Eligibility
A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for internship registration. First-semester Freshmen and transfers do not yet have grade point averages and are therefore ineligible to register for an internship.
Site sponsors expect student interns to have a firm grasp of the concepts and tools particular to their field of study. In most cases, students would need to complete at least 60 credits before they can meet those expectations and receive, in turn, the full benefits of the internship experience.
Credit
To receive academic credit for an Art Internship, students should clear the internship with their advisor in order to gain credit for the course ART494 prior to the start of the internship. You must be enrolled in ART 494 while you are completing your internship, you can not complete an internship over the summer and enroll in ART 494 the following fall/spring.
- Up to six credits may be awarded per internship, at the rate of one credit per 40 contact hours.
- A three-credit internship requires 120 contact hours.
- A six-credit internship requires 240 hours.
- Three credits is the minimum for an internship to count as a “course” towards your major.
- The maximum number of credits awarded per semester is six.
- There is no University limit on the number of internship credits students may earn during their undergraduate careers.
- Certain areas have limitations on the number of credits counted towards concentration requirements. Please discuss your options with your advisor.
- Internship credit may be applied toward general electives, related courses, or art electives, as determined by a student’s academic advisor.
Obtaining an internship
Students may identify and register for internships on their own. However, registration through the Career Center is highly recommended and in most cases required by the supervising visual arts faculty.
The UMBC Career Center maintains a database listing of businesses and organizations that serve as potential internship sites. Students who register through the Career Center have access to names and locations of intern employers as well as site evaluations completed by former interns. Students may also search for internships on their own, but must register for the zero-credit practicum (PRAC 094-099) through the Career Center once they have found an internship.
ART 494 Arts Internship Registration
- Identify an internship site. Students are encouraged to identify sites on their own and/or to use the Career Center resources. The Career Center will assist with contacts needed to develop internship opportunities for students.
- Register for PRAC 95/98/99 and Connect your Internship Supervisor with the Career Center. Our department requires that you register your internship with the Career Center and enroll in PRAC. Instructions on how to register can be found at this link: https://careers.umbc.edu/students/find/internship/earn-academic-credit/ Your internship supervisor is the person who will directly oversee your internship at the company. The Career Center will provide them with resources for setting goals and evaluating progress as the internship progresses.
The Practicum (PRAC 95/98/99) is a FREE, zero-credit, pass/fail course for students who are currently participating in an internship, co-op, or research position of 120+ hours. PRAC offers you professional development support and provides your internship supervisors and faculty supervisors with guidance to help monitor your growth throughout the internship.
- Identify a full-time faculty member in visual arts to be your Faculty Sponsor. Most often this can be your Academic Advisor or a full-time faculty member in your area of concentration. Meet with your Faculty Sponsor to discuss your goals and the timeline for the internship and how to get credit. Keep in mind that faculty are not required to supervise internships, but choose to do so on a voluntary basis as their schedules permit. A full list of faculty can be found here.
- Register for the internship. Each Visual Arts faculty member has an individual section number for the course ART494. When a faculty member agrees to supervise a student, he or she must clear the student to register for credit under that specific section number. Once this registration clearance is granted, students may register and the internship will appear on their schedule. At the end of the semester, the faculty advisor will receive the official grade sheet and will submit the final grade (P/F) to the Registrar’s Office.