COMMS 307 Communication Internship - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Provides experiential learning opportunities in media, public relations, advertising, and corporate communication industries.

Course Overview

COMMS 307 Internship is a limited entry course designed for stage 3 COMMS students to gain academic credit by undertaking a supervised 80 hour project in a workplace or community-based setting that:

Aligns with future career interests;

Provides direct experience of life ‘on the job’ in a Communications/Media related industry;

Practices and hones skills developed in other University subject courses;

Enables development of new skills and professional connections that will enhance employability and work readiness.

Internship placements will be organised by the course convenor in consultation with the student and projects will be negotiated between the student, the work-place supervisor and the course convenor.

COMMS 307 is taught in conjunction with CAREER 300.

Students accepted into this course will be expected to:

Assist with identification of suitable internship opportunities outside of any existing part-time work;

Prepare a targeted CV for a specific opportunity;

Attend an interview with the partnering organisation, then summarise and reflect on the interview;

Set goals for their internship and create a plan for achieving those goals;

Reflect weekly on their learning experience during the internship;

Report back to the cohort/course convenor in the form of a presentation summarising their internship project, key achievements and personal/professional learning outcomes.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: Approval of Academic Head or nominee Restriction: ARTSGEN 301, CAREER 300

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Identify, research and apply for roles in areas that align with career interests (Capability 4.3 and 5.2)
Confidently research and apply for roles in areas that align with career interests (Capability 4.2, 5.1 and 5.2)
Understand the recruitment process and have the confidence to complete a competency/behavioural based interview for roles in area of interest (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 5.2)
Reflect on own learning, values-fit and skill development in the workplace for professional development planning and goal setting (Capability 3.1, 5.2 and 6.2)
Present confidently to a group and respond to questions about specific project activities, outcomes and organisation values (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 6.2)
Build and leverage off professional relationships and networks for job-seeking and career development (Capability 1.1, 1.2 and 4.2)
Understand organisational values and ethical, social, sustainability, environmental and economic responsibilities (Capability 1.1, 1.2 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Targeted CV - ungraded		Individual Coursework
Internship goal setting & project plan	15%	Individual Coursework
Structured reflection	15%	Individual Coursework
80 hour internship & updated CV	30%	Individual Coursework
Presentation	25%	Individual Coursework
Professional Profile	15%	Individual Coursework
6 types	100%

Workload Expectations

The 150 hours of work for the course will be broken down as follows;

14 hours classroom contact- 7 x 2 hour workshops

50 hours assignment/assessment preparation

80 hours work within organisation either on weekly basis or as a block depending on timetable and organisation.

8 hours discussion with convenor including set-up of project

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including on campus tutorials to complete components of the course.

There are no formal lectures for this course only workshops which students are expected to attend.

If required the course will include live online events including group discussions/tutorials/presentations.

There is no final test or exam but attendance on campus may be required for the final project presentation.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable delivery for the 7 weeks when students are required on campus.

The internship placements may be either in person, remote delivery or a mix of the two depending on the requirements of the partnering organisation. This will be negotiated with the partnering organisation before the start of the 80 hour internship period.

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2023.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

The number of writing assignments has been reduced to accommodate the amount of online content required of interns during their industry placement period eg. publication outputs for students interning in a news media, magazine agency, or the production of audio visual content for digital platforms.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 3:	Solution Seeking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

COMMS 307 : Communication Internship

Arts

2023 Semester Two (1235) (15 POINTS)