Declaration

I here by declare that, the work in this report is my original work and has never been presented to
Uganda business and technical examinations board (UBTEB) for any award in journalism and
mass communication

Name……………………………………………………………………………………………

Signature ……………………………………………………………………………………….

Date …………………………………………………………………………………………….

i
Approval
This internship report was carried out under the supervision and guidance both academic
supervisor and field supervisor

Field Supervisor

Name of Field Supervisor…………………………………………………………….

Signature……………………………………………………………………………….

Date…………………………………………………………………………………….

Academic Supervisor

Name of supervisor ……………………………………………………………………

Signature ……………………………………………………………………………….

Date…………………………………………………………………………………….

ii
Acknowledgement

My acknowledgement goes to the staff and management of Soroti University, that greatly
contributed to my success of my report writing by allowing me to carry out my industrial training
and providing me with the necessary information, guidance and facilities needed during my
training.

Special thanks to my field supervisor Nyene Juma Hassan, who oriented me on the first and
second days, and also guiding me through the daily activities, and improving on my news writing
skills

And also thank the ICT department team i.e. Nixon Nkamugisha(software developer) for
developing sun news portal in the website and integrating social media accounts, that greatly
improved daily activities. And not forgetting internees

And also thank UMCAT administration that provided me with the academic supervisor, who
guided me both at the field and during the time of report writing.

iii
List of Figures
Fig 1 Writing news stories………………………………………………………………..16

Fig 2 Attending university meetings………………..………………………………….…16

Fig 3 Designing admission poster……………….………………………………………..16

Fig 4 Designing women’s day flyer………………………………………………………16

List of Tables
Table 1 Organization details……………………………………………………………….3

List of abbreviations

SUN Soroti University

PRO Public Relations Office

UMCAT United Media Consultants and Trainers

PR Public relations

iv
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration..................................................................................................................................................i
Approval.....................................................................................................................................................ii
Acknowledgement.....................................................................................................................................iii
List of Figures...........................................................................................................................................iv
List of Tables.............................................................................................................................................iv
List of abbreviations.................................................................................................................................iv
CHARTER ONE...................................................................................................................................1
1.0 Introduction.........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of Internship...................................................................................................................1
1.2 Rationale for Internship......................................................................................................................1
1.3 Objective of Internship........................................................................................................................2
1.4 Purpose for Internship........................................................................................................................2
1.5 Organization Details............................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER TWO...................................................................................................................................5
2.0 Introduction.........................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Description of the Department:..........................................................................................................5
2.2 Duties and Responsibilities:................................................................................................................5
2.3 Supervision levels.................................................................................................................................6
2.4 Working team and relationship..........................................................................................................6
2.5 Mandate of intern in the Organisation...............................................................................................6
CHARPTER THREE............................................................................................................................8
3.0 Introduction.........................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Level of accomplishment of Duties and responsibilities assigned:...................................................8
3.2 New knowledge and skills gained from Duties and responsibilities:................................................8
3.3 Outstanding experience:.....................................................................................................................9
3.4 Relatedness of the internship programme to the course units learnt...............................................9
3.5 Intended Utilization of the acquired knowledge..............................................................................10
3.6 Challenges and how it was managed................................................................................................10

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3.7 Benefits driven from internship:......................................................................................................11
10.9 Adequacy of Institution’s preparation of students for internship................................................11
3.10 Preparedness of the organisation to receive and manage students for internship......................12
3.11 Personal assessment of the internship experience in the organisation.........................................12
CHAPTER FOUR...............................................................................................................................13
4.0 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................13
4.1 Conclusion..........................................................................................................................................13
4.2 Recommendations..............................................................................................................................14
5.0 Reference:..........................................................................................................................................15
6.0 Appendices.........................................................................................................................................16

vi
 CHARTER ONE

1.0 Introduction
This covers Background for internship programme, Purpose for the internship programme,
Objectives of the internship programme, Organisations details: background, vision, culture, core
values, structure, and activities

