The English Department has placements with over 60 community partners who welcome our English majors to intern with their organizations. Students can seek one of these placements with the help of the English Department Internship Coordinator, or they can find an internship on their own!

Internship Categories

English interns can apply their skills in a broad range of fields. Click on the categories below to explore the types of internships available.  

Broadcasting

In this exciting and highly competitive field, internships are difficult to come by, but our students have landed positions through diligent searching and careful preparation. Search and see! Students must apply for broadcasting internships on their own. We may have some contacts—ask!

Communications

This broad field encompasses many professional writing activities built around reaching target audiences, including newsletters, video, social media, email and print communications. Lots of jobs in this field, so get some experience!

Development

One of the most in-demand fields, development is business-speak for fundraising. Writing internships and jobs in development include grant and proposal writing, direct mail, electronic communications such as newsletters and websites, event planning, supporting materials for prospect cultivation and more.

Editing & Publishing

An attractive field for many English majors, publishing is a highly competitive industry—even for its internships—but a few of our students have landed positions through diligent searching and careful preparation. Often, internships in this field are paid opportunities in the Boston area, and students from Boston colleges are also applying for those positions. Students seeking such positions may consult with one of the English Department’s editing and publishing professors and should get help from the Career & Co-op Center to prepare their application materials. It is possible to find unpaid editing & publishing internships at smaller, local presses/publications.

Education & Youth Programming

Internship opportunities in education include working with K-12 youth in after-school programs, shadowing high school teachers and contributing lessons to classes, developing curriculum for a hands-on learning center, and more. Great for those considering careers in teaching!

Journalism & Media

These internships often focus on traditional reporting, but sometimes they include using social media, making videos, or blogging. Some experience writing for The Connector and/or taking journalism courses is preferred (though not required) for these positions.

An English degree is among the preferred BAs to precede a law degree, so law firms may welcome English majors as interns. Often these positions are not advertised, so students may need to approach firms and offer their services. Some students have sought out positions, usually as law offices assisting low-income people. Almost every semester we place a student with the local legal aid office and the local court. If you plan to pursue a law career, please take advantage of this rare opportunity to gain experience that will set you apart from others applying to law school!

Library Science

English is a great field of study for preparing to work in libraries and archives. Librarians employ management, information technology, and education tools for the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources. For this career, usually people need to earn at least a master’s degree; completing a library or archive internship is a great first step!

Marketing

Students often think of marketing as a business major’s field, but English majors make excellent matches for marketing positions. Marketing involves the promotion of products and services, as well as ideas, causes, and organizations. A marketing internship may include social media communications and presentations, as well as producing advertisements, flyers, brochures, or reports. Get your foot in the door!

Museum & Public Programming

Especially in the Merrimack Valley and Greater Boston, many positions are available at public arts and humanities institutions and organizations. Most of these are with museums and cultural organizations, ranging from researching and writing for exhibitions to building public programming. Such positions are sometimes, but not usually, paid and can be a gateway to employment in a popular regional industry. 

Public Relations

Defined by the Public Relations Society of America, public relations is “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” Work in the field includes writing press releases, maintaining media relations, managing social media, and creating materials to promote good relations with the public.

Social Media

Excellent social media skills are in high demand in the working world. Competence in various platforms is preferred for social media internships: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, etc. It is worth contacting organizations or businesses on your own to gauge their interest in hosting a social media intern. Lots of opportunities out there!

Technical Writing

Almost all technical writing internships with companies are paid positions. That said, nonprofits might need interns with skills in writing in technical genres such as proposals, reports, data visualizations and tables, and documentation.