STUDIO ART INTERNSHIP GUIDELINES

ELIGIBILITY

Students must be current Studio Art majors (either BA or BFA program) in good academic standing and have a minimum “B” average in Studio Art courses. Students must have completed all Foundations coursework (ART1000, ART1201C, ART1203, ART1300C, ART1602C, ART2204C) and be admitted to Upper Division status (52 earned credit hours) before beginning an internship.

Internship with Sculpture Professor, Kevin Curry

WHAT IS AN ART INTERNSHIP?

“An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.”

– National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

Internships are one-time hands-on work or service experiences: 

• Related to the student intern’s major or career goal and employers must provide ongoing  professional development and mentorship,

• Involves work in a professional setting, 
• Supervised and trained by practicing art or design professionals in the field,
• Guided by predetermined learning outcomes, such as course objectives, student’s written goals, and employer’s stated expectations, which the intern engages in and reflects upon throughout the experience. 

An internship is designed to provide the student with experience in a career setting; some are paid, and some are voluntary, unpaid activities. 

The internship is a reciprocal arrangement: Students exchange their work in return for on-the-job training and work experience. Therefore, the on-the-job supervisor should make available a professional learning art or design experience/opportunity. If a student is already employed in an art or design-related job, the department cannot grant internship credit to continue that same activity. Students cannot duplicate the same internship for credit in the future.

Examples of art internship experiences: 

• Assisting a professional artist with production and post-production of artworks, managing websites, and social media
• Working under a design professional in creating briefs, assets, or graphic communications for print or web
• Assisting in a gallery or museum in exhibitions, art handling, development, or promotion & marketing
• Working with a professional art educator developing and delivering lessons to students

RECEIVING COLLEGE CREDIT

• To receive academic credit in Studio Art, internships must be art-related and approved by the Department of Art before beginning the internship. Students must work directly with an art or design professional or with a professional in an art-related position, such as a professional artist, art director, arts administrator, gallery/museum professional, art therapist, art educator, etc. The professional and the company or organization they work for must have a proven track record with credentials and appropriate certification. Students should contact Liz Di Donna (edidonna@fsu.edu) if there are questions, and Anissa Ford (asford@fsu.edu) can assist students looking for a quality experience.
• Students can complete an internship over 14 weeks during the spring, summer, or fall semesters. Most internships consist of receiving three (3) credit hours in exchange for 10-12 work hours per week during a given semester (140 hours minimum). Longer duration internships, such as full-time summer experiences, should be discussed with the department before applying.  
• By signing up for an internship experience, students enroll in ART 4943: Internship in Creative Art course and will be assessed tuition and fees based on the credit hours in which students are enrolled. In addition to participating in the internship, students will also be required to participate in a class and complete class assignments. Students will receive a Pass/Fail grade for the course based on class assignments and supervisor evaluation.
• If a student is already employed in an art or design-related job, the department cannot grant internship credit to continue that same activity. Students cannot duplicate the same internship for credit in the future.

For situations where academic credit is not applicable, students can also apply to earn recognition for their résumé through the Career Center’s Experience Recognition Program (ERP).

621 Gallery Internship

“Before 621 Gallery, I had never had an internship before and I was not exactly sure what it would consist of. However, once I started the job I quickly found out. My responsibilities ranged from painting gallery walls and filling in holes to labeling and taking note of the works received from artists. Every single day I spent at the gallery was different. One day I could be in the back storage organizing materials and then the next I could be staff at an opening answering questions and talking to guests. This meant that there were times when I would be covered in paint and times when I wore a tie but I enjoyed it all and it brought many opportunities for growth. I gained a lot of knowledge from this experience and I owe a great deal of it to Lauren Baker’s guidance; Lauren is the executive director of 621 Gallery. I learned about the process and work that goes into organizing an art opening. It takes a lot to do a new show every month, and it’s all about constant turnover. One minute your painting a beautiful orange wall in the gallery and then the next your covering it up with white paint to showcase something else. I learned how to label artworks and number things accordingly for art auctions, how to change the positioning of lights to make certain work stand out, and I even learned about posting information on social media to promote the gallery.”

~Lauryn Feliciano, BA 21′

INTERNSHIP PROCEDURES

It is strongly advised that students meet with their academic advisor to understand how receiving internship credit will affect course and graduation requirements. Internship credit does not take the place of studio lab courses, and only three (3) internship credits can be applied toward Studio Art major requirements. Students who work beyond the minimum hours stated above may be eligible to take additional internship credits, but these will only count toward elective credit and not for Studio Art major requirements.

STEP ONE: FINDING AN INTERNSHIP

• Meet with the College of Fine Arts Career Center Liaison, Anissa Ford (asford@fsu.edu). She will walk students through NOLENETWORK and Career Center job and internship databases.
• Finding an internship is similar to finding a job. Students should research prospective internship sites, and prepare a resume, a cover letter, and examples of their work to share with prospective internship supervisors. 
• There is very often a competitive application process for internships with larger companies, and if this is the route students choose, consider applying to at least a few. 

The FSU Career Center is a wonderful resource for help in finding internships, preparing submissions, and conducting mock interviews to prepare for the interview process. 

STEP TWO: SUBMITTING THE INTERNSHIP FORM TO REQUEST ACADEMIC CREDIT

Once students have accepted an internship offer, please see that the following documents are filled out and submitted: 

1. Student Internship Form – to be completed by the student (link to online form)
2. Internship Employer Form – to be completed by the employer/supervisor (link to online form)
   

Deadline for Summer 2023 Semester: Friday, May 12

Deadline for Fall 2023 Semester: Friday, August 11

The deadline to submit forms is the last day of regular registration prior to the internship semester. Forms received after this date may not be processed until Drop/Add, and late registration fees may be assessed. No internship applications will be approved after drop/add. Keep in mind that internships go through a vetting process and it is not guaranteed that an internship will be approved, so it is in the student’s best interest to communicate their intentions with the department, their advisor, and the career liaison and submit their application by the deadline.

Students will be notified once the internship is approved and students are registered for internship credit hours. At the beginning of the internship semester, an email will be sent to students with class information and the syllabus.

STEP THREE: SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE INTERNSHIP AND COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

In order to successfully complete the internship and receive a passing grade, students need to:

1. Complete all Canvas-based assignments — these include, but may not be limited to the Goal Setting assignment, Mid-Semester Check-in, an Internship Survey, and a Final Report.
2. Receive a positive evaluation from their employer via the online evaluation survey sent to them by the Internship Course Instructor.