1.1 Background of Internship

Internship is a period of work experience offered by an employer to potential employees, called
interns that are usually undergraduates or students. Internship give students exposure to the
working environment, often within a specific industry, which relates to their field of study.
Internships can be as short as a month or as long as 12 months. Interns can be paid or not
depends on the company. Internship should give students practical skills, experience and greater
knowledge of an industry, in exchange for the employer benefiting from their labour. With the
emphasis firmly on training, internships give students real-life experience of the workplace and
field they hope to break into. It can help students gain critical work skills and decide if the career
they are experiencing is right for them or not, and also enables student to make valuable work
contacts and acts as an important stepping-stone to securing a job and climbing the first rung on
the career ladder.

1.2 Rationale for Internship

The Rationale for doing internship at Soroti University were basically; 

To gain a more detailed understanding of the Public Relations Office

To get acquainted with the necessary and required skills and experience in the field of public
relations

To apply and relate the theory done in classroom into practical work

1
1.3 Objective of Internship
As partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of Diploma by UBTEB, as an intern
assigned to Soroti University in the department of Public Relation for Two months internship
program. The primary objective of the internship is to generate a thorough understanding of the
workplace relationship, performing of the activities and engaging oneself in the working
environment. In a way, it was more to get practical

To acquire exposure in the working environment resulting in the development of practical

knowledge, confidence and diplomacy.

To learn and apply theoretical knowledge practically in the workplace.

To develop interpersonal, managerial and communication skills.

1.4 Purpose for Internship

An internship is a professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical work related
to a student's field of study or career interest. An internship gives a student the opportunity for
career exploration and development, and to learn new skills.

1.5 Organization Details

Soroti University, by Statutory Instrument No. 34 of July 2015 became a fully-fledged Public
University under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act of 2001 as amended.
Section 24 (2) of the Universities and Other Tertiary institutions Act, 2001 (as amended in,
2006) outlines the functions of a University as: provision of higher education, promotion of
research and advancement of learning; dissemination of knowledge and giving opportunity of
acquiring higher education to all persons including persons with disabilities wishing to do so
regardless of race, political opinion, colour, creed, or sex, and provision of accessible physical
facilities to the users of the Public University. Accordingly, Soroti University’s mandate is to
train competent and competitive professionals capable of serving in all parts of the country, and
the region in Applied Sciences. Soroti University is the 9th Public University in the country.

2
 ORGANIZATION NAME Soroti University

ADDRESS Soroti-Moroto Rd
7km from Soroti City East

  P.O.box 211 Table 1. Organization

WEBSITE www.sun.ac.ug Details

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES Twitter, Facebook

Position Internee

Chancellor

University Council

Vice chancellor

University senate

Deputy Vice Chancellor

Academic Registrar University secretary University Librarian

Communications
Department
Deputy
School Deans University
Secretary Dep. Librarian
Director Human Public Relations Directorate of Senior Librarian
Assistant Academic Office ICT Librarian
Registrar Resource
Asst. Librarian

ean of students University Bursar

ardens Deputy Bursar
orts tutor Accountants
stodian Cashier

3
Structure 1. Organization’s structure

Mission

Mission: “To provide knowledge, skills and innovations for inclusive sustainable development
and transformation”.

Goal

Soroti University's goal is: “To be a widely recognized community-oriented University that
brings together theoretical knowledge with practical education that impact on social and
economic development”.

Core Values

 Excellence and Impact.

 Integrity and Transparency.

 Students at the Core.

 Diversity and Inclusion.

 Responsibility.

 Effective Stewardship and Sustainability.

