Getting Credit for Practical Experience

Many students in New Media Communications have found practicums and internships to be rewarding and educational. The process begins by contacting NMC’s academic advisor Daniel (Danny) Gruss (daniel.gruss@oregonstate.edu). Danny is available to offer guidance and facilitate credit for your practicum or internship. He will connect you with an appropriate NMC professor, as well as offer OSU resources available to help you find a practicum or internship. Faculty approval and mentorship is necessary to register for practicum (NMC 409) or internship credit (NMC 410). Faculty will review the proposal and approve, deny or modify per department and university standards.  

Practicums generally refer to on-campus experiences often delivered by departments or organizations with a relationship to the department. Internships generally refer to experiences with off-campus organizations. Both internships and practicums can be paid experiences.  

Faculty approval is necessary to register for practicum or internship credit. Faculty approval is not necessary if a practicum or internship is pursued without credit.  

OSU’s Career Development Center is an excellent resource for finding internships. NMC’s contact is Karla Rockhold (karla.rockhold@oregonstate.edu). Like most students, NMC majors are encouraged to pursue internships in their field of interest. Because of the breadth of the field, internships are everywhere! Beaver Jobnet is a great place to start looking for internships, as well as InternMatch.com, which has listings for internships across the country, many of them paid. 

There are many 24/7 career resources on the OSU Career Development Center’s website, including Handshake. 

Danny Gruss, New Media Communications’ academic advisor, is a good first step for practicums and internships. Schedule an appointment with Danny.

 

How do NMC 409 & NMC 410 Fit in the DCA Major?

For BA & BS students, three credits of NMC 409/NMC 410 equates to one Advanced Level NMC Course. For BFA students, three credits of NMC 409/410 is counted as one Production Course.

Can I Earn More Than 3 Credits?

If desired, university policy allows students to earn a maximum of 16 credits of NMC 409/410, but it will not count in the major. Anything above 3 credits will count solely as upper-division elective credit. Registering for more than 3 credits is still dependent on faculty approval. Please consult the NMC Advisor to determine whether upper-division elective credit is necessary for your degree.

 

NMC 410 Internship

NMC can connect you with resources to explore possible internships. Students are then expected to finalize their internship placements. NMC’s academic advisor Danny Gruss (daniel.gruss@oregonstate.edu), is available to offer resources for finding an internship and to connect you with a professor for your internship. Please consult the Internship Information Sheet to learn more about the process for completing an internship for NMC credit. Faculty approval is necessary to register for internship credit.

NMC 410 Forms

The Internship Proposal Form is required before you can register for credit.

Toward the end of your internship, the Internship Evaluation Form is required to be completed by your supervisor in order to receive a grade.

 

NMC 409 Practicum

There are currently two types of practicum available to NMC students: Orange Media Network Practicum and Campus Media Practicum.

Orange Media Network Practicum

Orange Media Network (OMN) is home to a television station, a radio station, a newspaper, and three magazines. DCA majors interested in participating in student media have the option to register for Orange Media Network Practicum in order to receive credit for their participation. The OMN Practicum has a structured syllabus, but allows students to explore their various media interests. For a sample OMN Practicum syllabus, click here.

Students are able to register for Orange Media Network Practicum as they would a normal class. No override or departmental approval is necessary. Unless you receive prior permission from OMN, students are expected to register for one credit per term.

Campus Media Practicum

Dr. Bill Loges is the faculty supervisor of Campus Media Practicum. Departmental Approval is required in order to register for this course. To obtain an override to register, a completed Practicum Proposal Form must be signed by Dr. Loges and submitted to the NMC Front Desk in Snell 030. Faculty approval is necessary to register for practicum credit.

Prior to the Practicum Term:

  1. Fill out a Practicum Proposal. On that form you'll be asked to describe your learning objectives/outcomes
  2. Credits earned: This is between you and your practicum supervisor. Remember, 30 hours = 1 credit
  3. Have your practicum supervisor sign the form
  4. Bring completed form back to the Dr. Loges

Registration Prior to the Practicum term: 

If Dr. Loges approves the proposal, submit the proposal form to the NMC Front Desk. The override will be in place by 5 PM on the day you submit the form. After 5 PM, login to your MyOSU account to register for the course. If you are registering for more than one credit, you will need to register for the CRN, click submit, then click on the number of credits to increase the number of credits based on your proposal. If you are unable to register for NMC 409, please contact the NMC Advisor, Daniel (Danny) Gruss, M.S., Academic Advisor. If you have questions about how to register for more than one credit, consult the Registrar's Office.

During the Practicum Term:

Conduct yourself professionally as you are a representative of your peers and of the New Media Communications department.

By Week 8 of the practicum term, you'll need to ask your supervisor to complete the Practicum Evaluation Form. This form should be scanned and submitted directly to Dr. Loges by your supervisor. The Practicum Evaluation Form is required in order to receive a grade.