Unconventional Internships for English Majors.

After five years of research, the English department at St. Cloud (Minnesota) State University created an internship program for English majors. The philosophy behind the program is that the typical experience of the English major in college is excellent preparation for what the college graduate will be doing in most careers in business, government, and paragovernmental organizations. The problem facing the university is to develop strategies that will give graduates the chance to enter those vocations for which they are qualified. This paper explains how the internship program works, describes the experiences of two interns, and discusses the characteristics of businesses that are the best sources of internships. (LJR)