Internships and Careers

Graphic Communications students at Clemson University must complete two full-time (40 hours/week) paid internships, typically in their sophomore and junior years, to receive their degrees. The internship program is a win-win for both the students and the companies that they work for. Employers invest in their future as they preview upcoming talent and contribute to the development of prospective employees, while students explore various career paths while gaining valuable job experience.

Employers may offer competitive hourly rates, stipends, housing and other benefits to attract the best and brightest students. Students are encouraged to work in different geographic locations, process areas and industry segments to gain broad experience.

Standard internship periods:
Spring - early January to late April (15 weeks)
Summer - mid-May to late July (12 weeks)
Fall - mid-August to early December (15 weeks)

View Clemson University's academic calendar for specific start and end dates.

Intern Employer Day

The Graphic Communications Intern Employer Day provides a venue for employers and students to meet and discuss internship and full-time employment opportunities. This event is hosted twice yearly, in the spring and fall, by Clemson University's Department of Graphic Communications and the Office of Career & Global Engagement at Clemson's Wilbur O. Ann Powers College of Business.

Registration is now open for Intern Employer Day on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2024, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and our Senior Networking Night on Oct. 23, 2024, from 6-8 p.m.

Your sponsorship helps support engagement between students and industry, including student and faculty travel to conferences, industry outreach and networking programs such as Intern Employer Day.

Students & Employers

Hiring a GC student can be accomplished by several methods, although all internships provided by employers or requested by students must be approved to ensure they meet the department's requirements. Internships must provide meaningful work experience in the area of graphic communications and must be paid, full-time positions for the term.

Three ways to hire a Clemson GC student:

1. Utilize Business JobLink to post or search for opportunities.* Employers will receive an email once their posting is live.

2. Attend an Internship and Career Fair at Clemson University.
3. Work directly outside of Clemson postings and events to coordinate an approved internship.

*Please note, post-acceptance on the Business JobLink site is not verification that an internship meets the requirements of the Graphic Communications program. Please submit the forms above before posting or accepting internships to ensure students will receive credit.

Student Requirements

All Graphic Communications students must complete two internships. One must be in either the Fall or Spring semester. The other can be during the Summer. Internships must be relevant to Graphic Communications, paid full-time (40 hour/week) positions, and last the semester (15 weeks in Fall/Spring, 12 weeks in Summer).

Please note that "Full-Time" UPIC internships will not count for GC Internship credit unless approved by the Internship Coordinator and GC Faculty.

The Intern Information Form should be kept current and copies printed for use at the Internship and Career Fair each fall and spring.

Remote/Hybrid Work Policy:

In an effort to accommodate the "new normal" of remote work while also recognizing the value of on-site internships in exposing students to equipment, company culture and a wider variety of career opportunities, we are establishing the following guidelines on remote and hybrid internships.

Remote work will be defined as work done fully outside of a company location.

Hybrid work will be defined as 50% or greater of work done outside a company location. For example: working from home three days per week and reporting to an office two days per week.

1. Students may count only one remote or hybrid internship towards GC internship credit.
2. Interns must report to a supervisor or team conducting work of a similar nature to the intern.
3. Daily, real-time communication via video conferencing, phone calls or company chat platforms (such as Teams or Slack) with the intern supervisor or team is required.
4. Supervisor must submit a written letter describing the remote/hybrid work conditions, including how daily communication is taking place and how hours worked are being appropriately tracked.
5. Students may not take GC lab courses concurrently with an internship.

Accepting an Offer:

• Once you have decided on a relevant internship, fill out and submit this Internship Approval Form. Your academic advisor and the GC Internship Coordinator will approve your internship.
• Once approved, you may accept your internship offer with the company.
• If you received any other offers, immediately advise the other companies that you have accepted a separate offer.

Enrolling in Courses:

• Enroll in one of the following course sets:
  • GC 3500 & Co-op 2010 (first required internship after GC 1020 but before any 4000-level class)
  • GC 4500 & Co-op 2020 (second required internship after GC 4060 or GC 4400 but before your last semester preceding graduation)
  • GC 4550 & Co-op 2030 (optional third internship not in place of GC 4500)
• If you pre-registered for other courses for the term you are interning, be sure to DROP all other classes you no longer need to take. You may still take an online course if you desire.
• You will be billed for one credit hour per internship and a $30 co-op fee. You must pay your fees when you enroll or you will be automatically dropped from the course. Bills are not sent out immediately for the Summer session, so be sure to fulfill the course fees when you enroll.
• Near the beginning of your work period, you will find information on all required coursework (primarily, the journal and final abstract) accessible on Canvas. Check due dates and announcements frequently.
• To receive a co-op certificate with your diploma after completing two internships, visit the Co-op Office located in Suite 316 of the Hendrix Student Center (846-656-3150) and fill out a Co-op Information Sheet. For GC majors in Co-op 2010, 2020 or 2030 all co-op written requirements are fulfilled through the Graphic Communications department.

Starting Work:

• Complete the company's normal HR process, which may require a drug screening, physical exam, etc.
• Start work no later than the first day of classes for that semester or the first Summer session. Work through the last day of classes for that semester or the end of the second Summer session.
• Alternate schedules can be arranged in advance and agreed upon by both your employer and Bobby Congdon, GC Internship Coordinator. Intern employment must meet a minimum of 15 full-time weeks for a regular semester or 12 full-time weeks for the summer.

• Notify Bobby Congdon IMMEDIATELY of any change in your employment status.

• Documented performance problems, irregular attendance and/or punctuality mandate a lower course grade. Interns terminated before completion of the required number of weeks shall receive an "F." No exceptions.

View more student internship advice.

Contact

Email us for general inquiries about internships and the GC Internship and Career Fair.

Email Bobby Congdon, GC Internship Coordinator, for internship approvals and all other questions.