Strategic Mandate

The strategic mandate of the university is driven from the charge given to the university by the
government of Uganda to offer courses in medicine, engineering, technology, ICT, science
education, value addition and entrepreneurship as flagship know areas

4
 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Introduction
This covers internship field work report in the Public Relations Office department at Soroti
University, the responsibilities, supervision levels, relationship with the supervisor, working
team and relationship with team members and the mandate of the intern in the Organization

2.1 Description of the Department:

Public relation is a management function that identifies and establishes a mutually beneficial
relationship between the organisation and its various publics on whom its success and failure
depend on. A PR specialist communicates with the target audience directly or indirectly through
media with an aim to create and maintain a positive image and create a strong relationship with
the audience. Examples include press releases, newsletters, public appearances, etc. as well as
utilization of the

Public Relations office is the department in the University has a senior communications officer
know as PRO, is responsible with mostly communication purpose to the public consumption. Its
communications to its publics through social media handles like Twitter, Facebook, University
official website (www.sun.ac.ug).

It has a communications personal known as the public relations officer. Organization’s

communications are all done through the Public Relations Office

2.2 Duties and Responsibilities:

As an intern in the public relations office, major duties included;

Organization’s meetings and draft News stories to communicate to its various publics

Another duty was writing of News stories for social media consumption. The News stories
whereby edited by the Senior Public relations officer, who is my supervisor.

Designing of message flyers and poster for the public consumption

And making sure that the office keys are safe and locking the office when work is done

5
2.3 Supervision levels
All the work done has to be supervised by the Senior Public Relations officer and be approved
for publishing on Social media handles. And the internee reports daily progress of assignments
given

2.4 Working team and relationship

As an intern at Soroti University, I had an amazing team I was working team. For example, and
worked closely with ICT department team, they showed me how things are done and correct.
And explored me to new technologies of carrying out my internship. For example, the use of
adobe Photoshop for designing message flyers, word press for editing and publishing news
stories. And we made great friendship and exchanged contacts.

Also worked closely with the sports tutor office. Whereby designing match day fixtures for the
Whatsapp groups

Also happen to work with the dean of students at the University, in publishing the second
election of the guild president. We exchanged contacts and looking forward to doing more.

2.5 Mandate of intern in the Organisation.

Will expose technical students to the industrial environment, which cannot be simulated in the
classroom and hence creating competent professionals for the industry.

• Provide possible opportunities to learn, understand and sharpen the real time technical /
managerial skills required at the job.

• Exposure to the current technological developments relevant to the subject area of training.

• Experience gained from the ‘Industrial Internship’ in classroom will be used in classroom
discussions.

6
• Create conditions conducive to quest for knowledge and its applicability on the job. • Learn to
apply the technical knowledge in real industrial situations. • Gain experience in writing technical
reports/projects.

• Expose students to the engineer’s responsibilities and ethics.

• Familiarize with various materials, processes, products and their applications along with
relevant aspects of quality control.

• Promote academic, professional and/or personal development.

• Expose the students to future employers.

• Understand the social, economic and administrative considerations that influence the working
environment of industrial organizations

• Understand the psychology of the workers and their habits, attitudes and approach to problem
solving.

7
 CHARPTER THREE

3.0 Introduction
This reveals the level of duties and responsibilities accomplishment, new knowledge gained out
of my internship, outstanding knowledge, relatedness of internship to course learnt, intended
utilization of acquired knowledge, challenges, benefits driven, adequacy of institute’s
preparation of students for internship, preparedness of the organisation to receive and manage
students for internship and personal assessment of the internship experience in the organization.

3.1 Level of accomplishment of Duties and responsibilities assigned:

My greatest accomplishment was when I and the Public relations officer as my editor managed
to publish a news story that attracted over 7,000 views on Twitter and still getting more views
and subscribers to attracted our social media platform.

As an intern member of the team, I was tasked with being both the content creator and designer
of public holiday’s message posters and flyers

As an intern I was able to attend all Website and Social media operations with the ICT specialist
at the University. The basics on how to login, being online and publishing news

3.2 New knowledge and skills gained from Duties and responsibilities:
Through writing stories, gained knowledge of giving background details, having short headings
and precise, balancing the news story, naming images being used of every News story. All I
learnt from the corrections my supervisor gives me from the stories I write.

