One of the wonderful things about the CSD major is that you can find internships—and careers—in pretty much any geographic location. Every kind of organization, big and small, both for profit and not-for-profit, needs professional help in designing its messages and media, in planning and executing its events, in managing its social media presence and press interactions, and in creating effective communication with its employees, customers, donors, neighbors, and government representatives.
Many CSD students start their internships during their very first summer at an organization in their hometowns. Examples include researching future projects and managing upcoming events for the Schuyler County Chamber of Commerce; hotel promotions and sales for the Abraham Lincoln Hotel; Reading, Pennsylvania, and community relations for the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, New York, and promotions assistant for WHTM 27, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
There are lots of opportunities for internships right here in Ithaca; you can take a 1–3 credit internship (depending on the time you have to devote to it) during the academic semester. Opportunities include creating online learning for the corporate training arm of Cornell University, eCornell; helping to promote local businesses at the Downtown Ithaca Business Alliance and at the regional entrepreneurship incubator, REV; and helping to promote the Tompkins County Library, the Breast Cancer Alliance, and the Cayuga Nature Center. Many of these internships are paid and have led to jobs after graduation.
Students who have studied at our London Program have interned at Sotheby's doing employee communication, at Somerset House doing visitor services, and at Curious Generation doing music and band promotions. Our Los Angeles Program offers many opportunities such as doing publicity for shows at Miramax and NBC, doing event management and PR for celebrities through the PMK/HBH PR firm, and doing community relations at non-profits like the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
