You must be a SCOM major who has completed 12 credit hours. 

3 credits = 150 hours or 6 credits = 300 hours

If you complete an internship in the spring or fall, those credits are just part of your courseload for the term and included in your regular tuition. If you do an internship in the summer, you pay by the credit hour.

The best method is word of mouth—almost always, someone your family or friends know, who know someone.  Traditional career search engines work as well. JMU lists internship opportunities on Handshake. In Canvas, SCOM students have access to internships that have contacted our SCOM department directly seeking SCOM students. 

This is a huge myth that is still going strong. We LOVE our students to earn credit AND get paid! Any internship that pays you is a good internship. You may also complete any internship just for credit as well.

You contact Dr. Toni Whitfield “Dr. T”  (whitfits@jmu.edu) and begin the process. The course will be created in MyMadison and you then register on MyMadison.  Once registered for credit, you will be enrolled in a Canvas course where you complete your academic work for the course.

You could possibly qualify for a Directed Project which is very similar to an internship. Email Dr. T for more information. Or, you can complete an independent internship for which you do not earn academic credit, but you can list the experience on your resume.

If you are a Political Communication Minor (PCOM), before pursuing any internship, students must consult with the PCOM coordinator to ensure that the internship is suitable for the minor.

Valerie A. Sulfaro, PCOM Coordinator
Phone: (540) 568-3997
Email: sulfarva@jmu.edu