How You’ll Get Experience in Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Real Work. Real Skills. Real Fun.
Whether you’re a reporter interviewing a source, a producer shaping a video package, or a PR pro guiding a client through a crisis, every day in the media and communications field looks a little different. That’s one of the best parts about telling stories for a living.
Those hands-on experiences are at the core of every program in Drake University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Whether you’re pulling all-nighters at award-winning student media outlets or working with marketing agencies on national accounts, you’ll learn to think on your feet, follow professional standards, and juggle multiple deadlines at once.
Here’s how we build experience into your studies, so that you graduate not only prepared for this vibrant field but also with a portfolio that illustrates all you can do.
On Campus
At Drake, you can start getting experience from Day One. From engaging classroom activities to in-class advice from industry veterans, you’ll have the opportunity to network with professionals, contribute to student media, and even help produce national broadcasts.
You’re never truly on your own, though. From faculty vested in your success to our school’s own career services office, your post-Drake future starts with at-Drake opportunities.
Campus Media
Drake Bulldogs are curious and driven. From their first semester at Drake, SJMC students often begin to realize their potential and find their voice in Drake’s campus media organizations.
Publications
Print is still effective and innovative—something Drake students prove every day as they showcase their writing, photography, and design in publications like The Times-Delphic newspaper, the award-winning Drake Mag, and the Drake Political Review.
Drake Broadcasting System
If it happens at Drake, DBS journalists capture it in online broadcasts and podcasts, live radio shows, multimedia projects, and on-campus events such as the 48-Hour Film Festival.
Cover the Drake Relays and Other Athletic Events
Students in our Digital Media Production and Multimedia Journalism programs cover our NCAA Division I teams and the Drake Relays, a century-old event that brings 40,000 spectators to campus.
DBS 48-Hour Film Festival
Ready to take on the challenge of writing, shooting, and editing a short film in just two days? Movies in this competition span genres and could be shot with an iPhone, handheld, or film camera.
Clubs and Organizations
Get the kinds of skills employers look for while engaging in professionally oriented student clubs or doing legwork for non-partisan advocacy organizations based at Drake.
Student Organizations
Boost your résumé and your network by participating in groups like Ad Club, the Public Relations Student Society of America, and all our student-run media organizations. You’ll produce projects you will be proud of (and show off in a professional portfolio or reel).
Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement
The Harkin Institute conducts non-partisan public policy research and offers scholarships to Drake students interested in issues such as healthcare, human and civil rights, public education, and climate change.
Vote Smart
As an intern for this Drake-headquartered voter education group, you’ll keep tabs on national election issues, conduct legislative research, and complete other important tasks while covering races in all 50 states and at the federal level.
Career and Professional Development
Employers know that SJMC graduates are ready to succeed: Consistently, 97% of our alumni were in grad school or working in the field within six months of graduation.
Student Professional and Academic Support Specialist
Get the guidance you need from our Professional and Career Development Services office, which can help you set professional goals, find internships and other experiential opportunities, and build job-search strategies. Contact Timm Pilcher at Timm.Pilcher@drake.edu to learn more.
Connect With Alumni
The communications industry is constantly changing. Our alumni hold leadership positions in media companies, PR agencies, and strategic consulting firms around the country and can be your inside connection to trends and opportunities.
Networking
Get the scoop on media life through face-to-face encounters with insiders. Every year, Advertising majors visit Des Moines ad agencies, while journalism and PR students drop in on magazines, websites, and agencies in NYC—trips that yield internships, job shadowing opportunities, and even full-time roles.
Develop a Professional Portfolio
Whether through their senior capstone projects, extracurricular activities, or internships, SJMC students hit the job market with clip files, sizzle reels, and portfolios that show employers they’re ready to contribute.
Handshake
Connect to internships and job opportunities through Handshake, an online tool available to current students, employers, and recent alumni. More than 1 million companies turn to Handshake to find prospective employees.
Internships
Find internships in Des Moines and beyond with the help of SJMC’s dedicated coordinator. You could write for a People Inc. (formerly Dotdash Meredith) publication, go door-to-door for a national political campaign, or be an influencer for small nonprofits, Fortune 500 companies, and everything in between.
Other Opportunities
Home to major publications, local and national political events, corporations, and nonprofit organizations, Des Moines provides the perfect launchpad for your career.
Community Involvement
Work with nonprofits, lobbying firms, and other organizations to see advocacy up close. Write issue briefs and plan Day on the Hill activities while helping clients appeal directly to Iowa lawmakers.
State Capitol Experience Course
Observe state government from the inside as a clerk, lobbying intern, or communications intern during the legislative session. Then, unpack your experiences during a weekly session led by legislative veterans.
Iowa Caucuses
Whether you’re a reporter covering the issues, a campaign worker sharing a candidate’s message, or helping produce a debate right here on campus, Drake students are part of this every-four-years event.
Become a Certified Media Buyer
Join the accelerated training program at Des Moines ad agency Flynn Wright and learn how to be a media planner. You’ll help a real-world client build a campaign, preparing to earn a professional certification that positions you for career success.
Campaign and Content Creation Experience
Build something real while you’re still in class. SJMC students have crafted award-winning ad campaigns, executed rebranding efforts, and developed strategic PR plans for real-world clients through semester-long projects.
Work on a Film Set
Des Moines today, Hollywood tomorrow: Films produced by Digital Media Production majors have been screened at prestigious film festivals, and Drake students have contributed to several independent short films.
Take the Next Step
The best way to learn about media and communications is to dive into the industry. As an SJMC major at Drake, you’ll have that opportunity as soon as you arrive.
