School of Communication Resources

Co-op Information

All School of Communication students complete one semester (a minimum of 350 hours) of cooperative education (co-op). The co-op experience is a non-credit bearing, full-time, paid employment position directly related to your field of study.  You should complete 60 credit hours of academic work before completing a co-op.  For detailed information, please see the School of Communication Co-op Statement.

Before beginning your co-op search, visit the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education, where personal job-search counseling and guidance are available. You are free to draw on personal resources such as friends or family when seeking a co-op position; however, Handshake, with its catalogues of current openings, is extremely helpful.

Co-ops MUST be pre-approved by the program director of your degree program:

  • Advertising and Public Relations: Professor Kari Cameron
  • Communication: Professor Keri Barone
  • Journalism: Dr. Hinda Mandell

Follow these steps to have your co-op approved and registered:

  1. Complete and sign the School of Communication Co-op Approval form and email it to communication@rit.edu for approval and signature by your program director. Once approved, you will be notified by email and enrolled in the registration system (SIS).
  2. Register your approved co-op with the Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services.
  • Go to http://www.rit.edu/emcs/oce/.
  • Select "Student."
  • Select “Your Co-op/Internship” in the “Report to Us! Please” section.
  • Sign in using your RIT username and password.
  • Complete the “Co-op Notification Form" and select “Submit.”

When you complete your co-op, you will be directed to provide a summary of your work experience. Your employer must also complete an evaluation of your job performance. Once your work summary and employer evaluation are complete, the School of Communication director will review the report and submit your grade.

Student Organizations

PRSSA members have the opportunity to attend exclusive events, network with professionals, learn about public relations from first-hand experience, and obtain reduced professional fees for the parent organization, Public Relations Society of America.  They can use skills learned in public relations courses before starting their careers. "Advancing the profession and the 'student' professional" is what this organization is all about. PRSSA meets monthly.

More than 100 students and alumni of the School of Communication are members of Lambda Pi Eta, the communication honor society of the National Communication Association. The honor society's mission is to stimulate interest in the discipline of communication and promote professional development among communication majors. Lambda Pi Eta recognizes and fosters outstanding scholarship and achievement in communication studies.  Induction is by invitation and requires Junior standing as a Communication major and a minimum 3.35 GPA in at least 18 hours of communication courses. Lambda Pi Eta builds stronger relationships between faculty and students, and assists students exploring options for graduate education in communication. Lambda Pi Eta members engage in service projects and are leaders in the School of Communication.