Through publishing News stories, I have gained new knowledge on how to operate to social
media accounts and communication language with the public

Have also got knowledge on how to operate word press for editing and publishing news stories

Have learnt how to use Adobe Photoshop for designing brochures flyers

8
3.3 Outstanding experience:
Soroti University internship was unlike any other professional experience I’ve had. Meaningful
work, ample resources and a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture are a just few benefits
that set the opportunity apart for me.

From the start, the internship became an experience that would force me to grow and learn,
providing me opportunities to develop both professionally and personally. And, at Soroti
University, interns are just as much part of the team as any other employee.

While carrying out internship, I was able to attain my outstanding experience as detailed below;

 Write perfect news stories and report out of the University meetings have been attending
with my senior supervisor

 Manage any news social medial platforms. From our daily work of publishing news
stories on the University website and social media

 Associate and work closely with other teams at the University and create a mutually
beneficial relationship

3.4 Relatedness of the internship programme to the course units learnt.

The Knowledge Organization (News writing and reporting course unit); in class enabled me to
successfully to report and write news stories in my two-month internship training. The
University had Public relations Office that communicates to the public, therefore the knowledg
from the module helped in smooth running of public relations activities.

The Knowledge Organization (Computer Application course unit); With the knowledge acquired
through this module, I was able to perform various various tasks using the computer applications
such as Microsoft word for typing my news stories

As far as communication and information flow was concerned, the Communication Skills that I
learnt from the class enabled me to communicate effectively with the University stuff and other
staff within the University. They also enabled me to handle different people with

9
3.5 Intended Utilization of the acquired knowledge.
With the knowledge of News writing and reporting. Am going to start writing news articles to
writing the radio stations and creating my social media pages for writing news stories

With the knowledge of designing flyers, am going to start my own publisher business and
earning money by designing flyers and posters.

With the communications skill got from the University, I will use it to interact with other people
out and meet new friends

3.6 Challenges and how it was managed.

These challenges were personal, organizational, work group, community and others and they
include;

Adopting to the working environment: Due to the fact that I was new in the University, it took
some time to get used and cope up with the working environment. I was not used to this culture
and society; this was a bit challenging. There fore in the first days of internship I didn’t do much
work, rather I was vigilant, which enabled me to carefully identify and get used to various
Departments in the University hence involving myself fully in Registry work activities.

Long distance: Where I stay, in Aloet Village, was far from Soroti University and I could take
30-40 minutes to get to work. In a short while I started making my journeys to the University
early by 7:20am in order to catch up with work

Lack of Digital camera: Our office lacked a digital camera for taking still and moving images
in high quality but we were able to adopt the use of smart phones to do the doable.

Slow Wi-Fi: The University Wi-Fi sometimes slow down which delays the publishing process of
news but we have to wait until it stabilizes.

10
3.7 Benefits driven from internship:
Having internship programme is really great thing to do when you’re a student, here are some of
my benefits I got from my internship at Soroti University for the two months;

Job experience

The internship has given me the job experience and the workforce required at the job, and the
daily running for the activities.

Research experience

Through my internship, I have got knowledge and Research experience on different tasks have
been assigned during my intern programme

Access to a variety of tasks and departments.

Have been able to access different departments at the University and accomplish my tasks while
conducting my internship.

Mentorship

Have been grateful and be able to be mentored by my senior supervisor and getting advices on
how to do my inter programme

10.9 Adequacy of Institution’s preparation of students for internship.

The institutes prepared the students for internship by first briefing the students about internship
and its purpose, issuing guide lines to follow while conducting internship.

The institute also issued log books, manual guides, assigning academic supervisors to students to
follow them up on their internship programme.

