Internships

We want to ensure both you and our students have a successful experience. If your opportunity is relevant to the skills and educational goals of our students, and meets the guidelines below, we will contact you to process your request. Once approved we will announce the opportunity to our undergraduates and graduates.

We accept internship opportunities that are both paid and unpaid (for-credit) but they must meet our pedagogical learning objectives. For a student to receive credit, your internship opportunity must provide real world, on the job experience that includes skills training and mentorship within that particular discipline.

We realize budgets are tight — frequently businesses request student interns to complete projects utilizing their skills and expertise in exchange for “experience.” This free labor devalues the professional services of the trained artist and designer and weakens the industry for all. We discourage students from doing work for free, without monetary compensation or the opportunity to advance academically.

Please fill out and submit our Internship Request Form to be considered. Once approved we will contact you and announce the opportunity to our students.

The main goal of your internship is to gain real world experience in your area of practice. Your internship should offer invaluable skills training and mentoring in the discipline. It is suggested that you interview with at least two different organizations.

Students are encouraged to contact Department of Art Internship Coordinator Domenic J. Licata, and to use Handshake and the UB Career Design Center for guidance on seeking internship providers. 

Review our list of local art galleries who may be offering internships.

We also maintain a list of art, media and design internship providers. Contact Dom Licata for additional assistance.

Students are encuraged to avoid internships within their own family-managed businesses. Such positions can create the potential for conflicts, accountability issues, and less-than-ideal mentorship relationships.

Note that the particular location for the internship must be approved by a faculty member before the internship begins. Otherwise credit and grade for the internship will not be received.

To register into ART 496 or AHI 496 Internship, you must complete this Application/Contract form and have it approved by the faculty member who will be supervising your work, preferably a program head within your major, prior to beginning the internship. These steps must be completed in order to receive credit.

• Three credit hours requires a total of 120 hours of work time under professional supervision to complete by the end of the semester.
• Two credit hours may be obtained with a total of 80 hours of work time.

• Grades will be assigned using P/F (Pass/Fail). A P does not correspond to any specific letter grade but indicates that the student has passed the course. There are no grade points associated with a P, but the credit hours are earned. However, the F grade (failure) is included in the GPA.
  
• You must meet periodically with your faculty sponsor throughout your internship. 
• You will use an online Timesheet to record your weekly internship hours and log the types of assignments you have worked on. You will review this with your faculty sponsor periodically and at the end of your internship.
  
• At the end of the semester, show your faculty sponsor a reasonable representation of the work you have completed as an intern. This should be a low resolution (under 5mb) PDF emailed or shared through Box. (Discuss submission details with your faculty sponsor.)
• Along with a sample of your work, you will also need to submit a summary form outlining your experience: what you learned at the internship, how it benefited you as an artist/designer, and any negative aspects of the internship (this will be confidential.)
• At the end of the semester, preferably at the start of the exam period or sooner, have your internship supervisor fill out and submit this Intern Evaluation Form detailing your performance as an intern. On the form, your supervisor must recommend a letter grade for your performance. If you wish to receive a grade and credit for the course when the semester's grades are distributed, be sure to get this form to your faculty sponsor no later than the last week of the semester.