Internships

The Department of Art recognizes the significance of students gaining professional experience while still in school. Whether you’re a student hoping to land your first internship or you’re looking to do the hiring, we’ll walk you through the process.

For Companies: Want to Hire a Freelancer?

Do you need a student or alumni for a specific short-term job, but you do not have staff to supervise an intern? If an internship is not the best fit for you, perhaps you are looking to promote a freelance gig. These work best when there is a specific scope of work. What do you anticipate the outcomes of this relationship to be? Will the work be ongoing or for a short time? We are happy to work with you to discuss how best to share your job posting with our students. Please reach out to the Department of Art Internship Coordinator with the following information so that we can begin a conversation:

1.   Name and nature of business
2.   Specific activities and duties to be undertaken by the student
3.   Skills and/or experience necessary for consideration
4.   Hours per week
5.   Rate of pay
6.   Requested materials (e.g., portfolio, resumé) and review format (e.g., .pdf, in-person)
7.   Deadline for applications

For Students

Regardless of whether or not you pursue credit for an internship experience, your faculty are here to help! The first step is to sign up for the internship info session during fall semester. If you missed that session, reach out to the Internship Coordinator for more information.

The Visual Arts Internship course (art 4010) provides students seeking opportunities in art and design fields course credit for participation in a practical on-site job experience. You will come away from this course with exposure to the day-to-day operations of a professional art or design agency or organization, a minimum of 100 hours of observation and involvement, and an employer’s evaluation of your skills and professional competence. Most students who wish to pursue the ‘for credit’ option are juniors or seniors, as these internship opportunities can sometimes lead to post-graduation employment opportunities. If you want to enroll in art 4010, reach out to the Internship Coordinator via email at least three weeks before registration ends in order to complete necessary paperwork.

For Companies: Want to Hire an Intern?

Thank you for your interest in working with our students! When presented with new internship opportunities, we typically ask a few questions that allow us to effectively present the position to our students. Internships require that students have opportunities to learn skills they might not be able to in the classroom. Internships for credit require students to work between 8–20 hours per week (during the summer students can work more than 20 hours on a case-by-case basis), and a minimum of 100 hours over the course of a semester. Will this internship be compatible with those work hour requirements? Will there be a supervisor that is able to effectively mentor the student? What outcomes do you anticipate the student having from this opportunity?

We have two short forms that we use for internships that are done for credit, including a midterm evaluation and a final evaluation from the student’s supervisor at the internship location. Will someone be willing to serve as the student’s supervisor and complete these brief forms?

Our students do not always want/need the additional course credit, and thus we are also happy to facilitate internships that are not done for credit. In those instances the forms are not needed, but we maintain the 20 hours per week limit to avoid undue pressure on their academic performance.

As a matter of policy, the department strongly discourages unpaid internships as they devalue the skills of the student as well as the skills in their respective fields (Graphic Design, Photo Media, Painting, etc.). Is this a paid internship opportunity, and if so, what is the rate? The Department of Art follows guidelines provided by the us Department of Labor regarding unpaid internships. More information about when it is appropriate to consider unpaid work can be found in this fact sheet.

Reach out to the Department of Art Internship Coordinator with the following information so that we can begin a conversation and promote the opportunity to our students:

1.   Name and nature of business
2.   Name and title of the intern’s supervisor
3.   Supervisor’s contact information including phone number and e-mail
4.   Specific activities and duties to be undertaken by the student
5.   Skills and/or experience necessary for consideration
6.   Hours per week (a minimum of 10, not to exceed 20)
7.   Requested materials (e.g., portfolio, resumé) and review format (e.g., .pdf, in-person)
8.   Rate of pay
9.   Deadline for applications

*COVID-19 Impact on Internships
While we typically only approve in-person internships for credit, COVID-19 has made remote work a better option for many students. If your internship is in person, the company must agree to following all UTC COVID-related policies.