Internships in Studio Art

An internship provides opportunities to explore academic concepts and career options while gaining practical experience. Internships must be approved by the Internship Coordinator in advance and students must register by the add/drop deadline. Additionally, we recommend that you secure an internship offer letter two weeks prior to the start of your internship to ensure that all paperwork is processed before your official start date.

Internship hours must align with the number of credits you are enrolled in. Hourly commitments are estimated given a standard 14-week fall/spring semester:

• 1 credit: 45 hours of fieldwork (~4 hours/week)
• 2 credits: 90 hours of fieldwork (~7 hours/week)
• 3 credits: 135 hours of fieldwork (~10 hours/ week)

Coursework includes:

• Short-response reflection assignments on Brightspace
• Midpoint and final summation papers on your internship experiences
• Meetings with the Internship Coordinator
• An evaluation of your performance from your internship sponsor

If you complete and submit these assignments on time, you will pass the course. For a complete syllabus, please contact the Internship Coordinator.

An internship is vocational training in a workplace environment, and supports the student’s educational and career goals. Interns may not displace regular employees but work under their close supervision. Federal guidelines can be found on the Department of Labor website. Additionally, all such placements must be ethical and free of conflicts of interest.

Ideally, an internship is suited to your interests and needs and will provide many wonderful connections while helping you narrow down your goals for a career. Here are some things to help you think about your future internships:

• You will receive the department’s weekly Barney Arts Digest, which includes a list of current internships and jobs in the arts. These emails will provide some wonderful opportunities, but they are by no means the only way to find an internship. You can meet with the Internship Coordinator for additional ideas.
• Feel free to email the Internship Coordinator for feedback on your cover letter and resume before applying to an internship as well as to prepare for an interview. You may set up a meeting appointment with the Internship Coordinator to further prepare for your internship application.
• Large organizations such as museums or established nonprofits typically publish internship criteria and information on their websites well in advance of the application deadlines. If you are interested in interning at MoMA, for example, we recommend planning at least a semester ahead of time. Smaller nonprofits such as Artists Space often have shorter timelines and may not post internships directly on job listings websites. Always check any organization’s website for current deadlines and contact information. We also recommend checking the job listings section of New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).
• Galleries do not typically list internship information on their websites and do not work as far in advance as a museum or large company might. To secure a gallery internship, we recommend thinking about what type of artwork or gallery you are interested in and what part of the city you want to be in and consulting with the Internship Coordinator to navigate your choices. You can always contact a gallery directly to request an internship. Most are eager to sponsor an intern but not always proactive about soliciting applications.

• Internships may be paid or unpaid. You may earn academic credit for paid internships. It is important to note that sponsoring organizations cannot offer academic credit as that is part of your degree completion through NYU and not overseen by outside entities.
• Students seeking non-credit internship or research positions may apply for the Violet Internship & Research Award offered every semester. The purpose of this $1,200 award is to provide financial assistance to students pursuing unpaid or low-paying internships in the arts, education, public service, and other nonprofits. The deadlines and guidelines for applying are found on the Wasserman website. Importantly, volunteer and for-credit internships are not eligible.
• If sponsors require a letter verifying that you are registered for the course Internships in Art and will receive credit, please contact the Internship Coordinator.

In order to receive work authorization and especially to receive any form of payment (including hourly wage, travel reimbursement, and stipends), international students must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) via the NYU Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS). Directions on applying for CPT are below:

• Receive an internship offer and email the offer letter (on letterhead) to the Internship Coordinator
• Confirm your academic advisor’s approval and enroll for the internship course
• Submit the CPT authorization request to OGS online
• Apply for a Social Security Number if you don’t already have one

Key important things to note: 

• You must be a full-time student in the U.S. for at least one academic year to qualify for CPT
• The dates of the internship and the CPT authorization must fall within the dates of the academic semester
• You may not work before the CPT start date or after the CPT end date listed on your I-20, and your CPT authorization cannot be modified or changed retroactively after your employment start date

Please review the detailed CPT application steps and eligibility information on the OGS website carefully to understand the process and prepare the necessary documents on time. OGS offers workshops and info sessions to help students get CPT authorization.