Arts Management Internships & Opportunities
Opportunities| Internship Overview | Eligibility | Supervision | Grading | Information for Learning Partners | Forms

INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW

The College of Charleston's Arts Management Program internships provide arts management students with valuable exposure to the working world and increase chances for future employment. The internship also provides the sponsoring organization a unique opportunity to help develop future arts leaders and become an Arts Management Program Community Learning partner. The primary learning goals of an internship are: (1) to acquire hands-on experience in arts management or a related field; (2) to explore new professional activities; (3) to apply conceptual knowledge and skills to the work environment; (4) to experience the challenges and successes of efficiently and effectively working within a complex organization; and (5) to "learn by doing."

Employers view internship experience as valuable, particularly if the student does a good job and acquires a strong letter of recommendation from the organization. Internships also provide students with the opportunity to network and make connections that may lead to a future full-time, paid position within the arts management field. In some cases, arts management graduates have been hired by the organization that sponsored their internship.

Internship sponsors should treat interns as apprentices. Interns should be assigned regular work hours and tasks and should be allowed to observe what goes on in the organization. Interns are expected to dress and behave in a professional manner, completing projects according to assigned deadlines.

Jessica Snipes (2nd from left) joins representatives from Sculpture in the South on SC Arts Advocacy Day. Jessica is interning with Scultpure in the South during spring 2005.	Brittany Warren, during her internship in fall 2004 with the Washington Performing Arts Society

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Once College of Charleston students declared Arts Management as their major or minor, they should schedule a meeting with their Advisor to discuss the type of internship they desire and begin planning the appropriate semester to enroll in an internship. It is possible to enroll in more than one internship. This possibility should be discussed with the internship director.

To be eligible for an internship for credit, a student must:
· be a junior or senior
· have completed ARTM 310
· have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in the major or minor and have a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for all College of Charleston courses.
· inform your Arts Management Advisor about your intention to do an internship by November 15 for spring semester, March 20 for summer, and May 15 for fall internships.
· schedule an appointment to discuss possible internships with their Advisor.

DEVELOPING A RESUME

Learning to develop a resume is an important part of preparing for a career in Arts Management. Each student enrolled in the Advanced Arts Management course (ARTM 310) will be expected to develop a professional resume that can be used in applying for either an internship or employment. The resume should present the student's professional experience and educational background so that it will demonstrate the student's potential as either an intern or an employee. A great resource for preparing resumes can be found at the College's Career Services website.

At the time a student decides to enroll for an internship, the internship director should review the resume with the student to make sure it is up to date and includes information that will relevant to the specific organizations/positions the student is considering.

Opportunities| Internship Overview | Eligibility | Supervision | Grading | Information for Learning Partners | Forms

"My internship with the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) and Piccolo Spoleto was one of the most valuable and exciting experiences of my college career. I learned alot about how an arts organization works and how a huge festival like Piccolo Spoleto is produced. I gained experience and knowledge about the field and myself that will help me in future jobs and experiences. I also met a lot of people; contacts and new friends. I know I will never forget my time working with the OCA and my fellow interns." Jarrett Creswell Arts Management Major

" I absolutely love my internship. I have been exposed to so much and have learned even more. I have met James Earl Jones and I saw the President and First Lady at the White House. Dance Programming has been a wonderful challenge. I am looking forward to working with Australia's Bangarra Dance Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet in the coming weeks. On a day to day basis I deal most heavily with local dancers and choreographers. I have really enjoyed getting to know those who influence the local dance scene. I have made many valuable contacts." Michael Ann Mulliken (far right) Class of 2004 Intern for the Vilar Internship Program at the Kennedy Center

INTERNSHIP SUPERVISION

Internships are supervised by the arts management faculty member who also serves as a student's advisor. The faculty advisor is considered the Internship Director and is responsible for counseling the student during the internship and communicating directly with the sponsoring organization to monitor progress. The internship director also determines the intern's final grade. While interning with an organization, interns are usually under the supervision of one person, known as their organization supervisor. Interns are expected to work with the sponsoring organization for a total of 120 hours and may earn three credits for an internship.

The intern's final grade is based upon (1) the intern's portfolio, (2) final paper, (3) weekly e-mail journal report to the intern supervisor, (4) the intern's evaluation of the experience and (5) the organization supervisor's evaluation.

THE INTERNSHIP DIRECTOR

The internship director is responsible for ensuring that the internship provides the student with a valuable educational opportunity and the sponsoring organization with a positive experience. The intern should provide the director with a weekly e-mail journal documenting the hours worked, reporting what is being learned through the internship, the particulars of the job responsibilities, and any problems encountered. The internship director can intervene if there are problems. The director needs feedback from both the intern and the organization, not only to keep the internship on track academically but also to develop future internships for other students. The director will establish a specific number of times to talk with each intern and their organization supervisor to ensure that all is going well.

