INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Montana State University - School of Art

Through the internship program offered by the School of Art it is possible for students to earn academic credit while working outside of the University, employed by businesses, corporations, firms, agencies, individual designers, artists and other professionals. To be eligible, students must be art majors in the area of the internship and be of Junior or Senior standing. The student must have the recommendation of a Faculty Liaison with the concurrence of the Director of the School of Art as to the particular placement.

A determination as to the appropriateness of the proposed internship experience in terms of each student's program will be made by the student's Faculty Liaison. Interns would be placed in situations that offer mentorship within their area and which might differ widely from one another so this description is necessarily broad. In each instance, a Faculty Liaison from the selected area or discipline involved will be responsible for the supervision of the placement, any necessary coordination with the agency representative, and for monitoring the activities and recording the grade for the Intern's performance.

It is expected that the student Intern will receive compensation from the agency commensurate with the level of employment. As each situation could be unique, specific payment aspects will have to be established at the time of the agreement by the Intern and the Employer. Academic credit will be assigned at the rate of 45 hours of work for 1 credit hour to a maximum of 12 credit hours. A minimum of 2 credits is required with internships of 2, 3, 4 or 5 credits most common.

 

 

 

Evaluation of the Intern's activities during the service will be based on the following:

  1. Brief mid-term update submitted by the Intern to the Faculty Liaison via email.
  2. Visit by Faculty Liaison to the agency once the Intern has completed 80% of hours.
  3. Evaluation of 10-question Final Report completed during visit by Faculty Liaison.
  4. Documentation of the hours completed by the Intern.
  5. Pass/Fail Grade awarded by the Employer and recorded by the Faculty Liaison.

 

The internship experience is intended to complement the curriculum currently available to students in the School of Art. It is expected that the activities during the internship will not tend to duplicate those in the School. It is also necessary that the Intern not be involved merely in repetitive functions over the course of the internship but is exposed, to some degree, to the entire spectrum of the agency's professional activities. The intern is expected to be a productive member of the sponsoring agency during the period of employment. The Intern must obtain his or her own position; negotiate the salary, and find living quarters when the internship is not in the Bozeman area. The School of Art recognizes the considerable educational value of the internship program. It is expected that each agency accepting students for an internship situation will attempt to provide a valuable, enhancing educational experience that fosters mentorship learning.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The ideal situation for an internship is an off-campus experience that is unrelated to the university and is offered through a business, company, or organization at a local, regional or national level. Internships will be offered through traditional professional environments that include offices, studios, storefronts, or copporate spaces where work occurs.  Exposure to the professional environment and significant mentorship are important aspects of each internship. The School of Art expects the employer to offer mentorship from an experienced professional, approppriate to the intern's assigned task and to assign tasks commensurate with the intern's ability and level of education and allow the intern to work and/or observe all aspects of the operation. All first time internship employers must be visited by a faculty liaison prior to the beginning of any new internship opportunities. 

 

 CREDIT HOURS
Students will be expected to use the formula of 1 credit is equal to 45 hours of service to the employer. Students need to create a timesheet to keep track of the hours logged during the semester and turn in written documentation of those hours at the final evaluation visit. While a total of 12 internship credits may count toward graduation, the School of Art recommends that internships be between 2 and 5 credits per semester to balance with a student’s regular course load. Only in exceptional circumstances does the School of Art recommend an internship of 6 credits or more per semester. These exceptions include full time service to the employer, an internship out of state, an extensive summer internship opportunity and/or other unique internship situations.

 

CREDITS               TOTAL HOURS                     HOURS PER WEEK (16 WEEKS)           SUMMER (12 WEEKS)

2                            90 Hours / Semester                5.5 hrs. / Week                                7.5 hrs./ Week

3                            135 Hours / Semester              8.5 hrs. / Week                               11 hrs. / Week

4                            160 Hours / Semester              11 hrs. / Week                                 15 hrs. / Week

5                             200 Hours / Semester             14 hrs. / Week                                  19 hrs./ Week

 

INTERVIEW PROCESS

For an established internship contact the employer via email to set up an interview time during the first week of the semester. Be sure to follow standard interviewing practices that include reviewing the employers website before the appointment. Also know where the business is located and be on time. Dress professionally for the work environment you are interviewing. Bring sample artwork/portfolio and a print resume. If your interview is successful and you are selected for the internship position, complete the MSU paperwork with the signatures of the Intern, Faculty Liaison, Employer by the last day for Drop/Add, which is the 10th day of the semester.

 

MID-TERM INTERN UPDATE

The student should email to the Faculty Liaison a brief mid-term update, which will describe internship activities to date.  For the update explain what your primary and secondary duties have been; what has been the most challenging aspect thus far; and what has been the most satisfying accomplishment to this point. This report is due by the end of the eighth week in the semester to the Faculty Liaison.

FINAL EVALUATION AND VISIT
Once 80% of the required hours have been complete by the Intern a visit to the Employer will be scheduled for the Faculty Liaison. It is recommended that all three parties should be present: Intern, Employer, and Faculty Liaison. In the case of an out-of-town internship this final evaluation can be conducted via phone or Skype. The 10-question final evaluation will be administered and recorded by the Faculty Liaison. Once completed the documentation showing hours of service will accompany the final evaluation. The PASS/FAIL grade with be awarded by the Employer and recorded by the Faculty Liaison to the university grading system.

 

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Internship Final Report - School of Art

Student/Intern: 

Employer/Business: 

FINAL EVALUATION MADE DURING VISIT TO EMPLOYER

Visit should be scheduled when approximately 80% of the required hours are complete. All three parties should be present for the final visit: Intern, Employer, Faculty Liaison. Questions on this final report should be asked and recorded by the Faculty Liaison.

  1. What were the intern's primary responsibilities?

 

  1. What were the intern's secondary responsibilities?

 

  1. Please identify the tasks that intern did well or areas that they excelled.

 

  1. What can the intern improve upon to be more prepared for the profession?

 

  1. Did the intern complete their duties successfully and on time?

 

  1. What are the most important lessons the intern learned during their service?

 

  1. Will you continue to participate in the internship program?

 

  1. What suggestions do you have to improve the internship experience? .

 

  1. Please rate the intern: ______ Excellent

                                                    _____Above Average

                                                    ______Average

                                                    ______Below Average

                                                    ______Failure

 

  1. Employer Signature _____________________________________

           Employer circles a final semester grade for the internship:   PASS   /    FAIL

This Internship Final Report is due anytime during the last three weeks of the semester.