Internships

Before starting an internship, consider the following topics:

• Am I required to get an internship for credit? Some programs offer credit for internships and some do not. But, you can still pursue an internship even if it is not for academic credit in order to gain valuable experience. Just make sure to tell your employer ahead of time if you are seeking academic credit or learning experience.
• Is this internship paid or unpaid? It is a common misconception that internships are unpaid. Many internships can be both for pay and for credit! Arts and design students are highly qualified creatives so we strongly encourage you to seek out internships and experiential learning opportunities that properly compensate you for your time.
• What is your purpose for getting an internship? Take some time to think about your personal academic, professional, and creative learning objectives. Does this particular experience support your learning? How will this internship further your personal and professional goals? What do you want to achieve? These will all be important questions to ask yourself throughout your internship experience.
• What do you want to experience during an internship and how can you find the right internship for you? The objective of internships is to support learners in earning academic credit for experiential learning activities under the supervision of a faculty member or site supervisor, and in an educational context. As part of the process, you will articulate how career concepts and your coursework relate to the internship experience as well as how your internship experience applies to your future career trajectories and aspirations. Finding the "right" internship is all about exploring your unique aspirations, milestones, and goals for your creative journey.
• How do I spot scams and protect myself against fraudulent internships? If you ever have questions about an opportunity, please contact Creative Career Services. We are more than happy to investigate or support you in your full internship process.

Ten reasons to intern

• Personal and professional development - As you discover and reinforce skills, knowledge and abilities in a new environment, you expand your personal and professional development.
• Academic credit - You can receive upper division academic credit. The number of credit hours received is based on the number of work hours required for the internship.
• Hands-on experience - Interning helps with career development, which enables you to explore interests and employment possibilities in a work setting.
• Career development - Working an internship helps your professional and 'in office' skills grow and develop.
• Networking opportunities - Assists with employment networking opportunities allowing you to meet and connect with potential employers in your field of study.
• Intellectual development - Expands your intellectual development by taking what you have learned in class and applying it to real-world experiences.
• Ethical development - As you face or observe the challenges inherent in making decisions for complex situations, you further your ethical development.
• Understand and value organizational culture - You will interact with others in your field, a process that will help you better understand and value organizational culture.
• Gain confidence and experience - You will gain confidence and experience and further validate you are on the best career path for you.
• A distinct advantage - Your work experience will give you a distinct advantage when conducting a job search upon graduation.

• Take the “Be Internship Ready” course to learn tips and strategies for finding internships.
• Handshake is a great place to start looking for internships. Use keyword search terms and filters to your advantage to focus or expand your search.
• Schedule a Creative Career Advising appointment for assistance.
• Use our Industry Overview Packets to find common job boards specific to your creative discipline, career interests, or field of study.
• Use your network. Speak with your faculty, advisors, classmates, alumni, and other people in your network to hear what they recommend.

All students are strongly encouraged to pursue internship opportunities and apply for academic credit through their academic unit. Your faculty members are great resources to tap when starting your internship search. You can also speak with your academic advisor for suggestions and use the links on this page for guidance.

Students in the following concentrations/ majors are required to complete an internship program for credit as part of their curriculum.

Required Non-Clinical Internships

• BA in the Arts
• Fashion
• Graphic Design
• Industrial Design
• Interior Design
• Landscape Architecture

Required Clinical Internships*

• Art (Art Education)
• Dance (Dance Education)
• Music Learning and Teaching
• Music Therapy

*Clinical internships and practicum placements for Art Education, Dance Education, Music Learning and Teaching, and Music Therapy are not overseen by Creative Career Services. Please work directly with your faculty advisor to learn more about practicums and clinical internships.

Students majoring in other disciplines at the Herberger Institute are not required but still highly encouraged to seek an internship. We suggest you discuss with your academic advisor or faculty to see how an internship might work best with your academic degree program.

Please note: You cannot begin to work at your internship without CPT/Pre-OPT authorization. CPT approval takes approximately 10 business days and Pre-OPT is suggested to apply at least 100 days prior to the start of work.

It is recommended that all international students speak with an International Students and Scholar Center (ISSC) advisor before applying to internships or enrolling in an internship course. F-1 students are required to speak with an academic advisor and an ISSC advisor prior to starting an internship.

• If your academic program requires an internship for credit, you must request a CPT (Curricular Practical Training).
• If the internship is not for credit but is directly related to your field of study and allows you to gain off-campus work experience, you will need to request a Pre-OPT. The process for Pre-OPT can take up to 100 days so speak with an ISSC advisor as soon as possible.
• F-1 students who are completing a degree program can also gain experience off-campus through volunteering or as an unpaid intern only when there is no compensation of any kind and the position does not violate any U.S or state labor laws.

For these internships, you will work with the Global Education Office to register for the appropriate credit for your international or global virtual program experience. If you would like to count this internship for an internship for your major, send your GEO Internship Coordinator Review Form to [email protected].

Note: Internships facilitated through the Global Education Office (GEO) do NOT have to be registered through Creative Career Services. A creative career staff member will reach out to the faculty for your major to determine whether or not this experience is applicable to your field of study or if alternative credit may be pursued. Please keep in mind, final faculty/departmental credit approval may not be provided until placement and job duties are confirmed.

Students may not receive internship credit for their full-time or part-time ongoing job unless the internship has clearly defined learning objectives outside of their regular duties.

If you are applying for internship credit at an organization where you are regularly employed, indicate in the application and learning objectives how the internship work hours and duties exceed the normal job requirements within the sponsoring organization and please ensure that you have a different supervisor from your regular job duties. The internship may only be approved by faculty.

Scholarships

ASU Scholarship Search is an online tool for finding various scholarship opportunities. You can filter the search based on degree-program, location, and more. Be sure to check this page frequently to stay up-to-date on new scholarships being offered.

Grants

• Grant Proposal Writing Resources 
• Grant Development & Proposal Writing Certificate
• Learngrantwriting.org is a free online learning community with a series of videos and courses. Its mission is to instruct individuals in the fundamentals of writing successful grant proposals.

Go to our Resumes and Application Materials page to learn more.

Professional Organizations

Professional organizations are a great way to learn about potential fellowships and funding opportunities. The Industry Overview Packets are designed by industry professionals within the academic units. These packets include professional organizations varying by industry. 

According to the United States Department of Labor, any unpaid internship in the United States must pass all 7 questions on The Test for Unpaid Interns and Students as outlined in the Federal Labor Standards Act. 

The Herberger Institute firmly believes that all internships and experiential learning programs provide financial compensation to working interns. 

While financial compensation is not required (excluding The Design School), students are strongly encouraged to seek out paid opportunities. Students who are unable to find a paid internship opportunity should speak with their faculty.