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SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS - Arts Management Community Learning Partners:

Organizations seeking Arts Management interns should contact the Arts Management Program to discuss the internship opportunity. Organizations will be asked to complete an application that includes a description of the intern's responsibilities, assigned hours, etc. The internship opportunities will be advertised to students on the Arts Management Program's bulletin board and website.

Since learning to develop a resume and handle an interview for a professional position is part of each student's training, organizations will be asked to review the resumes of interested students and select students to be interviewed. The interview is the student's opportunity to make a good first impression, and it provides both the student and the organization with an opportunity to clarify the expectations. Clear expectations before the start of the internship can dramatically help in making the experience more enriching and worthwhile for both the student and the organization.

Once a student is selected and prior to the start of the internship, the organization supervisor, the intern and the internship director will sign an Internship Agreement. It will stipulate the nature of the work to be completed and any special conditions involved. The terms of this agreement should be carried out. The agreement represents a working document to which all three relevant parties have consented. The internship director will contact the organization supervisor during the internship to monitor the student's progress.

EVALUATION OF THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE:

Both the sponsoring organization and the intern will be expected to submit an evaluation of the internship. The sponsoring organization's evaluation will be considered as one part of the grading process. The intern's evaluation may be maintained in the reference file for students considering future internships. As part of the internship, students will be expected to develop a portfolio that represents the projects they worked on during their internship. This portfolio should be reviewed by the organization supervisor before it is submitted to the Internship Director. It will be part of the student's final grade. The portfolio can later be used by the student to demonstrate their skills in future employment interviews or it can be used by the Arts Management Program to illustrate to future interns the types of assignments students can expect.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE - BOTH STUDENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS:

An internship provides the Arts Management student with a unique opportunity to apply theories to reality, to develop practical skills, and to make valuable professional contacts. It also provides the sponsoring organization an opportunity to serve as an Arts Management Community Learning Partner, committed to helping develop future arts leaders. The Arts Management Program faculty and staff are dedicated to making every effort to help both the sponsoring organization and the student maximize the experience.
Students are encouraged to ask lots of questions so they can develop a greater breadth of information about organizational operations, some of which will be particular to the agency involved and some of which will apply to organizations of a similar nature.

Organizations should invite interns to sit in on meetings when it is appropriate. Observation of interactions will be invaluable in learning about organizational life and technical details. Organizations should allow students to move around the organization to observe the operations of various departments, if possible. Some internship assignments require the student to shift from office to office to complete various tasks. These observations allow interns, to see how interdependent parts of the organization work together.

Interns are encouraged to be self-motivated, demonstrate their willingness to work, seek out assignments, and demonstrate that they can be depended on to complete tasks. They are encouraged to initiate ideas for projects, so they will become more valuable to the organization and, in turn, create more knowledge.

Students are encouraged to recognize the value of experience and learn from others. An internship experience provides students the opportunity to be exposed to professionals in the field. Many insights can be gained from an internship experience. Organization supervisors are encouraged to provide on-going constructive feedback to students about their strengths and weakness. An internship provides students the opportunity to make mistakes before entering full-time employment. They should learn to handle criticism and suggestions constructively.

What to Do If Problems Develop

Problems can develop during an internship. The organization may cancel the project associated with an internship, an organization supervisor may be relocated, or the timing of an intern's project may get off schedule for reasons not under the intern's control. The intern may not report to work or not perform as expected, If problems develop, for either the intern or the organization, notify the internship director immediately so that the problems can be worked out. Otherwise, the consequences may include an incomplete internship or poor relations with the organization.

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Opportunities| Internship Overview | Eligibility | Supervision | Grading | Information for Learning Partners | Forms

GRADING

The intern's final grade is based upon the following:

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Opportunities| Internship Overview | Eligibility | Supervision | Grading | Information for Learning Partners | Forms

FORMS
The following forms are printer-friendly web forms. These pages do not contain site navigation, you will need to navigate back to this page by clicking on the back link at the bottom of each page. Please print, complete, and submit forms to the arts management department

Student Forms:

• Application
• Internship Agreement
• E-mail Journal Reports*
• Internship Portfolio*
• Final Report*
• Evaluation

*These forms are for student use in completing assignments.

Sponsoring Organization Forms:

• Application
• Internship Agreement
• Evaluation Fax Cover
• Evaluation form