Internships

Timing

Northwestern is on a 10-week quarter system. Fall quarter begins late September, winter quarter the first week in January and spring quarter in late March.

Academic credit

If students need academic credit to be eligible for an unpaid internship, they may enroll in Medill Career Services’ internship course. This class is a recognized course offering that is recorded on students' transcripts and will become a permanent part of their academic files. Check with your human resources staff to see if this satisfies your obligations under the U.S. Department of Labor Guidelines.

Internship description

To help you attract the best candidates, please title your internship in ways that describe the job. For example, instead of simply "intern," indicate the skills and tasks of the job: "social media intern" or "fall editorial intern." If your internship is paid, we suggest including that in the title, such as "paid marketing communications intern."

Part-time or full-time?

During the academic year, students typically undertake part-time internships. The exact number of hours should be decided upon in collaboration with your selected candidate but can range from five to 25 hours per week. Most students try to secure full-time internships during the summer. If you are seeking an undergraduate journalism or IMC certificate student for a full-time internship during the academic year, please read more about the Journalism Residency program.

Compensation

Medill Career Services accepts Handshake postings for paid and unpaid internships. Paid positions will generally receive more applicants and more committed hires. Employers are encouraged to offer an hourly wage. Undergraduate wages typically range from $8.25 to $15 per hour and graduate wages from $15 to $30+ per hour, depending on year in school, prior experience, role and company type. Please work with your human resources officer regarding minimum wage requirements in your area should you offer a paid wage.