11
3.10 Preparedness of the organisation to receive and manage students for internship
The Directorate of Human Resources at the University receives internship placement letters for
Industrial training. Following the section j-f of the Uganda Government Standing Orders, 2021
and the circular standing instruction N0.3 of 2010, relating to internship placement in public
service, the organization makes copies of the placement letter to the Vice chancellor - Deputy
Vice-chancellor- Human resources – internal audit-legal officer- senior public relations officer

3.11 Personal assessment of the internship experience in the organisation.

First and fore most I was so impressed with the way my host supervisor and the Registry Staff
welcomed me, having got an opportunity to carry out my internship training at Soroti University.
Treated and trained well. Actually, I appreciate their hard work and the endless efforts during the
practicum.

Impressed with, working in a team work with my fellow interns in the ICT Department, since
most of the assignments were done computer related This there fore, they taught me to respect
and appreciate people’s different views and ideas.

 Working in a team also facilitated the sharing of experiences with the rest of the interns. Making
new friends from the organization where we shared different ideas This enabled me to interact
with various Department officers and also exposed to the functions and responsibilities of
different departments within the University.

12
 CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Introduction
This chapter basically has the conclusion and recommendations of my internship

4.1 Conclusion
In the final remark, my two-month field attachment at Soroti University has been one of the most
interesting, productive, instructive and educative experience in my life. Through this training, I
have gained new insight and more comprehensive understanding about the real-life working
condition and practice, and has also improved my soft, hard and functional skills. All these
valuable experiences and knowledge that I have gained were not only acquired through the direct
involvement in work activities, but also through other aspects of training such as; work
observation, supervision, interaction with colleagues, supervisors and other people related to the
field. The internship training also exposed me to certain things operating and publishing News
on social media platforms. And from what I have undergone, I am sure that the field attachment
programme has achieved its primary objective. I am really so grateful to UMCAT for initiating
such a programme which enables students to get acquainted with the required skills and
experience in the field. I am also extremely thankful too, to the Human Resources Department of
Ministry of Soroti University for giving me the opportunity to do an internship within the
organization. This was such a unique experience for having been part of this prestigious
organization

13
4.2 Recommendations

To Soroti University

The performance of Soroti University was exceptionally well organized and coordinated in all
different Sections of the University as far as information in an organization is concerned.

There is also need to introduce mentorship programmes. i.e., online mentorship and manual
guide line books. This helps students out there to find medical careers in medicine

There is need for more communications personnel within public relations office so as to improve
in delivery of work activities and communications. There is also need to acquire digital cameras
in order to bring out quality images and videos

To Future inters

Students should have a positive attitude towards field internship that is, they should be eager to
look for internship places and also work hard so as to acquire the required skills and experiencee.

All students undertaking internship should Endeavor to complete their training, most interns
leave immediately after their supervision when the training period has not yet ended, this explain
why the programme is losing value, however this problem can be minimized through carrying
out several supervisions of the students by their respective supervisors not to come once but need
like eat least two times.

Students should have respect to all employees and clients despite the qualification they hold and
they should be obedient to them which will help them to get the required information, skills and
experience. Students should make sure that they do their assigned organizational work in time
and make that asks they are given the first priority compared to their personal tasks. This will be
of great importance to the students who might win good recommendation from their field
supervisors and being retained as well

14
5.0 Reference:
Mr Nyene Juma Hassan (public relations officer Soroti University)

Contact: 0702655290

Mr Nixon: Nkamugisha (Software developer Soroti University)

Contact: 0772669057

The deputy vice chancellor: (Soroti University)

The director human resources: (Soroti University)

The internal auditor: (Soroti University)

The legal officer: (Soroti University)

An intern Edwaru Daniel (Contact 0772069231 / 0702629663)

15
6.0 Appendices

Fig1 writing news stories fig 2. Attending university meetings

Fig 3. Designing admission poster fig 4.

Designing women’s day flyer

16