MKTG 480 MARKETING PRACTICUM

Syllabus and Internship Agreement

Finance and Marketing Department

College of Business and Economics

Western Washington University 98225-9073

Contact: Professor Wendy Bryce Wilhelm

Note: this syllabus is also available on my homepage: www.wwu.edu/~bryce

Overview of the Marketing Practicum

The Practicum, or Internship Program, provides an opportunity for students to gain practical experience in a professional work setting as part of their academic program in the Department of Finance and Marketing at Western Washington University. Most student interns are completing their last year of the Marketing Concentration and have had at least three marketing courses prior to beginning the internship (see Student Eligibility Criteria). The student intern is expected to work a total of 160 hours (4 weeks full-time or a minimum of 16 hours per week for 10 weeks) under the direct supervision of qualified working professionals in order to earn four units of academic credit. Students can enroll for internship credit during any quarter of the year.

Each internship is customized to suit the needs of the organization and the student. The Practicum is most valuable to the student intern if a variety of duties are assigned and if the intern is considered a “professional” in training. A contractual Agreement is entered into by the student, the organization supervisor, and the faculty supervisor (sample attached). This Agreement includes a job description, work schedule, evaluation procedures, and the amount of financial remuneration offered to the student.

Department Policy on Internships

· Firms must meet certain criteria before they can be considered as an internship site: (1) the firm must be a licensed business operating from a building in an area zoned for business/commercial purposes; (2) the on-site supervisor must have qualifications that are commensurate with his/her role as marketing professional and mentor.

· Students may not do an internship provided by a relative or in a company owned by a parent or relative.

· Students may not do an internship in their place of present employment unless they are (1) formally transferred to another department, which is (2) separate from the department in which they are employed, (3) the department is under the direction of a different supervisor, and (4) the internship is directed by a person who is a professional in some aspect of marketing.

· Students may not receive retroactive credit for internship work performed.

· Students may not spend more than 10% of their time on personal selling/sales calls.

Student Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for Practicum credit a student must

1. have been accepted as a CBE Major;

2. have a 2.75 or better GPA in the Major;

3. have completed MKTG 380 (Principles of Marketing) and

MKTG 381 (Marketing Research)

Note: additional preparation or prerequisites may be required for some internships. For example, a student planning an internship at an advertising agency would be required to complete MKTG 483 (Promotion) prior to beginning the internship.

Internship Requirements

Preliminary Steps:

1. Meet with your major faculty advisor and me to discuss your career goals and the type of internship that is best suited to helping you meet these goals.

2. With the assistance of your faculty advisor and me, determine whether you meet the eligibility criteria noted above.

3. SELECT AN INTERNSHIP. You are responsible for finding your internship, although I will determine whether this internship meets departmental standards (see Department Policy on Internships). Check with me, the Career Center, and bulletin boards in Parks Hall for suggestions.

4. COMPLETE INTERNSHIP AGREEMENT FORM (attached). This must be completed and signed by the student, me, and the organization supervisor before you can register for the course. You are responsible for ensuring that each of the signatories to the Agreement receives a copy. Several weeks may be required to complete this form to the satisfaction of all parties involved, so make sure to allow time for this process.

Before the Internship Begins:

1. SUBMIT FORMS. The Internship Agreement form and a copy of your transcript, demonstrating that all eligibility requirements have been met, must be submitted to me prior to beginning the actual internship. In most cases, these forms must be submitted prior to course registration.

2. REGISTRATION. Once I approve and sign the Agreement, I will give you permission to register for the course. Registration is by Instructor Approval only.

During the Internship:

1. INITIAL MEETING WITH ORGANIZATION SUPERVISOR. An initial meeting will be arranged during the first two weeks of the internship so that the instructor, student, and the on-site internship supervisor can review the Agreement. This is an informal, “get-to-know” meeting. Subsequent visits may be arranged to discuss your progress.

2. DAILY JOURNAL. Keep a journal record of tasks performed each day. Include copies of all work performed. You will need this external memory aid!

3. WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH INSTRUCTOR. These oral “progress reports” keep me up-to-date and allow you to voice any concerns or questions regarding the internship. In-person meetings are required if you have an internship in the Bellingham area or if you are on campus part of the week. Bring your journal and samples of your work to these meetings. Failure to meet with me may result in a failing grade.

