Professional Writing Internships

Eligibility | Timeline | Application Process | Internships Available | Academic Credit

The Programs in Professional Writing (PPW) works with local organizations to offer professional writing internships every semester: fall, spring, and summer.

Eligibility

All English majors are eligible to apply for these internships. Students from other units may be eligible, as well; contact Jim Frost for more details.

Timeline

We offer internships three times per year: once for the fall semester, once for the spring, and once for the summer. We very rarely advertise internships between these periods. We post descriptions on this page toward the last few weeks of each semester, and our application deadline falls in the second week of the following semester.

Late July - early September: application period for the Fall semester
Early December - late January: application period for the Spring semester
Early May - mid June: application period for the Summer session

Application Process

Step One. Submit one application packet for each internship for which you wish to apply. You may apply to as many organization as you wish, and doing so will increase your chances of being selected. Unless a particular internship specifies different contents, each packet should include:

a cover letter addressed to the PPW Assistant Director,
a résumé, and
writing samples totaling 2-5 pages

Guidelines to writing résumés and cover letters are available at the UI Career Center website and in the PPW Resource Room, Room 296 of the English Building. Your writing sample should display the writing skills required for the internship at your very best. For instance, if you are applying to write technical documentation, your sample should demonstrate your ability to write instructions or to summarize information. If the internship involves research on environmental legislation, you might enclose a research paper on another topic.

Paper-clip all of your application materials together. Do not staple any materials: staples will be removed, leaving ugly marks on your carefully prepared pages. Bring or mail your compiled application to the following location:

Jim Frost, PPW Director
Room 294 English Building
608 South Wright St.

Step Two. Respond to invitations to interview. Organizations should extend interview invitations about 5 days after the application deadline. Guidelines to interviewing are located on the UI Career Center website.

Step Three. Wait to hear results, within 2 weeks of application deadline.

Internships Available

You can look at descriptions of internships by semester through these links. If you have questions about an internship and a sponsoring organization does not list a contact person, you can contact Jim Frost, the Director of PPW.

Summer 2005
Fall 2005
Spring 2006

Academic Credit

Academic credit can be earned by enrolling concurrently in an independent study that requires work related to, but in addition to, that of the internship itself. Independent studies for Professional Writing majors are supervised by the Director of the Programs in Professional Writing, Jim Frost . Independent studies for all other students may be supervised by Bob Steltman, who negotiates requirements individually with students.