Purpose
The purpose of internships at MCA is to provide
opportunities for students to work in art-related, professional work
environments under knowledgeable supervisors while they earn credit toward
their BFA degree. Internships are paid or unpaid employment for the duration of
one semester or for the summer, and students may earn 3-6 hours of elective
credit for their experience.
Eligibility
and Evaluation
Students in good standing
with a cumulative GPA of 2.60 and at least sixty credits may apply for
internships. The credit value for internships is either “0 Credit” (0 credit
option is available in the summer only), 3, or 6 hours credit. Registration for
all internship electives is required.
A student may not earn more than 3 internship credits in any one
semester and not more than 6 toward the BFA or MFA degree. Three-hour credit
Internships during the Fall and Spring semesters cost the same as any other three-hour
studio elective class. A faculty sponsor oversees each students’ internship
experience, on-site supervisors evaluate students’ work at the end of the
semester, and faculty sponsors enter grades for the internship elective.
Registration
and Requirements
Students
must complete the application and registration process outlined at the bottom
of this page. Students must register and pay for all internships
through the Registrar and all paperwork must be completed by the add deadline
to add a course for the next semester.
In the summer only,
students may opt to register for
a "0 hours credit" internship elective at no cost to the student. The
“0 Hours credit” internships are similar the 3- or 6-hour credit internships in
that students opting for this kind of internship also will be overseen by a
faculty sponsor and evaluated at the end of the summer by their
site supervisors. However, students
will receive "Pass" or "No Credit" on their transcript,
rather than a grade of A, B, C, etc., based on their end of semester
evaluation. The "Pass" or "No Credit" grade will not
affect the student's GPA, but will be recorded on the transcript.
To complete an internship students must work a
minimum of 6 hours a week for 15 weeks or 90 hours per semester, the same hours
required for a 3 credit hour class, unless the internship provider requires
more time. In the summer, students must work at least 90 hours to complete an
internship. Once registered for an internship, students must let the Director
of Career Services know if they need to withdraw from the internship or can no
longer fulfill the internship requirements.
Currently, Memphis College of Art has almost 100
pre-approved internship sites. The list of internship opportunities in both
Fine Arts and Design Arts is available from the Career Services Director. The
Director of Career Services oversees the Internship Program and the Dean must
approve all internship sites.
Steps to apply and registering for MCA Internships:
Students
must complete the following steps and forms to participate an Internship
experience:
Prior
to the internship semester:
1. Internship Application (form 1) —
to be completed and turned in to the Director of Career Services during
registration for the fall, spring, or summer semesters and prior to the
interview with internship site.
2. Contact
and interview with internship site, which includes submission of resume,
portfolio, and other documents required for the site.
3.
Internship Agreement/Registration (form 2) — to be completed and signed by the
student, Faculty Sponsor, and employer and submitted to the Director of Career
Services during registration for the fall, spring, or summer semesters and
after the student has been selected for the internship.
4.
Registration – Student must register for the internship course with the registrar before the last add
date of the semester. Registration and
payment for all internship electives is required.
During
the internship semester:
5.
Student Internship Evaluation Report — to be completed by the student
and turned in to the Director of Career Services.
6.
Supervisor’s Internship Grade Evaluation— to be completed by the
Internship Supervisor (Employer) and emailed or faxed to the Director of Career
Services at least two days before grading day. The fax number is 901-272-5134.
