Beyond the Classroom
We encourage all communication majors to incorporate co-curricular activities into their studies. Whatever you choose, there are many opportunities for rewarding experiences outside of class.
There are many engaging undergraduate research possibilities in several areas, including health communication and family and relational research, among others. Our students frequently present the fruits of their labor both on campus at the annual Paideia conference, as well as at communication conferences around the country.
Faculty members lead study abroad trips that immerse students in an intercultural communication experience that includes film studies and politics and a host of exciting excursions.
Lambda Pi Eta
Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) is the communication honor society sponsored by the National Communication Association with over 500 chapters worldwide. CNU received its charter for the Sigma Kappa Chapter of LPH in 2004 under the leadership of Dr. Michaela Meyer.
Since its inception, Sigma Kappa developed a national as well as campus reputation for promoting the academic study of communication. Sigma Kappa received honor as Rookie Chapter of the Year in 2007 and as Chapter of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
Eligibility
LPH is a highly selective honor society whose membership consists of less than ten percent of the communication majors and minors at CNU. In order to be eligible for induction into LPH, students must meet the following requirements set forth by the Association of College Honor Societies:
- have completed a minimum of 60 semester hours of course credit
- have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours of communication courses
- have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- have a GPA for communication courses of 3.25 or higher
- be enrolled as a student at CNU in good standing
At the beginning of each semester, the faculty advisor sends invitations that contain information on the application process to all students who are eligible for membership in LPH.
Internships
Internships are one of the Four Pillars of co-curricular involvement at Christopher Newport University. We strongly encourage students to pursue internship opportunities as they provide students practical work experience connected to the field. The communication internship program is one of the most respected on campus and focuses on the awarding of academic credit for activities related to internship experiences.
Students have two options for internship credit:
- COMM 491: Practicum in Communication is the desired internship course for most communication majors as it provides credit toward the major
- COMM 291: Internship in Communication is open to a select few students who need academic credit for an unpaid internship and do not meet the criteria for enrolling in COMM 491.
- COMM 291 does not count toward the major
Permission of the internship director is required to enroll in either course as students must have an internship to qualify for enrollment.
We do not arrange internships for students. Students who desire an internship should consult the Center for Career Planning (CCP) to begin their internship search. The CCP has a number of resources available for students seeking internships as well as a number of postings of available opportunities in the CCP employment database.
Once you arrange an internship (an agreement with the employer), you should complete the application for internship and submit it along with a copy of your degree evaluation to the internship director, David Roaché at david.roache@cnu.edu. He oversees the awarding of credit for internships for communication majors.
COMM 491 is a pinnacle experience for communication majors where they connect their academic coursework to an industry experience. As such, the course has two overarching academic objectives:
- To examine the relationship between academic content and applied (i.e., industry) experience
- To use the examination of this relationship to prepare the student for a successful employment search
Thus, the assignments for the internship program ask students to reflect on the connections between their professional experience and their academic experience and to use that reflection to position themselves for the job market.
Catalog Description
COMM 491: Practicum in Communication Prerequisites: COMM 201, 211, 222, 249, junior standing and consent of internship director
Internships provide students an opportunity to apply communication principles in a non-academic environment and to gain practical industry experience prior to graduation and seeking employment. The Practicum in Communication consists of 120 hours of supervised work experience for three credit hours as well as assignments designed to assess the application of program content to the work experience. Organizations sponsoring the internship must agree to participate in the assessment process and adhere to Department of Labor internship standards. Students must have their internship approved by the internship director prior to enrollment. This course is not repeatable for credit.
*Note: Application is a fillable form (writable .pdf). Open and download in Adobe Reader to ensure you have full write capabilities.
COMM 291 is available for students who desire careers in industries that require multiple, unpaid internships over the course of the collegiate career (e.g., broadcast media). This course is not a substitute for COMM 491, nor is it designed to be an easy credit course. It exists to fill a specific need for students who desire careers in specific communication industries. As such, this course does not count toward the major. It only provides non-program elective credit.
Catalog Description
COMM 291: Internship in Communication Prerequisite: Consent of internship director
Internships provide students an opportunity to gain practical, industry experience in communication alongside their coursework. The Internship in Communication requires 120 hours of supervised work experience for a three credit hour internship and completion of assignments to document the student's experiences and growth as a professional. Organizations sponsoring the internship must agree to participate in the assessment process and adhere to Department of Labor internship standards. Students must have their internship approved by the internship director prior to enrollment. This course is repeatable for credit up to six hours. Does not count toward the communication major.
*Note: Application is a fillable form (writable .pdf). Download and open in Adobe Reader to ensure you have full write capabilities.
Here is a selected list of organizations where Communication majors interned. This list is not exhaustive, but provides a representation of recent student placements:
- ADP
- Advance Auto
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Arrow Electronics
- BNP Omni/Media/Azer Creative
- Daily Press
- Dominion Energy
- Enterprise Holdings
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- 1st Advantage Federal Credit Union
- Fun Bot Lab Robotics & Media Camp
- National Center for the Prevention of Community Violence
- National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
- National Museum of the Marine Corps
- Peninsula YMCA
- Skopenow
- Studio Center
- Washington Redskins
- WAVY-TV10/WVBT FOX 43