Rhetoric and Writing | College of Liberal Arts
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Internships

The Department of Rhetoric & Writing encourages you to apply your rhetorical training professionally by interning for a for-profit or non-profit organization. To find an internship that interests you:

  • To receive occasional announcements about internship opportunities, join the Rhetoric & Writing Internship Opportunities listserv. Subscribe here.
  • Consult the database maintained by Liberal Arts Career Services.
  • Google companies and organizations you are interested in, and check their Employment page or Human Resources page to see if they hire interns.
  • Contact Alice Batt directly at alicebatt@utexas.edu. She’s developing a database of internship opportunities and will be happy to brainstorm possibilities with you.

RHE366: Rhetoric Internship

Obtaining Course Credit for your Internship:

Students who have taken at least 12 hours of rhetoric may take RHE366, Rhetoric Internship, which is offered every long semester. This course is designed to help you reflect critically on the ways you are applying your rhetorical training professionally. It is offered pass/fail course and does not count toward requirements for the Rhetoric major; it does, however, count toward general requirements.

(Note: Some employers require that their interns take an internship course for academic credit concurrently with their position. )

Once you have secured an internship, please fill out this form. When you finish, it will automatically forward to your internship supervisor (for completion), and then to the RHE 366 instructor and the DRW main office. You cannot begin RHE 366 until the DRW receives the completed form.

Only academically qualified students (B average or better in rhetoric courses) will be allowed to register.

Course Description:

This course provides an academic foundation and practical support for upper-division students working in DRW-approved internships.

It is designed to help you do two things: 1) recognize how rhetoric is applied in workplace environments, and 2) apply your training and skills in rhetoric and writing professionally.

To meet these objectives, you will participate in a variety of activities: assigned readings, class discussions (in class and online), journal reflections on your workplace experience, university-sponsored workshops about job searching and workplace protocol, and in-class workshops and peer critique sessions designed to further develop your writing skills.

By the end of the semester, you will produce a portfolio of writing—20 pages minimum, some produced on the job and some assigned for class and/or arranged according to your interests. (Because the amount of on-the-job writing you do will vary depending on your internship, you will need to consult with me during the first few weeks of the semester and again toward the end to determine the types of writing you’ll submit at the end of term.) The portfolio should be a record of the work you’ve done this semester and what you’ve learned from your experience.

Grades:

This course is graded on a pass/fail basis. To pass, you must complete all of the assignments (with evidence of good engagement) and complete your internship in good standing.