ArtCenter Guide to Registering an Internship For Class Credit
At ArtCenter, students can receive 3 or 6 units of credit for a qualifying internship. To receive credit you must follow proper guidelines and register your Internship with CPD by Friday Week 1 of the internship term. Below is your full guide to registering an internship for credit.
Guidelines for Registration
Students who register their internships for credit are responsible for knowing these guidelines. They cover everything from the number of credits you can request to the grading requirements you’ll have to complete. Please review this information thoroughly. Full guidelines can be downloaded HERE.
Eligibility & Requirements
-
You must have completed minimum of 70 units, minimum 2.5 Cumulative GPA.
Restrictions or holds on a student account must be cleared before registering for an internship
-
You must have completed a minimum of 30 units, minimum 3.0 Cumulative GPA.
Restrictions or holds on a student account must be cleared before registering for an internship.
-
International students studying on F-1 visas must verify their eligibility to register for any internship with the International Student Advisor (ISA) in the Center for the Student Experience (CSE).
If the internship is located in the United States, international students must be enrolled either full-time or in an approved Internship Term to engage in the internship experience off-campus. They must also get Curricular Practical Training (CPT) employment authorization from the ISA in the CSE before starting an internship, in order to comply with U.S. immigration laws.
Failure to follow these steps may have serious consequences for international students, including the possible cancelation of their F-1 visas.
Internship Criteria
-
Students are able to complete internships both domestically and internationally.
Paid and unpaid internships that meet Federal Guidelines are eligible to receive academic credit.
Employers cannot require or depend on the use of an intern’s personal equipment, software, or space.
Due to COVID-19, remote internships are currently allowed.
-
Internships must be a minimum of 10 weeks. These 10 weeks must fall within ArtCenter’s 14-week term schedule.
-
Interns should be assigned a supervisor who is a professional with expertise, education and/or training in the student’s field of study.
Academic Credit
-
Students may receive 3 or 6 units of credit for an internship.
3 units = Minimum of 12 internship hours per week or 126 hours per semester
6 units = Minimum of 24 internship hours per week or 252 hours per semester
Students must meet the minimum required hours by Friday of Week 14 of their Internship Term to receive internship credit.
A maximum of six (6) units may be earned per internship, per semester.
A total of twelve (12) internship units may be applied toward a student’s graduation requirements.
Students may not register an internship for the same position at the same company with the same learning outcomes for more than two (2) consecutive semesters.
Any exception to this limit must be approved by the student’s Department Chair.
(Students studying on an F-1 visa should meet with the International Student Advisor (ISA) in the Center for the Student Experience (CSE) to determine their eligibility to remain in an internship for two (2) consecutive terms)
You can not get retroactive credit for an internship!
-
Tuition will be charged per unit of credit that is earned for your internship.
-
Students must meet the minimum required hours by Friday of Week 14 of their Internship Term to receive internship credit.
Registration Process
To receive class credit students must register their internships by Friday of Week 1 of the term in which they are completing their internship. To register you will need to fill out what is called an ‘Internship Record’ on ArtCenter Connect. Review the full process below to prepare.
Before You Register
-
Always turn your verbal offer into a formal offer by asking for an offer letter. An offer letter provides tangible confirmation of the position and protects you if the internship does not turn out as promised.
Your offer letter must have all of the following information:
The organization is accepting you as an intern
Start and end dates of the internship
Number of hours you will be expected to work per week
Rate of pay
Your internship position title
Name, title, phone number, and email address of your internship supervisor
A brief description of your responsibilities, its educational value, and relevance to your area of study
Check the Sample Offer Letter template for more information.
-
Students must meet with their Department Chair or the designated department representative to develop learning objectives and determine course credits being waived or substituted.
You will be asked for your learning objects in your registration.
Learning objectives should NOT list tasks that you will perform during the internship. They must identify what you will learn from completing those tasks.
-
Be sure to connect with the International Student Advisors in CSE, to check your eligibility status and get your work authorization.
Required Documents For Registration
-
Students will need to obtain an offer letter from the internship employer.
The letter needs to be printed on the official company/studio letterhead and must include all of the
following 7 pieces of information:
A statement acknowledging that the employer is accepting the student as an intern
Beginning and end dates of the internship
Number of hours the intern will be expected to work each week
Rate of pay
Internship position title
Name, title, phone number, and email address of the intern’s supervison
Brief description of the intern’s responsibilities, its educational value and relevance to student’s area of study
-
A Degree Audit which can be obtained by logging into Inside, then go to your Student Planning Dashboard, and click on View Your Progress to access your interactive degree audit.
To save a PDF version of your degree audit you can click on the Print icon on the upper right-hand corner of the page and save as a PDF.
-
Students studying on F-1 Visas must also upload a copy of their I-20 with Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization.
Connect with the International Student Advisor in the Center for the Student Experience via email for more information at international@artcenter.edu.
