One requirement for a Belmont English degree is an internship experienced alongside ENG 3960, an online asynchronous course.

When looking at internships for English credit, the first and most important consideration should be whether the prospective internship meets the standards of the Belmont English Department. Foremost, the internship needs to involve substantial work with language.

This condition preferably involves writing or producing language-based material in some way. “Language,” however, is interpreted broadly such that web design, photography, and other visual media efforts can count. 

Past interns have also dealt with language in pedagogical fashion—tutoring at Nashville Adult Literacy Council, for instance, and working with lesson plans and professional communications.

That said, the department does not want interns just stuffing envelopes or running errands.

Students are responsible for securing their own internships, and the Belmont Office of Career and Professional Development offers excellent resources for students who are looking. Please visit the following pages:

https://www.belmont.edu/career-development/index.html (Career & Professional Development pages)

https://belmont.joinhandshake.com/login (Handshake platform)

OCPD Opportunity Fund: The Office of Career and Professional Development offers limited support for students to apply for funding to supplement unpaid internships through an application process. The Opportunity Fund Committee will review applications based on need before selecting. The application window for Summer 2025 is May 5 to May 14. Student funding will be subject to taxes per IRS regulations at the time of distribution.

Requirements: Students applying for the Opportunity Fund must be enrolled at Belmont University for the semester that they are seeking Opportunity Funds and enrolled in a credit-bearing internship. Students must be enrolled for at least one semester prior to receiving funds. Students must provide an internship offer letter and a signed Internship Agreement. Additional documentation and verification may be requested. The information requested will help determine eligibility for this grant. Students will need to submit complete applications at this link (click here to apply). Applicants will be notified by email with decisions. Click here for information sheet.

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In addition, the Belmont English Department has a track record with a number of places. The following organizations have noted they will welcome internship applications for Summer and/or Fall 2025, and contact persons are listed or links are provided:

Carnegie Writers, paid internship. Seeking a literacy facilitator for 2025 to lead an after-school program, working with students to enhance their literacy skills. Will be a great experience for students interested in writing, literacy, and community engagement. Requires 15-20 hours per week. To apply, visit https://www.cnm.org/job/literacy-facilitator-9/

Music Mecca, unpaid internships. Seeking Summer 2025 content writers for Music Journalist positions. To apply or for more information, contact Paul Howard at paul@musicmecca.org

Post Hill Press, unpaid internships. Currently accepting 2025 summer interns (time flexible). Anyone interesting in editorial, publicity, and project management would be great for the job. Looking for people who work well with a team and who can commute to Brentwood daily. Email Caitlin@posthillpress.com for more information.

Burning Ground Entertainment, unpaid internships. Seeking 2025 summer and fall interns in categories such as social media management and graphic design. Apply at this link or contact Anna Castle at anna@korepr.com for more information.

Nashville Adult Literacy Council, unpaid internship. Seeking one or two Fall 2025 interns. Virtual (Zoom) internship involving 4 hours a week for 12 weeks. Classroom/teacher support with some opportunity for class planning and instruction. Download information sheet here. Contact Lisa LeMaster at llemaster@nashvilleliteracy.org

Stacia Morgan Photography, unpaid internship(s). Seeking Summer and Fall 2025 interns to assist with the following areas: wedding blogging, writing website content, writing contracts, and updating website content. Internships are remote/virtual, and number of hours a week is negotiable. Contact Stacia Morgan at info@staciamorgan.com 

Exile International, unpaid internships. Seeking Summer and Fall 2025 Administrative Intern and Communications Intern. Minimum of 10 hours per week. Information can be found at this link. To apply, email Taylor Dickerson at taylor@exileinternational.org with resume, cover letter, and availability.

In past semesters, the department has had interns at the following organizations, and students are welcome to check and see if these organizations are currently seeking interns:

Nashville Center for Empowerment

Publisher Spotlight 

Wisdom House Books

Black River Entertainment

Once you’ve applied for and secured an internship with an organization, you’ll need to work with your immediate supervisor there to fill out the appropriate Internship Agreement—either the paid version or the unpaid version. These forms are linked below and can be downloaded, or they are available upon request from me, Dr. Lovvorn, the English Internship Coordinator. Please be sure to fill out all highlighted areas and include actual signatures from you and your supervisor in Section E of the form. If you need to bring a physical copy by my office, that’s fine.

Summer 2025, Paid Internship Form
Summer 2025, Unpaid Internship Form

Fall 2025, Paid Internship Form

Fall 2025, Unpaid Internship Form

To decide which section of the internship course to take, you’ll need to consider several factors: the intern hours required by the organization, the intern hours you can contribute, the number of credit hours you need, and possibly, tuition cost. Please keep in mind the following semester totals to evaluate how intern hours line up with course credit. This evaluation will determine whether you're eligible to take a one, two, or three credit-hour section of ENG 3960.

• minimum of 36 intern hours for 1 credit hour

• above 72 intern hours for 2 credit hours

• above 108 intern hours for 3 credit hours

Once I receive the completed and signed paperwork, I will approve a course override for the appropriate section of ENG 3960, and you can register.

ENG 3960, English Internship, is an online, asynchronous class that runs alongside your internship activities at an organization. In line with best-practice experiential education, the class involves reflection on the experience, and you'll be required to complete three reflections across the semester. You'll also be required to complete several composition assignments meant to reinforce the conventions of professional genres. These assignments include professional email communications, a blog analysis and blog writing, a cover letter for a job listing, and a professional online portfolio.