Internship (Bachelor in Communication and Media Research and Master in Communication and Society)

In the study programmes mentioned above, internships in the field of communication and media can be credited as follows:

• In the major programme of the Bachelor in Communication and Media Research, an internship of at least four weeks (for full-time positions, correspondingly longer for part-time positions) can be credited with 3 ECTS credits instead of an elective course.
• In the major programmes of the Master in Communication and Society and of the Master in Communication and Media Research, an internship can be credited in the module Inter- and Transdisciplinary Perspectives. An internship lasting at least four weeks is worth 3 ECTS credits, while an internship lasting at least eight weeks is worth 6 ECTS credits.

The conditions for crediting an internship with suitable content are prior registration, the writing of an internship report within one month of completing the internship, and written confirmation from the employer in the form of a job reference.

At the University of Fribourg, students can gain practical experience in journalism at the  Spectrum  magazine,   Unimix radio, and Unicam online television. Internships at Unimix and Unicam can be credited to the Bachelor's major programme in Communication and Media Research. We are happy to pass on offers for external internships to students via the DCM Mailing List (to register, send an email with the subject line "subscribe dcm-mailinglist" to sympa@unifr.ch).

• Content requirements

  A journalistic internship can be completed at a media outlet (press, radio, TV, online services), but also in the field of corporate communications and public relations (writing press releases, brochures, editorial support for websites and social media, etc.). The prerequisite is that students perform editorial work during the internship. Internships in the fields of media, market and opinion research are also credited towards the degree programme. If you are unsure whether the internship you wish to complete meets these content requirements, you can clarify this with the Department's study advisor.

• Registration

  Internships must be registered in advance with the Department's study advisor in accordance with the Faculty's guidelines (Art. 7 para. 2 of the organisational regulations). To do so, use the "internship registration" form provided by the Department, enter the required information about the content and duration of the internship, and have the document signed by your employer and the study advisor at the beginning of the internship.

  Internship registration form (in German)

  By signing the form, the study advisor confirms that the chosen internship meets the content requirements for credit and can be credited later, provided that the duration and content of the internship actually correspond to the information provided on the form. The employer agrees to provide evidence of this information by issuing a work certificate to the intern immediately after completion of the internship.

• Internship report

  Students must submit a written internship report (approx. 2–4 pages). This report must first list the employer, the product (newspaper, magazine, radio station, etc.) and the duration of the internship. The report must then cover the following points:

  • Tasks in detail
  • Supervision and support within the company
  • Socialisation in the editorial office
  • Problems
  • Personal experiences and lessons learned
  • Assessment of the internship (including an answer to the question of whether the position would be recommended to others)

  The internship report and the work certificate must be submitted to the secretariat of the Department of Communication and Media Research or directly to the study advisor no later than one month after the end of the internship, together with the completed form for crediting internships.

• Validation of credit points

  The study advisor reviews the submitted documents. If all requirements are met, he or she signs the form for crediting internships to recommend that the internship be credited to the study program. Students then submit the completed form as well as the registration, internship report and work certificate as PDF documents to the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences.

  Form for crediting internships

  Please carefully follow the specified steps and deadlines. In justified cases, the study advisor may recommend internships that are suitable in terms of content for credit even if no prior registration has been made or if the internship report has been received by the department later than the specified deadline of one month after completion of the internship. However, the final decision on whether an internship will be credited for credit lies in all cases with the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences.