Professional internship proposal and guidelines

Computation Arts

• CART455 Professional Internship I (3 credits)
• CART456 Professional Internship II (3 credits)

Prerequisite: 48 credits completed in a Computation Arts program; written permission of the Department. Students work in the industry for a period of nine to thirteen weeks to allow them to gain experience in design firms and multimedia companies. Internships approved for credit must be academically appropriate to the program.

NOTE: Students may count a maximum of six credits in professional internships towards their degree program.

Design

• DART 471 Professional Internship I (3 credits)
• DART 472 Professional Internship II (3 credits)

Prerequisite: 48 credits in the Major in Design; written permission of the Department. This course provides an opportunity for a limited number of students to further develop their design skill sets as an intern in a design firm or cultural organization such as a museum and graphic or industrial design association. A clearly defined written agreement between the student intern, the employer, and the full-time faculty supervisor is required before the internship is approved.

NOTE: Students may count a maximum of six credits in professional internships towards their degree program.

• Step 1:  Internship form (signed by the student) and a copy of their student record (downloaded from portal).
• Step 2:  See the Department Assistant (Kathy McAleese, EV 6.761) for her signature and recommendation.
• Step 3:  Find a full-time faculty member for supervision. Discuss your proposal.
• Step 4:  After consultation with your full-time faculty supervisor, write and get final approval on the proposal.
• Step 5:  The faculty supervisor must write an agreement statement (to be included in the documents to be submitted).
• Step 6:  Obtain a signed letter from your employer (on company letterhead) outlining your job posting, tasks and salary (remunerated or not remunerated), number of hours worked (minimum hours permitted for a professional internship in one term is 120).

• The student must submit a two (2) page proposal, which includes the purpose, and objectives of the internship and why the work term is valuable to the student’s field of study. An overview of the company profile is required.
• The employer must provide a letter stating their agreement to supervise the student intern and provide company address, telephone and email contacts. The letter should include a summary statement of expectations, responsibilities, length of internship including total hours, number of weeks and must indicate if the student is remunerated. At the end of the internship the employer must agree to send an assessment of the student intern.
• The full-time supervising faculty member must attach an agreement statement, which includes
• expectations, schedule of meetings and basis and method of evaluation.
• A copy of the complete proposal and a letter from the employer should be attached to the professional internship/Independent study form and submitted to the Department Assistant (Kathy McAleese) in EV 6.761.
• In order for the internship to be processed it must have the signatures of the Department Assistant, the student and the faculty supervisor and all necessary documents outlined above.

• The complete document is required before grades can be assigned. The length of the report is normally 6-10 pages.
• The internship proposal should be included in the final report. The report will be used for departmental review.
• The final report must include the letter of assessment from the employer.
• The report must summarize:
  • What was gained from the internship experience including personal growth and technical and conceptual skills.
  • Why was the internship important for the student’s program of study.
  • State the nature of the work environment including whether the internship involved teamwork, individual tasks or other.
  • Complete outline of the position held, tasks and responsibilities completed and the number of actual hours completed.
  • Photos, screenshots, DVD and other documentation may be submitted to show the internship environment and represent projects completed (with permission of the employer).
• The text document must be of good quality with edits, spell and grammar checks completed. All supporting visual documentation must be formatted and of good quality.
• Any changes or modifications to the internship proposal agreement must be clearly stated in the report.