FAVS 450 Internship Syllabus

Sample syllabus for the FAVS 450 Internship

3 credit hours

Description

FAVS 450 offers an opportunity to receive on-the-job training through an approved fieldwork study program within the Film and Video Studies field. Through the internship, students work on projects, develop skills, and apply theory in various areas of film and video studies (pre-production, production, post-production, writing, critical analysis, business, etc.) to real world experiences. FAVS 450 is a required course for the FAVS major.

Course Objectives

  • Integrate theoretical and practical knowledge of film and video
  • Provide a laboratory and technical instruction beyond the classroom setting
  • Facilitate student entry into the job market after graduation

Eligibility. Students must meet these minimum standards:

  • Be a declared FAVS major
  • Have completed 75 hours of college credit
  • Have completed 15 hours of FAVS courses
  • Have minimum of 0 overall Grade Point Average (GPA)

Requirements

Internships must provide quality learning experiences and opportunities to apply film and video coursework to real world situations. Time spent on-site at the internship also matters. A minimum of 150 hours for three credit hours is required during the regular semester, typically arranged as 10 hours per week during a 15-week semester. Alternative schedules are considered.

Recommendations.

  • Take initiative, complete tasks thoroughly, and identify how you can do more and learn more on-site
  • Reflect on the skills you are learning and connect to the coursework in FAVS program
  • Research the organization and your colleagues before beginning your work
  • Understand the company, its role in the industry, and its brand (if applicable)
  • Consider this internship a job: be punctual, professional and a good, clear communicator
  • Be clear about your ability to take on tasks and communicate when they will be finished
  • Be patient and remain interested. Convey this through your body language, attention and questions / note-taking.
  • Be mindful of your cell phone use, texting during work, and email conduct
  • Use this opportunity to clarify your career choices and career path

Gender identity and pronoun use. Please let professor know of your gender pronouns and how best to address you in class and via email. 

Academic Integrity. Mason is an Honor Code university; please see the Office for Academic Integrity for a full description of the code and the honor committee process. The principle of academic integrity is taken very seriously and violations are treated gravely. What does academic integrity mean in this course? Essentially this: when you are responsible for a task, you will perform that task. When you rely on someone else’s work in an aspect of the performance of that task, you will give full credit in the proper, accepted form. Another aspect of academic integrity is the free play of ideas. Vigorous discussion and debate are encouraged in this course, with the firm expectation that all aspects of the class will be conducted with civility and respect for differing ideas, perspectives, and traditions. When in doubt (of any kind) please ask for guidance and clarification.

Disability Accommodations. If you have a documented learning disability or other condition that may affect academic performance you should: 1) make sure this documentation is on file with Disability Services (SUB I, Rm. 4205; 993-2474; http://ds.gmu.edu) to determine the accommodations you need; and 2) talk with me to discuss your accommodation needs.

Assignments: Late assignments will lose 5 points per day late and will not be accepted after 1 week of due date. Except for last assignment – no late submissions for Journal 3/Summary accepted.

Grade scale: 

A+ 100-97, A 96.9-93, A- 92.9 – 90, B+ 89.9-87, B 86.9-83, B- 82.9-80, C+ 79.9-77, C 76.9-70, D 69.9-60, F 59.9-0

  • Journal 1 10%
  • Journal 2 10%
  • Mentor Interview 15%
  • Journal 3 / Summary Essay 15%
  • Supervisor’s Evaluation 50%

Attend Office Hours. Meet with Prof [name of professor] once in the first 4 weeks of the term on or before February 16th. Email professor to set up an appointment in advance. As a required course for college credit, this must be an engaged learning opportunity. Issues regarding the internship experience should be discussed with the professor immediately, even prior to this meeting, if necessary.

Journals.

  • Journals 1 – 10% due 2/15 by 11:59pm
  • Journal 2 – 10% due 3/29 by 11:59 pm
  • Journal 3 with Summary Essay* - 15% due 5/10 by 11:59pm
     
  1. Submit each Journal as pdf with your name and journal entry # by Blackboard
  2. Keep a journal report for EACH DAY that you are on site or working for your internship and record Date. Time Started. Time Ended.
  3. Each entry is 1 or 2 paragraphs per day worked and should clearly demonstrate decision making and learning on a daily For example, note observations, problems and solutions while summarizing your responsibilities and experiences. What are you learning? Tease out the specifics of technical tasks. Are you editing video for a website? Provide links to the videos. Are you crafting a press release? Running a crowd-funding campaign? What research supports your decisions? What sites to you visit for advice or technical support? What obstacles do you overcome? In building social media tools, what other sites do you use for inspiration? Essentially, you mustdemonstrate how you apply independently-driven information gathering on the job and that you are learning.
  4. Journal 3 / Summary Essay will not be accepted after the Late journals will lose 5 pts for the first day late, 5 pts each additional day, and WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER ONE WEEK PAST DUE.

*Summary Essay is an attachment to Journal 3. Consider the impact of this experience on your academic and career goals in addition to the Journal 3 assignment. Final summary should be one to 2 pages, double-spaced.

Professionalizing Interview: 15% of final grade

Interview a person you admire in the field and want to learn more from. This is your opportunity to make an impression and find out more about their career path so that it can help you inform your own choices. This can be your supervisor, but A-level work involves approaching someone new whom you seek to impress. If you are at a GMU based internship like GMU TV, you must interview someone outside of GMU. If you are at a one-person-production company, you must go outside of this shop to interview someone. This is your chance to knock on a door. Research your participant before the interview and set up a time to meet.

Write a 2 page paper detailing their professional experience OR their current role (or a mix of both) derived from your interview with them. This exercise should help clarify your own experiences on site or your own career goals and potential career path. Ideally this gives you the opportunity to make a good impression with someone who may help to advance your career.

Due April 19th by 11:59pm.

Supervisor Evaluation. 50% of final grade.

During the last 2 weeks of your internship, please remind your supervisor that they will receive an email from the FAVS Academic Advisor and they will be asked to evaluate your work. Please include your supervisor’s name and email in your 1st journal entry for our reference or send to advisor by email on or before February 15th.