4. CRITIQUE SESSIONS WITH ORGANIZATION SUPERVISOR. Make sure you and your organization supervisor establish regular weekly meetings for the exclusive purpose of critiquing your performance. These sessions will also allow you to discuss opportunities for making your internship of maximum benefit to you.

5. MIDTERM EVALUATION FROM ORGANIZATION SUPERVISOR A formal letter should be submitted to me midway through the internship. The letter should confirm that you satisfactorily completed 80 hours of internship under his or her direct supervision. The letter should also evaluate your performance relative to the goals/learning objectives set out in the Internship Agreement.

After the Internship:

1. FINAL LETTER OF EVALUATION FROM ORG. SUPERVISOR. A formal letter should be submitted to me at the end of the internship. This letter should confirm that you satisfactorily completed 160 hours of internship under his or her direct supervision. This letter should also mention the quality of the work completed relative to the objectives stated in the Internship Agreement..

2. FINAL REPORT (PORTFOLIO OF WORK PERFORMED). You must submit a professional, concise document to the organization supervisor and to me at the end of the internship that describes the internship activities and responsibilities. This report should communicate to a potential employer what skills you have developed during your internship. The Guidelines for Completing Your Portfolio document on the following page is also available on my web site.

3. QUESTIONNAIRE. This form, to be completed after the internship and before you can receive academic credit, is used for two purposes: (a) to determine if the internship employer meets departmental standards, and (b) as a guide for future students who may consider interning with the organization.

4. GRADE FOR THE INTERNSHIP. The grade received is based on [a] the weekly meetings with me, [b] the final portfolio, and [c] the two letters of evaluation submitted by the organization supervisor.

Guidelines for Completing Your Portfolio

Organizational Format

Table of Contents w/page numbers

Introduction/Overview

a. Description of Firm

b. Job Description and Supervisor name and title (job description should be the formal, typed one given to you at the beginning of the internship by your supervisor)

c. Learning Objectives (optional)

Summary of Skills Acquired (bulleted outline)

Letters of Evaluation on letterhead – the final letter may be a general letter of reference if you prefer (may be more useful down the road).

Work Samples/Projects

· Organize by Project

· Start with brief description of task/project

· Follow with work samples (memos, letters, layouts, database, etc.)

· Tab each project

· Use a “miscellaneous writing samples” section if needed

· If you don’t have many tangible examples or hard copies of work you performed, explain what you did in words; be creative in communicating what you did.

Appendix--Internship Agreement and anything else that seems relevant

General Comments:

· Keep prose (writing) brief; use outline form when possible

· Tab each section with a label, i.e., Overview, Summary of Skills, Letters of Evaluation, Work Sample #1, Work Sample #2, Appendix, etc.

· Use spiral binding or other method that makes it easy to read and turn pages

· Be creative! Be professional! Remember, this portfolio is for you to use in interviews.

· I will not write on it; you do not need to make more than one copy unless you want to give one to the firm. (This may be a very good public relations move.)

Date____________

MKTG 480 MARKETING PRACTICUM

INTERNSHIP AGREEMENT

between

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE and MARKETING

WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

and

Name of Organization______________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________________

Internship Supervisor______________________________________________________

Title_________________________________ Telephone_____________________

Email________________________________ Fax___________________________

The organization agrees to accept as a student intern for (Quarter/Year)____________:

Student Name ________________________ ____ ID#__________________________

Current Address__________________________________________________________

Telephone_________________________ Email_________________________

Faculty Advisor__________________________ Title _________________________

Address________________________________ Telephone_____________________

Email _________________________________ Fax __________________________

Work Schedule

Start Date __________ End Date ___________ Hours/Week __________

Internship Area

Advertising _________ Marketing Research ___ Public Relations _______

Production __________ Creative ____________ Event Planning ________

Sales Promotion _____ Media Planning ______ Other ________________

Internship Agreement

Page two

Job Description

Please attach a typed job description.

Financial Assistance provided to student (specify) ____________________________

Meetings with Faculty Member ____________________________________________

Meetings with on-site Supervisor ___________________________________________

Midterm Evaluation __________________ Final Evaluation _______________

Letter Letter

Due Date for Final Report_________________________________________________

Signatures:

_______ _________________________________

(date) (Student Intern)

_______ _________________________________

(date) (Organization Supervisor)

_______ _________________________________

(date) (Faculty Supervisor)