Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, said, "One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try." If experience breeds certainty, confidence or success, then students in the CMU Art and Design Department have the opportunity to have all those things and more.
Even though our concentrations do not all require an internship, students have the opportunity to pursue one in their respective areas. Art History majors may choose the ARTH 499 Art History Internship, Graphic Design majors the ARTG 499 Graphic Design Internship, and Studio Art majors may choose the ARTS 499 Studio Art Internship. In addition, Art Education K-12 majors complete field experience hours that lead to licensure.
Students are encouraged to complete an internship as an elective option. There are many benefits to students completing an internship besides a great line on their resume. In a work situation, students can begin to develop a network of professional contacts and may even find a permanent paid position with the companies at which they interned.
Internship opportunities broaden the repertoire of students and enhance their abilities to enter jobs or post-graduate programs upon graduation not only because they gain valuable experience in their disciplines of study but also because they make important connections with people in their field.
Finding Internship Opportunities
Art and Design majors and minors can learn about internship opportunities by:
- Contacting the Art and Design Department Internship Coordinator, Ms. Suzie Garner.
- Utilizing the CMU Career Services Office.
- Registering for and using Handshake, an online resource that helps connect CMU students with employers for internships.
- Approaching the organization or business with whom they want to intern directly.
Earning College Credit for Internships
Registering for Internship in one of three areas: ARTG 499 Graphic Design Internship, ARTH 499 Art History Internship or ARTS 499 Studio Art Internship.
Whether they are paid or unpaid, students can earn academic credit for these experiences. In order to earn the academic credit, students need to work with the Art and Design Internship Coordinator or with a faculty member in the Art and Design Department of their choice to initiate the paperwork necessary to earn college credit for the work.
Students earn college credit for the internship by registering for ARTG 499, ARTH 499 or ARTS 499; this is a three-credit, upper-division course. Each credit is equivalent to 35 hours of work as an intern. Any of the Art and Design Department Internship courses can count toward the upper-division requirements for the Degrees offered by the Art and Design Department.
For Employers
If you are an employer or organization who would like an intern who is majoring or minoring in the Art and Design Department, please contact the Art and Design Department Internship Coordinator or CMU Career Services. Career Services can work to connect you with our Art and Design Department students through e-mails and through notifications on Handshake, our online platform that connects employers with students. As an employer or organization, once you have registered on Handshake, you can post internships and jobs on the platform to recruit CMU students.
Our students in Art and Design have interned for a variety of organizations including Enstrom Toffee and Confectionery, the Western Colorado Center for the Arts, the City of Grand Junction, and the Mesa County Public Library.
Student Successes
Ashton Collette : Ms. Collette interned with the Western Colorado Center for the Arts in Grand Junction, Colorado to assist in curation and preparation of exhibitions at the Center.
Dejan Jestrovich: Mr. Jestrovich interned as a graphic design intern at Enstrom Toffee and Confectionery; as an intern he specialized in designing and printing custom promotional packaging.
Rachel Campell-Osborne: Ms. Campell-Osborne interned for the City of Grand Junction in Grand Junction, Colorado as a graphic design intern.
Logan Wagner: Mr. Wagner was a graphic design intern for the Mesa County Public Library, working on various projects and collateral for the library in Grand Junction, Colorado.