Frequently Asked Questions

By completing a professional writing internship, you will:

• gain hands-on experience in a central-Ohio workplace
• improve the writing skills you’ll need in twenty-first century workplaces
• enhance your resume credentials and earn a professional reference
• build your portfolio of writing samples
• develop a network of business contacts who may be helpful after graduation

No. This program is designed for undergraduate students from all areas of study at Ohio State who are interested in writing in the public arenas of civic life, in the academy and in the professional world. The program coordinator will work with you to find an internship related to your interests and/or prospective career field. What’s more, coursework for the minor is interdisciplinary, meaning it consists of writing-instructional courses from a wide variety of academic disciplines across the university.

As a Minor in Prof. Writing Intern, you will 

• work onsite at a local business or organization for eight hours per week throughout one 14-week semester. For potential internship sites, see our Where You Can Work
• enroll in and attend the English 4189: Capstone Internship class once per week for two hours and complete class assignments
• to see what kinds of writing students have done at past internships, see What You Can Write 

Probably not. You can complete your internship during a semester in which you are enrolled in school, so you may intern during spring, summer or autumn.

Most of the internships are unpaid. Some are paid, and the university has several other sources of funding you can apply for to support unpaid internships. The Coordinator will talk to you about your options. Whether your internship is paid or unpaid, you will receive three hours of academic credit for a successful internship.

You and your site supervisor will create an internship contract together your first week of work. Based on the contract, your supervisor will evaluate your work on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Your instructor in English 4189 will review the work you do in class as well as the site supervisor's evaluation before assigning a final grade of S or U.

Yes. In the professional writing capstone course, English 4189, you will read and discuss articles about workplace writing, share on-the-job experiences, ask questions about job assignments and issues and receive guidance from the minor’s program coordinator, your instructor and your peers. 

Eligibility requirements are listed under "Apply for the internship."

In your professional writing portfolio application, we will be looking for:

• a thorough understanding of context, audience, purpose and genre. These should be apparent in all documents but especially in the different writing samples.
• clear, coherent prose with grammar, tone and word choice that are suited to professional workplace environments.
• an ability to edit your own work and pay close attention to detail in order to construct error-free writing.
• Read the job posting above for details on what exemplary cover letters, resumes, and samples will demonstrate.

The application deadline varies each semester, but it is typically in the second or third week of classes each semester prior to the semester in which the internship will take place.

For example, applications for spring 2020 must be submitted by September 9, 2019 of autumn semester. Deadlines will be set before the prior semester ends, and you can check the webpage for specific dates at that point.  

Come to the Portfolio Prep Workshop, held by the Minor in Professional Writing staff each semester, in the week before the deadline! We will go over features of successful cover letters, resumes, and the best portfolio pieces to choose. We'll also have the opportunity to look over your cover letters if you bring them and answer individual questions. Free advice *and* free munchies! 

If you have not already done so, please have a thorough look around this website. For questions not answered here, stop by the Department of English's front desk in 421 Denney Hall or call the reception staff at 614-292-6065 to schedule an appointment with an advisor.