Practicum Syllabus

ADV 4940 ADVERTISING PRACTICUM School of Mass Communications University of South Florida Spring, 2007 INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Scott Liu, CIS 3089, (813)974-6797, [email protected] COURSE DESCRIPTION Advertising majors are required to complete one supervised internship during their academic program. It gives students an opportunity to find out what happens in the “real world” of advertising and marketing communication as well as to explore the possibility of working as advertising professionals after graduation. It helps students differentiate themselves in the job market. Employers favor entry-level job candidates with internship experience. There are a great number of opportunities for interns, here in Tampa Bay as well as all over the country. Many companies with internal marketing and advertising departments as well as advertising agencies offer internships. They range from large corporations to small shops. The level of experience and involvement varies greatly. COURSE PREREQUISITES Students are encouraged to obtain an internship at anytime. However, in order to register for ADV 4940 and receive credit for the course, the following prerequisites must be met: (1) completion of MMC 2100 Writing for Mass Media, MMC 3602 Mass Comm. and Society, and ADV 3000 Introduction to Advertising with grade of at least C, and (2) a 3.0 or better mass comm. GPA. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are responsible for meeting requirements without reminders. It is the student's responsibility to be informed. Failure to meet requirements will result in a failing grade for the course. A. An Internship Application Form (attached) must be completed by the student, signed by the employer, and submitted to the course instructor no later than January 22. It is in the student's best interest to obtain an approved internship prior to the first day of class. B. The student’s employer must send a signed Letter of Confirmation on company letterhead to the course instructor no later than January 22. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the employer sends this letter on time. The letter must state: 1) confirmation of employment; 2) description of job duties; and 3) confirmation a minimum of 100 hours to be worked during the semester. C. The student must complete a Written Internship Report and turn it in prior to April 27 in order to pass the course. Late reports will not be accepted for any reason. The report

must be a minimum of six type written pages (double spaced) and must include the following subheadings: o o o o

o o

Cover Sheet: Student's name and student number; name of company; dates of employment. (Cover sheet does not count as one of the six pages.) Description of Firm: Background, history, staff, facilities, and organizational structure. Description of Work: Describe your work experiences and give examples of a typical day/week. Evaluation of the Internship: Practical value of knowledge and experience, academic value in relation to course work, appropriateness of this internship for future students. It is important to be honest. If this was an inappropriate internship we want to know (confidentiality is assured, and your grade will not be affected). Suggestions for Improving the Internship: Ideas you have for making your internship position—or the internship course—a more valuable experience. Appendix: Examples of work you did while serving as an intern, i.e., ads, memos, media schedules, etc. (Three or more pages of appendix items may substitute for one written page of text in the paper.)

D. The student’s employer must send a signed Evaluation Letter on company letterhead to the course instructor prior to April 27. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the employer sends this letter of evaluation on time. The letter must state: 1) confirmation of completion of a minimum of 100 hours of work; and 2) an evaluation of the student’s performance as an intern. Late letters from the employer will result in a grade of I (Incomplete). Being fired from an internship position or receiving a poor evaluation could result in a failing grade. OBTAINING AN INTERNSHIP It is the student’s responsibility to obtain an internship in the advertising field. The position must be approved in advance by the course instructor in order to qualify as an internship. Only those positions that are posted in the bulletin board in the department office are pre-approved. Beware of the “intern ads” you see posted elsewhere as they may not be approved as advertising internships. SUGGESTED DUTIES FOR THE ADVERTISING INTERN Specific duties will vary among individual students and with the size of the firm. A student might be involved in a wide variety of activities at the firm in order to receive experience in all departments, activities, etc. Many firms rotate interns on a regular schedule from one department to another, and this is perhaps the ideal situation. In larger companies, the student might be assigned to one specific job or department and spend the entire internship working on the same type of assignment. This could include agency copywriters, analyzing data for a client, or a variety of other functions.

2

COMPENSATION FOR THE INTERNSHIP Students are encouraged to seek positions that compensate their time and services to the firm. However, students need to be aware that they are vulnerable to termination during the semester when they accept a paid internship, and that this could result in a failing grade for the internship course. Many internships are made available in the advertising area because firms often need temporary or part-time help while their permanent employees are on leave. Therefore, it is often not possible for a firm to compensate interns. However, students are encouraged to consider both the amount of compensation as well as the opportunity for experience being offered by a firm when accepting an internship. TIPS ON BEING A SUCCESSFUL INTERN BE A GOOD EMPLOYEE—whether or not you are getting paid. Do what is expected of you such as arriving on time, following through with instructions, paying attention to details, dressing neatly, etc. Remember that a successful performance may result in an excellent recommendation after graduation. ATTEND REGULARLY—do not call in sick unless you are really sick. Do not ask for time off to complete other school assignments. In other words, organize your time wisely. VOLUNTEER—for assignments or for extra work to increase your experience. Ask to sit in on meetings whenever possible. ASK QUESTIONS—and learn as much as you can. Listen, be observant, and pay attention to the suggestions of your supervisor—even when you disagree. SET GOALS—at the beginning of the semester for your work experience with your supervisor. Make sure that your supervisor helps you achieve your goals throughout the internship. REMEMBER—that your employer will evaluate your work and, therefore participate in assigning your final grade. Do what is expected of you and be a good intern. You are representing both the current and future students of The School of Mass Communications at USF. And, remember that you will need a good work reference in the advertising field when you are applying for a job after graduation.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES Internship Application Form (by student) Letter of Confirmation (by employer) Written Internship Report (by student) Evaluation Letter (by employer)

January 22 January 22 April 27 April 27

Dr. Liu’s mailing address: 4202 E. Fowler Ave., CIS 1040 School of Mass Communications University of South Florida Tampa, FL 33620

3

ADV 4940 Internship Application Form Semester: ___ Spring

___ Fall

___ Summer

Year: __ 2007

__ 2008

STUDENT INFORMATION (Please print or type) Name __________________________________________ SS# ________________________ Address ____________________________________________________________________ Telephone ___________________________ Email ________________________________ Have you completed the following courses: (Yes or No) MMC 2100 __________

MMC 3602 ___________

ADV 3000 ___________

INTERNSHIP INFORMATION (Please print or type) Firm Name _________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________ Telephone _____________________________ Email ______________________________ Supervisor’s Name and Title __________________________________________________ Dates of Employment: Starting Date _______________ Ending Date _________________ Average Number of Hours Per Week _____________________ Pay __________________ JOB DESCRIPTION (Please print or type, attached extra sheets if necessary) ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ APPROVALS Signature of Student _______________________________________

Date _________

Signature of Employer _____________________________________

Date _________

Signature of Instructor _____________________________________

Date _________

4