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COMMRC Connect

What is COMMRC Connect?

COMMRC Connect is the Department of Communication’s flagship undergraduate internship program. As a COMMRC Connect intern, you’ll be doing real communication work: producing the department’s newsletter, managing its social media presence, designing graphics, coordinating events, and building connections with students, alumni, and the broader Pitt community.

In COMMRC Connect, you’re not working for an outside organization — you’re working with and for the academic community you’re already part of. The newsletter you produce reaches your fellow students. The events you coordinate bring your department to life. The outreach you do strengthens the connections that make being a Communication student at Pitt meaningful. In collaboration with other interns and the department’s External Communication Committee, you’re building something that matters to you and to the people around you.

Eligibility & Details

  • Credit: 3 credit hours (enroll in COMMRC 1900)

  • Time commitment: 8–10 hours/week

  • Meetings: Weekly all-intern check-in + collaborative working group meetings

  • Commitment: One semester, with the option to continue for a second semester

  • Eligibility: Open to any major, with a preference for COMMRC and Media and Professional Communication

The Roles

COMMRC Connect interns work in three collaborative working groups, plus one program-wide coordination role. We are recruiting for up to 11 positions for Fall 2026.

Project Coordinator

The connective tissue of the program. The Project Coordinator supports cross-group collaboration, tracks deliverables, communicates with the External Communication Committee, and helps ensure the program runs smoothly. This role is suited for someone who is organized, proactive, and energized by keeping people and projects on track.

Media Working Group

  • Social Media Strategy — Manages the department’s Instagram presence, develops content strategy, and tracks engagement data to inform future planning.

  • Media Production — Produces video and multimedia content for departmental communications.

  • Graphics & Visual Design — Creates graphics, visual assets, and design templates across departmental platforms using Adobe Express and related tools.

News Working Group

  • Newsletter Editor — Coordinates, writes, edits, and publishes the monthly COMMRC newsletter in Mailchimp, working across working groups to pull content together.

  • News Production — Researches and produces content about departmental news, student achievements, faculty updates, and program initiatives.

  • Professional Development — Curates and shares internship, job, and professional development opportunities for Communication students via Canvas, LinkedIn, and Mailchimp.

Outreach Working Group

  • Events Coordinator — Plans and executes departmental events, coordinating logistics, promotion, and follow-up.

  • University Outreach — Builds visibility for the department across campus through outreach campaigns and partnerships with campus organizations.

  • External Outreach — Manages the department’s LinkedIn presence and develops external relationships, including alumni engagement and organizational partnerships.

How to Apply

Submit the following to comm@pitt.edu by Friday, April 24:

  1. Resume

  2. Letter of Interest, addressing:

  • Why you want to contribute to the department’s communication — and what draws you to this particular kind of work

  • Skills and experiences you’d bring to the team

  • Note: preference information should be submitted separately (see item 4)

  1. Portfolio (2–3 work samples)

    We’re looking for evidence of professional, public-facing communication work. Strong portfolios include things like: social media content, newsletters, event materials, graphic design, video or audio production, website copy, or press releases. If your strongest samples are academic, consider including a brief note about how they connect to the public-facing work you’re interested in doing in COMMRC Connect.

    Due to the volume of applications: incomplete applications — particularly those missing a portfolio — will not receive consideration.

  2. Preference Form (paste into the body of your email or attach as a separate document):

    a. Project Coordinator

    Are you interested in the Project Coordinator role?

[ ] Yes — this is my primary interest

[ ] Yes — I’m open to it alongside other interests

[ ] No

b. Working Group Preference

Rank the three working groups in order of preference (1 = most preferred):

___ Media     ___ News     ___ Outreach

c. Role Interests

Within your top working group, which specific role(s) interest you most? (See above; list as many as apply)

d. Platform Familiarity

Which of the following have you used, and briefly, in what capacity?

  • Instagram (managing an account, tracking analytics)

  • LinkedIn (managing an organization page, tracking analytics)

  • Adobe Express or other Adobe Creative Cloud applications

  • Mailchimp or other email marketing platforms

  • Microsoft Teams

A note on preferences: We use your responses as one input in a holistic review of your application. Strong applicants are sometimes placed in roles or working groups they didn’t rank first — if that happens, we’ll talk it through with you directly before any final decision is made.