Program Overview

Course Overview

The COMS 590 Internship is a course offered by Victoria University of Wellington, where students complete an approved and supervised work-based communication project while on a placement in a private sector establishment, public sector agency, or non-governmental organisation.

Course Details

• Dates: 16 Nov 2026 to 7 Feb 2027
• Starts: Trimester 3
• Fees:
  • NZ$2,715.30 for domestic students
  • NZ$9,575.40 for international students
• Campus: Kelburn
• Estimated Workload: Approximately 300 hours or 25.0 hours per week for 12 weeks
• Points: 30 points

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: Permission of the Programme Director
• Corequisites: None
• Restrictions: None

Course Features

• Includes work-integrated learning

Taught By

The course is taught by the School of Arts and Media — Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

About This Course

Students will complete a 200-hour internship with a host organisation.

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

1. Describe the issues involved in working in a private sector establishment, public sector agency, or non-governmental organisation
2. Plan, complete, and evaluate a workplace project
3. Analyse, summarise, and reflect on their internship experience

How This Course Is Taught

Students will spend 200 hours at their host organisation, where they will be assigned a supervisor. They will have meetings with the COMS 590 coordinator about the work they need to do to meet the Mandatory Course Requirements and complete the assessment.

Assessment

• Reflective Journal Mark: 30%
• Presentation Mark: 30%
• End of Internship Report Mark: 40%

Mandatory Requirements

In addition to achieving an overall pass mark of at least 50%, students must:

1. Submit a Negotiated Work Learning Plan (NWLP) and Work Placement Agreement (WPA), signed by the intern, the host, and the COMS 590 coordinator, prior to commencing the internship.
2. Upload a completed Health & Safety Assessment form, signed by the intern and the host, within a week of commencing the internship.
3. Complete an Early Progress Report and a Final Progress Report with the host, by the dates agreed on in the NWLP.
4. Complete the agreed placement hours for this course.

What You'll Need to Get

You do not need to get any texts or equipment for this course.