About
About Internships
Welcome to the JAT Internship Site!
The college holds an annual internship and career fair.
Your internship can be one of the most educational and enlightening elements of your college experience. All ISC and MAS majors are required to complete a JAT 399 internship before graduation; internships are also strongly recommended for JOU majors. To make the most of your internship, here’s a brief explanation of what you need to know before you begin the process:
Start looking for an internship early—at least the semester before you’d like to complete it.
IMPORTANT: You must read this page and the FAQs page to learn the basic information you'll need to know before completing your JAT 399 internship
PROSPECTIVE INTERNSHIP SITES: If you are interested in being considered as a placement site for JAT 399 interns, and have not previously completed our screener questionnaire, you can find it here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JAT399_Internship_Site_Screener.
EXP vs. JAT Internships
There are two types of internship for credit: JAT and EXP. Our accreditation rules require that students be permitted to receive no more than three credits for internships while a student at the University. That means you can only do one 3-hour internship for credit towards graduation. Therefore, you can see how important it is that you select the right internship and that you get the most out of it.
EXP Internships
EXP internships are a great option for pre-major students and upper division students who have not yet met the requirements for a JAT internship. They have no prerequisites and you can do as many internships as you want, for 1-3 credit hours each (meaning you can work—and pay for--fewer hours during the semester if you need to). For example, you can do an internship as a freshman and an internship as a sophomore, building your portfolio and resume before you have to find your JAT internship. This gives you the chance to gain additional professional experience while in college.
Keep in mind, though, that if you do an internship through EXP 396, the credits you receive through EXP will not count toward your 120 credits to graduate. That means that in order to graduate from our College, you must complete extra credits if you do an EXP internship. Having said that, however, many students benefit from a second (or third!) internship and they do it through the EXP program. Remember that you can enroll in EXP without completing any prerequisites. But only the credits you earn through JAT 399 will count toward graduation. EXP internships typically involve lower level professional work, and listings for these internships can be found in CyberCAT, accessible from the Career Center’s website: www.uky.edu/careercenter. The internship listings on the JAT site are for students who have completed advanced level coursework only. For questions about EXP internships, contact your Career Center representative.
JAT Internships
JAT 399 internships are your opportunity for serious career preparation while still a student. Faculty generally recommend that you complete your JAT internship in your last year as a student.
JAT 399 internships are required for upper division MAS and ISC majors, and optional for upper division JOU majors. You must meet eligibility requirements in order to enroll in JAT 399. Requirements are below. Once you apply for an internship and are approved, you can look for one from those listed on this site, or you can develop your own, but it MUST meet certain requirements established by the School. Contact your internship supervisor for more information.
There are a number of factors we look at in evaluating sites for possible JAT 399 credit (we have a list of questions we ask the prospective site to complete). Two of the most important are level and type of supervision and whether you will be producing work that can be included in a portfolio.
A JAT 399 internship is intended to be a professional experience. That means you must be supervised at the internship site by someone who is a professional in that field. For example, a small firm may want an intern who will essentially serve as their communications staff. That's great experience, but it doesn't qualify as a JAT 399 internship because you would not be learning from a professional in the field.
ISC and JOU majors are required to have an approved professional portfolio before graduating. Work done at your JAT 399 internship is an essential part of your portfolio, so we also try to make sure that the internship site will give you the opportunity to produce (and keep) work that can go into your portfolio.
Note: You may only receive credit for your JAT 399 internship during the same semester you are completing your hours. This is because you must be under faculty supervision while you are working at your internship.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR A JAT INTERNSHIP?
The School's faculty wants you to do an internship at a time in your academic career when you will not only benefit from the internship, but when you will also be able to make a contribution to the organization that is sponsoring your internship. That is why you must complete certain classes before you are eligible for an internship under JAT 399.
Below are the requirements for a JAT internship. You must have completed the courses listed below (as well as your pre-major courses) before you begin the internship. (You can arrange the internship before you complete these courses, but you cannot actually start the internship until these classes are done).
If you do not complete the required courses before the internship is to begin, you will be dropped from JAT 399 and will not be able to do the internship that semester.
*Remember that you can complete an EXP internship before you meet these requirements, though that credit will not count towards graduation.
