<p>I'm planning on being a Communications major with a PR/Advertising concentration so I have a couple questions about the department.</p>
<p>First, how good of a program it REALLY is?</p>
<p>From what I've read and heard, I know that it's not like a Syracuse or a Texas but I have heard it's solid. Just wanted to get more insight on this topic.</p>
<p>Second, how good are they with setting you up with internships and such?</p>
<p>Assuming it's PSU, my initial thought is that they're pretty good but just wanted to clarify.</p>
<p>My daughter is a PR major > she needed a 3.3 average to enter into the major as she is a junior this year. She interned for a PR firm in NYC last summer. The company did PR for musicians and their record labels/concerts. This was set up via the College of Communications internship program. It was an unpaid internship but gave her good exposure. She interviewed with them and another firm last year in early March. One of the reasons why she landed the job is this: There is a campus organization called SOMA (Students Organizing the Multiple Arts) where she became involved as a freshman. She worked very hard to get a particular band to appear at PSU (at the HUB) and that success got her the internship at this one firm in NY ! She studied abroad this past fall at the University of Amsterdam in their College of Communications. Fabulous city and surroundings. The classes were ok/ she enjoyed the professors. She wasn’t impressed with their grading system as she found them to grade pretty harshly/unfairly on things that were not significant as compared to the grading in her classes at PSU.</p>
<p>All in all, Penn State has a great internship program : all you have to do is take advantage of it and make things happen.</p>
<p>psualum80 - kinda off topic but a question on your D’s internship. When it is ‘unpaid’ I am assuming you/she had to cover living expenses in NYC or did she get a stipend? If you/she paid her living expenses, is that considered ‘room and board’ as it would if she were still on campus for 529 or other federal aid/loan/tax purposes? It really did sound like a great intership and experience.</p>
<p>G Dad - Her living expenses were not covered and she did not get a stipened. We paid for her NYU dorm and food. She interned daily from about 11 am to 6/7 pm… I forget if she worked on Fridays or not. She mangaged to get a part time job at a nearby bakery/cafe in Union Square and made some spending money. I can’t remember if we paid by the 529 but this year for her off campus apartment we did.</p>
<p>Very good, thank you psualum80. My S will be exploring internships for next spring (2010) and I know these unpaids are becoming more common. It is the experience that counts.</p>