting the registration form.
  • If Professor Gina Gayle approves your internship based on the job description,  please ask Lena Sheehan, Journalism Department Administrator (sheehanl@bu.edu), or Lu He (helu@bu.edu), Assistant Director at the Graduate Affairs office to register you for the JO737 JO internship class.
  • JO737 is available for 2 or 4 unit courses. (2 units hours = 20 hours or fewer of work per week; 4 unit hours = more than 20 hours of work per week).
  • International students generally need to complete two full-time terms before interning off-campus. Contact isso@bu.edu with more questions.

The Emerging Media Studies program Only enrolls graduate students.

  • MA Emerging Media Studies students can choose to pursue an optional off-campus internship. While students can apply to pursue an internship during the summer term, most MA students will need to extend their program to pursue an internship in a fourth part-time term. If a student chooses to extend their enrollment, they will incur additional tuition charges.
  • Professor Chris Wells serves as the internship advisor for all MA Emerging Media Studies students. All students must complete the internship form to receive approval from the EMS Division

International Students:

To become eligible to apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) undergraduate & graduate students must be full-time students enrolled for 2 consecutive semesters (one academic year) to earn CPT (Curricular Practical Training) unit. CPT is required for any off-campus employment (paid or unpaid). Students can still receive academic unit for an internship if it is paid or unpaid.

  • CPT approval requires 7-10 business days to review. Students cannot begin interning off-campus until they receive confirmation from the ISSO.
  • Undergraduates: CPT is available for 1,2, & 4 unit courses.
  • Graduates: CPT is available for 2 or 4 units courses, depending on whether the internship offer is part-time or full-time.

To apply for CPT authorization, you must:

  • Secure an internship offer.
  • Request to be registered for the internship course through your academic department.
  • Review the CPT process.
  • Complete CPT request through the ISSO portal.
  • Receive approved CPT from the ISSO before you begin working off campus.

*If CPT is not an option, you may be eligible for pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). Reach out to ISSO for more information

Unpaid Internship Policy:

Employers should satisfy the criteria for acceptable unpaid internships as established by the United States Department of Labor (DOL). Employers and organizations offering unpaid internships may post these opportunities in Handshake provided the posting clearly states the internships are unpaid.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires for-profit private sector employers to pay all employees at the rate of not less than current minimum wage. Employers and organizations seeking to post unpaid internships in Handshake must apply the following six criteria when making the determination not to compensate interns:

  1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment.
  2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.
  3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff.
  4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded.
  5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship.
  6. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

Sources: Department of Labor, FLSA Fact Sheet #71 (PDF); NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers), Position Statement on U.S. Internships

Questions? Please reach out to the Career Services Internship Coordinator, Nichelle Cross (nicross@bu.edu)