Completing the Internship Record
After meeting with your department and gathering your documents, students must then complete a For-Credit Internship Record on ArtCenter Connect to register their internship.
A new record can be created by clicking the “Add New Experience” button under “My Internships” under your initials on the top menu bar. Complete all of the required fields, and upload all of the required documents.
Once complete please submit the record for review and approval. The College will not approve retroactive credit for internships or accept petitions requesting retroactive credit.
Once you have submitted your Internship Record, CPD will use the information you supplied to reach out to your internship site. Using Adobe Sign, we will send them an Internship Employer Agreement to sign. Employers offering unpaid internships will also be asked to verify that they meet the federal guidelines.
Your Internship Registration will not be approved until we have received the signed form from your employer. Please stay in touch with your hiring contact to make sure the agreement is signed.
Internship Employer Agreement
Approval Process
01. CPD Approval
CPD will review your record. If any information is missing or needs clarification, your form will be rejected and you will be asked to update it accordingly. We must also receive a signed Internship Employer Agreement from your employer. Once we have all your required information, CPD will approve your record.
02. Department Approval
After approval by CPD, your Department Chair or Advisor will then fill in the course(s) you are waiving and give their approval.
03. Enrollment Services Approval
After Department approval, Enrollment Services will register you for the course(s) listed on your Internship Record. If you have a hold on your enrollment you will have to clear that first.
You will receive a confirmation email for a registered internship once all above approvals have been made.
Grading Requirements
Academic credit for internships will be assigned by the student’s Department Chair and will be awarded only on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. To receive a Satisfactory grade for an internship course, you must satisfy the expectations and requirements outlined below.
NOTE: Some internships may end after the deadline to submit the grading requirements. ALL requirements must still be submitted by the Week 13 deadline in order for your Department Chair to input grades for the semester. If you miss the deadline, you will need to connect with your department directly.
CPD is here to support you while on your internship and will be checking in with you at three keys times throughout the term. Please be sure that you are checking emails regularly and responding to CPD when necessary.
Three Key Touchpoints with CPD
-
You will receive an email outlining how to make the most of your opportunity and reminding you of important deadlines.
-
CPD will check in to see how things are going. You will receive an email with a link to complete a short survey.
-
You will be reminded to submit your grading requirements. See below for more information.
Required Tasks
-
Log your hours on a weekly basis. Your total hours will be approved by your supervisor at the end of the internship.
-
You will receive an email Week 7 of the term with a link to complete the Midpoint Check-in survey. You can also access this survey in your Internship Record.
-
You will receive an email Week 11 of the term with a link to complete your Internship Reflection. You can also access this form in your Internship Record. You have the option to Save as Draft and finish at a later time.
-
This evaluation must be completed by your internship supervisor. Supervisors will be emailed a direct link to complete the Intern Evaluation. It is your responsibility to check in with your supervisor to make sure they have submitted it by the deadline.
In order to recieve credit for your internship you must complete the following tasks and forms on ArtCenter Connect by Friday, Week 13. Failure to do so will impact your grade.
Term Schedule & Deadlines
Professional Expectations
Students engaging in internships are expected to practice general professional behavior at their internship sites, including:
abiding by the professional practices and workplace culture of the internship site;
fulfilling the duties and responsibilities outlined in the offer letter and expected by the employer;
successfully completing all agreed upon hours by setting up and adhering to a work schedule;
maintaining open communication with regard to schedule changes, running late, or any other concern that may arise;
practicing strong interpersonal skills and working well with others.
Petition Process for Internships
It is your responsibility to be aware of all internship guidelines, policies, and procedures. There may be instances when your internship does not meet one or more of the criteria for credit. Since ArtCenter allows students to request exceptions to an academic policy, you have the option to submit a Petition for Exception to Academic Policy form. These petitions are for a one-time exception, meaning you cannot petition for the same exception more than once.
Reason Why You Might Petition
You have missed the Week 1 deadline to register your internship.
The internship is shorter than the 10-week required minimum.
The number of hours you are working does not meet the minimum hour requirement for the number of credits you are requesting.
You have less than the 70 units required to request credit. (For undergrads; 30 units for graduate students)
Step by Step Guide to Submitting a Petition:
Download the Petition for Exception to Academic Policy form.
Fill in your information.
Type up an explanation detailing why you are requesting an exception to the policy. This must be included with your Petition Form.
Meet with your Department Chair for approval and a signature.
For International Students: You must meet with an International Student Advisor for approval and signature on the Petition form. In your Petition explanation, CPD highly recommends explaining how taking an internship for credit may impact your F1 Visa status.
Upload both documents (the completed form plus the separate explanation) to your Internship Record on ArtCenter Connect.
Petition Decisions:
The Petition Committee will review your request.
Enrollment Services will notify you with the Petition Committee’s decision.
NOTE: Approval by the Petition Committee is not guaranteed. By planning ahead and being aware of the internship policies, you can avoid having to submit a petition. You may only petition ONCE for the same reason.