Communication Studies Capstone

The Communication Studies Capstone is the culminating experiential component of the CMST curriculum for a major, the practicum or internship experience that helps students synthesize their learning from previous course work within a real organizational experience that focuses on development of communication skills and reflection upon communication theories. Students can choose to do A) a Capstone Practicum (CMST 494) for 3 credits (135 hours/semester) in the Fall, Spring, or Summer; or B) a Capstone Internship (CMST 492 for 3 credits + CMST 495 for 6-12 credits) (240-480 hour/semester) in the Summer.

Students should keep the following checklist in mind to prepare for the Capstone experience:

• Keep course materials, including notes, handouts, and texts from all major courses (and other courses as relevant) to use for Capstone reflection.
• Plan ahead for your practicum or internship Capstone experience by talking with your advisor, the Capstone advisor, Dr. Ruminski, and by attending Department events and networking opportunities on campus and in the community.
• Sign up when eligible: Students must take CMST 102, CMST 335, CMST 451, and one additional 3-credit CMST course before signing up for Capstone.
• Permission is also required to register, so talk through your decision about doing the Capstone with your academic advisor at least one semester before you hope to do it. Follow up with the Capstone instructor in the semester prior to your Capstone; you will receive materials and begin the process of negotiating a contract with Capstone site supervisor based on the job description for the position you will do.
• Positions are available on and off campus; in the department, students can serve as a department assistant, an undergraduate learning assistant with CMST 102, or as a Mountainside Community Mediation Center intern.

If you have any questions, contact Dr. Elesha L. Ruminski at elruminski@frostburg.edu.

Competitive Positions affiliated with the CMST department:

• Department Assistant [position description]
• Mountainside Community Mediation Center Intern
• Savage River Watershed Association Intern
• Undergraduate Learning Assistant [position description]
   

Capstone Press Releases

Frostburg State University Senior Brooke Hughes completed her Communication Studies Capstone in the form a 3-credit semester long internship with the Mountainside Community Mediation Center. She worked alongside MCMC Program Coordinator Jerilyn Jackson as her Assistant Program Coordinator. She worked to help create and generate interest in the services that are offered by MCMC by planning events and working on different promotional materials to help bring ...read on
 

Frostburg State University (FSU) Senior Jeremy Nicolas Martin completed his Communication Studies Capstone experience as an intern within the Communication Studies Department. He worked alongside David Stern, a Lecturer of Communication Studies at Frostburg, to help run the department’s social media accounts, as well as conducting research to help market the Communication Studies major to other students. Martin hails from Jonesboro, GA, and is ...read on

Frostburg State University (FSU) Senior Genesis Martinez of Potomac, MD, completed her Communication Studies Capstone this spring semester. For the past 15 weeks, Martinez served as the Diversity Center office assistant intern under the supervision of Diversity Center Director Robin Wynder and Assistant Director Victoria Snyder. Martinez is a Communication Studies major with a track in Leadership Communication and has a Spanish minor. She served as ...read on

     FSU Senior Sarah Wampler has completed her 3-credit capstone internship experience with April Baer and CHILL Choices. She worked along Ms. Baer as the public relations intern focusing on digital media and promotion with Facebook and Twitter. While working with April, Sarah created a social media campaign for Facebook to ...read on
 

FSU Senior Sarah Wampler has completed her 3-credit capstone internship experience with April Baer and CHILL Choices. She worked along Ms. Baer as the public relations intern focusing on digital media and promotion with Facebook and Twitter.While working with April, Sarah created a social media campaign for Facebook to  Frostburg State University (FSU) senior Lauree Holland completed her Communication Studies capstone in the form of a 3-credit internship with the Student Activities and Greek Life Department under the supervision of Robert N. Cooper, Director of the department. Holland is a Communication Studies major with a minor in Psychology, a member of the Delta Zeta sorority, and she will be inducted into Lambda Phi Eta, ...read on

Frostburg, MD, May 6, 2013- Frostburg State University (FSU) Senior Kayla Ann Miller completed her Communication Studies Capstone experience with a 3-credit semester long internship within the Communication Studies Department.  She worked with Dr. Robbie Cordle, Director of Career Services. Career Services helps students build their resumes, find jobs and internships hold career fairs and provide mock interviews to prepare students for ...read on

