Internships

The Internship is a formal two-credit course that all ARAD students are required to take. The internship requires a minimum of 75 hours working with an organization of their choice, selecting the visual or performing arts, or explore other areas within the non-profit or for-profit sectors.

The Internship course instructor works closely with students, advising on areas of individual interest, navigating the application process, registration, and tracking eventual placements. While the program does not place students in internships, instructor maintains ongoing communication with organizations and alumni to facilitate potential connections and opportunities.

Interns may not displace regular employees, per the Department of Labor's website.

The internship is an excellent way to network with potential employers, improve professional skills, and develop a career strategy. Students may work with an organization of their choice, selecting the visual or performing arts, or explore an entirely new area within the non-profit, profit, public, or private sectors. Internships should be supervised by a professional, full-time employee at the chosen organization and provide meaningful opportunities for direct mentorship.

Interns may not displace regular employees, per the Department of Labor’s website.

• Students in the ARAD Program usually take the internship during the spring semester of the first year or during the summer months. Internships during the first semester of the first year are prohibited.
• Students must be registered for course A&HG 4470 for the semester the internship will be completed. The course is graded on a pass/fail basis.
• Students are required to complete an internship of a minimum of 75 total hours.

Once You Have an Internship

Once an internship is secured, contact Internship instructor who will walk you through the steps for registration and getting all of the required program paperwork on file.

Before beginning an internship, the Internship Agreement Form must be completed with your internship supervisor and approved by the Internship course instructor. In the agreement students will specify several mutually agreed upon professional development objectives and activities.

In addition to the Internship Agreement Form, students must also attend check-ins with the instructor, submit a timesheet and complete the student evaluation in order to receive academic credit for their internship.

We highly encourage students to use the services of TC Next for additional professional development support including resume and cover letter review, as well as their database of internships and jobs.

Unregistered Internships

In addition to the required Internship course, many students complete several unregistered internships while in ARAD in order to gain experience in a variety of disciplines. We ask students to report their unregistered internships in the annual End of Year Student Survey, as well as their experiences, so that we can keep track of these informal opportunities for other students.

Students in our program are regularly offered highly competitive internships across a variety of large and community-based organizations. A sampling of recent host organizations include:

• American Association of Museums - Professional network for museum professionals. Lists job and internship opportunities.
• Americans for the Arts - Job an internship opportunities listed by the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. Registration required.
• ArtTable - Professional network for Women in the Arts.
• College Art Association - A network for visual art professionals. Lists job and internship opportunities. Student membership is $50 annually.
• E-Art Now - Email subscription service for job and internship opportunities. Good for becoming aware of international positions.
• FindSpark - Job and internship listings for emerging talent in creative fields in New York City.
• Emerging Leaders of New York Arts - A networking and professional development group for arts administrators at the beginning of their careers. Opportunities circulated via listserv.
• New York Foundation for the Arts - Extensive listing of internship and job opportunities in the “classified” section.
• Playbill - Listings for jobs and internships in Theater.

Internship Agreement Form

Complete this form at the start of an internship.

Internship Timesheet

Complete this form by logging your hours during your internship. Return a signed and completed copy to the Internship Coordinator.