Internships
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design students earning a bachelor of fine arts degree are required to complete an internship, apprenticeship, fellowship, or mentorship program as a component of their graduation requirements. Students must successfully complete and document an internship. Documentation must include a presentation about the internship experience to colleagues and faculty in a student’s fourth-year professional practices course. It is recommended that students complete an internship during the summer after their year-three coursework.
There are two areas in which internship opportunities are coordinated. The first area is within each major program. Some academic departments with a major program have a designated faculty member who serves as the internship coordinator. Coordinators overseas student placement in their respective fields of study.
For internship experiences coordinated at the department level, department internship coordinators oversee and document the internship process and, upon the conclusion of a department approved internship, students must complete the appropriate form: Fine Arts Form, Graphic Design Form, Illustration Form, or Photography Form.
The second area is through Career Services. The Career Services team provides access to internship opportunities to students, assists with employers becoming approved internship sites for the College, and assists instructors of record and site supervisors with various requirements for participation and completion in the College’s Internship Program.
Students are to consult with their Department Chairperson and the Career Services team during their Sophomore year to initiate their internship plan.
The College offers opportunities for students to earn credits for Internships. There are two levels for for-credit internships for credit EXINT 199 Exploratory Internship and PFINT 399 Professional Internship. Exploratory Internships allows students to pursue internship experiences through College-approved internship sites and partnerships for credit. Students obtain experience at the exploratory level. Professional Internships allow students to obtain deeper experience in field work, making, creative entrepreneurship, and industrial and graphic design work. Museum, curatorial, gallery, studio apprenticeships are also options for students. In order to enroll in EXINT 199 or PFINT 399, students must contact Career Services in order to identify a site approved by the College for earning credits for internship experience. For every internship course credit hour, 40 hours of work occurs at the approved internship site.