Internships

The FIMS Internship Program

The FIMS Internship program is an initiative designed to help 3rd and 4th-year students make connections between their academic studies and the professional world by undertaking supervised work placements in organizations and businesses with media-related or information-related interests, public service organizations, and community groups. Internships are meant to be substantive learning experiences, so every effort is made to ensure students on internship are engaged in relevant and growth-oriented work.

The internship experience

Students in the internship course (FIMS 3999) are required to complete a minimum of 140 hours at their placement, as well as produce a series of reflection and goal setting assignments that describe how their academic course work integrates with their professional experience on the job. Placements are typically 12-15 hours per week during the Fall and Winter terms. Some eligible placements may be full-time, paid positions, usually offered over the summer.

FIMS works with 100+ partner organizations to offer internships, so the available positions will vary from term to term. Placements can be with media organizations like newspapers, magazines or digital content producers, creative agencies, marketing firms or corporate communications, as well as non-profits, technology start-ups, or in entertainment. FIMS aims to bring diverse opportunities that will match up with students' interests. Placements could be remote, hybrid, or in-person, depending on employer needs.

Professional readiness

Students are not guaranteed an internship placement. Students must first be eligible (meet the minimum academic standard), and demonstrate professional readiness. Once eligibility is established there is a process of searching and matching a placement that aligns with the student's interests. Finally, students must apply and successfully interview for the position. Internship placements become available three times a year, with students going out in the Fall, Winter, and Summer terms.

In the last three years, 200+ students have participated in an internship.

Fees and eligibility

Fees for an academic internship undertaken while a student is carrying a full-time academic load of 4.0+ courses during the Fall or Winter terms are covered under the standard full-time program fees. Students doing summer placements will be required to pay the course tuition fee for one half-course (for current fees please visit the Registrar's Office).

A non-refundable $125.00 internship fee is applied at the time of registration.

Eligibility criteria apply. Students must have at least a 70% cumulative academic average, no more than 1.0 fail in their courses, and no documented academic offenses. When an internship is successfully completed (based on Pass/Fail), students will receive credit for one 0.5 course. Students may count no more than one 0.5 internship course toward their degree program in FIMS.

How to apply

Current students can find out more about the FIMS Internship Program and how to apply on Western Connect under Internship/Co-op > Undergraduate FIMS, or by emailing fimscareers@uwo.ca.

Personal experiences of FIMS internships

Hear the perspective of FIMS students who have participated in internships:

Gaining real-world experience through virtual-world gaming

You know you love playing video games, but what's it like to work in the industry? Michael approached his internship as a chance to pursue his interests, but also as an opportunity to test drive a career to see if it's really the right path for him (continue reading).

Promoting entrepreneurship through social media

If you're feeling uncertain about your own skills and abilities, an internship is a great chance to prove to yourself that you're capable and competent. Renée struggled with imposter syndrome but her experience on internship taught her she's up to the task (continue reading).

Capturing the student experience at Western University

A lot of work, collaboration, and creativity goes into creating an engaging social media presence for an organization. While working as a social media intern, Taylor got to participate in the development of social media content from start to finish (continue reading).

Taking an excursion into the world of travel and tourism marketing

How do you assess the available content and decide what to use? As a Social Media Specialist, Jake learned how to curate, evaluate and select the best multimedia options based on the intended audience and which platform he was using (continue reading).

The give & take of the internship experience

If you've ever been fortunate enough to find yourself in a situation where you're surrounded by a group of people who are willing to be open and learn from each other, then you know you've been in a situation that encourages growth and development (continue reading).

Getting a taste of marketing vegan cheese and butter

How much do you need to know about a product in order to market it? Megan's experience as an intern for a company manufacturing vegan cheese and butter helped her combine theory she learned in the classroom with real life experience (continue reading).

Questions?

Please contact FIMS Undergraduate Services at fimscareers@uwo.ca.