The English Department works with the Office of Community and Academic Partnerships (CAP) to provide students educational opportunities through internships with organizations and businesses. Coops are learning experiences where businesses CO-OPerate with academic institutions to provide real-life learning opportunities for students; students receive academic credit for their work. Co-op placements can be arranged at a number of different types of businesses and/or institutions through the CAP (Community and Academic Partnerships) Office in Lyle Hall. Successful completion of a co-op assignment earns you college credit for an approved work experience.

Students in English have varied skills and interests, and so their placements vary as well. Some students work for publishers, while others might work for film directors on in schools. The opportunities are endless, and students should discuss with their English advisors their hopes and options. Since 2002, English majors and minors have held internships with the following organizations, in addition to interning in various departments at MU: Haverstick Films, Southern Elementary School, WPMT-TV Fox 43, Way To Go Magazine, North Museum Of Natural History And Science, Susquehanna Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Lancaster Newspapers, Ulrike Kaercher, BT Fuze Products, Central Penn Parent, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, Chesapeake Publishing Corp/Ledger Newspapers, Lancaster Barnstormers, White Good & Company, and The Evening Sun.

1. If you are interested in a co-op, go through the CAP office’s online orientation to the program.
2. After completing that orientation, bring the printout from it to the CAP office in Lyle (3rd floor). At that point you will get a folder with information about the program as well as a yellow form to take to the English Department CAP Coordinator, Dr. Beverly Schneller in Chryst Hall.
3. Dr. Schneller will review the form to attest that you are an English major in good standing (and thus able to participate in a co-op or internship); she will return to form to you to bring back to the CAP office.
4. At this point, you can search the CAP database in Lyle for internships. This database provides information on jobs as well as the people involved with those jobs.
5. From there, the CAP Office will try to match you with available positions of interest. Also, if you have a place you would like to work with for a co-op, you can ask the business or institution to register the opportunity for you on the CAP website (see section for EMPLOYERS).

Generally, to receive academic credit, co-ops require a minimum of 15 weeks of work at a minimum of 15 hours per week (225 hours overall). The work can be paid or unpaid. At the end of the experience, students write a reflection paper of 8-10 pages on the experience, and the English Department may establish other additional individual requirements tailored to the type of assignment. If you decide to pursue a co-op, you will be matched with a departmental co-op advisor who will meet with you at least 5 times during your assignment and visit you at the worksite at least once. The co-op advisors in the English Department include Dr. Skinner, Prof. Homberger, Dr. Rineer, Prof. Anderson, and Dr. Craven. Advisees should meet with their advisors at the very beginning of each semester that they participate in a co-op (as well as 4 more times during that semester).

If you are interested in a co-op, please peruse the CAP website for more information.

If you have questions, contact Kathy Naegele-Delgado, Assistant Director of the Community and Academic Partnerships Office, at 872-3774 or your English advisor.

As they say, "seize the opportunity..."