Frostburg State University (FSU) Senior John Alan Adams completed his Communication Studies Capstone experience with a 3-credit semester long internship within the Communication Studies Department. He worked alongside Dr. Brent Kice, assistant professor of Communication Studies, in helping to conduct research for the redesign of the beginner course for the CMST major, CMST-102: Introduction to Human Communication. Adams hails from ...read on

Frostburg State University (FSU) Senior Brian Anderson completed his Communication Studies Capstone in the form of a 3-credit practicum this spring for Freestate ChalleNGe Academy under the supervision of Placement Coordinator Keith Hammond.  Anderson is a Communication Studies major and Management minor who played Division III basketball for the past 4 years at FSU, serving as the team captain for 3 years.  He is from ...read on

Frostburg State University (FSU) Senior Brittany Morrison, of Baltimore, MD, completed her Communication Studies Capstone this spring semester. For the past 15 weeks, Morrison served as the Communication Studies Department assistant under the supervision of Department Chair Dr. Elesha Ruminski. As department assistant, Morrison aided the department with internal and external communication on and off campus. Morrison is a Communication Studies major with ...read on

Frostburg State University (FSU) Senior Bryan Rice completed his Communication Studies Capstone experience in the form of a 3-credit practicum this Spring... liaison between MCMC and FSU’s Residence Life Office (RLO). Rice focused on promoting the mediation center as a ...read on

	Ashley Phillips, a senior at Frostburg State University who currently resides in Hyattsville, Maryland, has recently completed an internship with the non-profit organization Jobs with Justice. Phillips is Communication Studies Major and Computer Science Minor. Phillips is also the Public Relations Chair of ...read on
	Frostburg State University (FSU) senior John Mason recently finished a Communication Studies Capstone internship for 3 credit hours by working with the insurance and financial services firm National Agents Alliance (NAA). FSU’s Department of Communication Studies requires students to fulfill ...read on
	Frostburg State University senior Eric Chaney completed his degree in Communication Studies this summer. Chaney officially graduated in August. Chaney was a member of the Communication Studies Student Association and graduated with honors with a GPA of 3.5. Chaney, who is a Cumberland native, ...read on
	Frostburg State University Senior Erin Morrell completed her Communication Studies Capstone experience with a 15-credit summer semester Internship in the Marketing Department of RK&K engineering firm headquartered in Baltimore, MD. Morrell—a Communication Studies major and a Leadership Studies minor...read on
	EDJ Associates Inc, located in Rockville MD, has benefited from the creative contributions of Frostburg State University (FSU) Communication Studies major Stephanie Hood. The Frostburg State University Department of Communication Studies requires students to fulfill a Capstone experience ...read on
	Frostburg State University (FSU) Senior Erin Laudwein completed her Communication Studies Capstone experience in the form of a 3-credit practicum this summer for the City of Gaithersburg’s Arts and Special Events Division, under the supervision of Elizabeth Poole, Recreation Program Specialist for the City of Gaithersburg ...read on
	In an effort to complete graduation requirements at the Frostburg State University (FSU), Communications Studies student Daniel Parry has been working as a full-time intern at Giant Food, Inc., fulfilling the role of a human resources intern. Under the supervision of human resources manager ...read on
	Frostburg State University (FSU) student and Cumberland local Rebecca Mathews has been working this summer at Rocky Gap State Park to fulfill her capstone requirement for the Department of Communication Studies. The department requires each student to fulfill a practicum or...read on
	Frostburg State University Senior Jennifer Hunt completed her Communication Studies Capstone experience in the form of a 3-credit practicum this Spring for the university’s Communication Studies Department under the mentorship of Dr. Elesha L. Ruminski, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies. Hunt, a Communication Studies major...read on
	For the spring semester of 2009, the Office of Career Services at Frostburg State University has benefited greatly from their Communication Studies Capstone intern. Just a junior student, the intern’s contribution to the office has increased its overall effectiveness. Communication Studies major Lawanda Lewis began her Capstone experience with Career...read on