Guidelines for Communication Design Print Internships

  (Click Here for Guidelines for Web Page Design Certificate Internship)

ART 190 (two credits)   Download PDF
Communication Design Program
An internship is a partnership between a sponsor, student and the academic program. Successful internship will give all parties involved the satisfaction of time well spent.It is primarily a period of time devoted to the intern’s professional development in a real world setting. Offering the student an opportunity to develop and gain practical experience, that would be virtually impossible to teach in the classroom, enriches the academic program. The student has a responsibility to be as helpful and productive as possible for the sponsor. This includes dependability, punctuality, and overall commitment to the organization.

The academic program wants the sponsor to feel that the experience is worth their time and effort. Subsequently, the student needs to be able to benefit from experiences that will help develop a professional approach to his or her work and to gain a sense of the total process. Individual students will have unique backgrounds making the experience different in each situation.

General Goals:
1. The intern should be involved in as wide a variety of experiences, as possible, for example:

a. Be introduced to creative concepts and production techniques
b. Observe and learn about workflow and process
c. Sit in on meetings with clients and vendors as a silent partner
d. Work on live projects either in part or entirely
e. Develop at least one project from start to finish and have digital samples for their portfolio (We realize that working on a project in its totality may not be practical).
f. Learn about time, costs and budgets for projects. (This will help the intern learn that these parameters are considered as an integral part of the solution.)

2. The intern will be capable of doing small to medium, and in some cases advanced, tasks that help reduce the workload of regular staff. The intern needs to gain educational experience from the tasks assigned.

Procedure:
1. The student should complete all foundation classes and advanced classes in typography and design before applying for an internship.
2. The student should not register for the class until an internship appointment has been agreed on between the Internship Sponsor and the Communication Design Program Head. Once the agreement has been finalized, the student will be given permission to register by the Program Head.
3. There will be an on-site Advisor/Mentor assigned by the Internship Sponsor. The student will also be assigned a Faculty Advisor in the Communication Design Program.
4. The student will work a total of 160 hours for two credits. This is based on 10 hours a week for 16 weeks. However, the agreement could be 20 hours a week for 8 weeks, 15 hours a week for 12 weeks, or any other combination mutually agreed on by the student, faculty advisory and internship sponsor advisor/ mentor. The internship may be paid or unpaid.
5. The student will keep a weekly log listing tasks that were completed during each week, including specific concepts and techniques, to be discussed with the faculty advisor upon completing the internship.
6. At the end of the internship period, the Advisor/Mentor will be asked to fill out a form assessing the student’s work by addressing several points: incoming skill level, skill development, punctuality, and professional attitude. The Advisor/Mentor will also be given the opportunity to make suggestions and comments. The student will be asked to assess the internship in terms of the training received and the overall professional experience.
7. The student will meet with the faculty advisor once before beginning the internship, and again at its conclusion. The faculty advisor will review the student’s work and log at the final meeting. The student should be prepared to present the work and the log in a professional format.
8. Optional: The faculty advisor will visit the site of the internship at some time while the student is on duty.

 Guidelines for Web Page Design Certificate Internships

ART 190 (two credits)   Download PDF
Communication Design Program
An internship is a partnership between a sponsor, student and the academic program. A successful internship will give all parties involved the satisfaction of time well spent. It is primarily a period of time devoted to the intern’s professional development in a real world setting. Offering the student an opportunity to develop and gain practical experience, that would be virtually impossible to teach in the classroom, enriches the academic program. The student has a responsibility to be as helpful and productive as possible for the sponsor. This includes dependability, punctuality, and overall commitment to the organization.

The academic program wants the sponsor to feel that the experience is worth their time and effort. Subsequently, the student needs to be able to benefit from experiences that will help develop a professional approach to his or her work and to gain a sense of the total process. Individual students will have unique backgrounds making the experience different in each situation.

General Goals:
1. The intern should be involved in as wide a variety of experiences, as possible, for example:

a. Be introduced to creative concepts and production techniques
b. Observe and learn about workflow and process
c. Sit in on meetings with clients and vendors as a silent partner
d. Work on live projects either in part or entirely
e. Develop at least one project from start to finish and have digital samples for their portfolio (We realize that working on a project in its totality may not be practical).
f. Learn about time, costs and budgets for projects. (This will help the intern learn that these parameters are considered as an integral part of the solution.)

2. The intern will be capable of doing small to medium, and in some cases advanced, tasks that help reduce the workload of regular staff. The intern needs to gain educational experience from the tasks assigned.

Procedure:
1. The student should complete ART 116, Design for the Web I and ART 117, Design for the Web II before applying for an internship.
2. The student should not register for the class until an internship appointment has been agreed on between the Internship Sponsor and the Communication Design Program Head. Once the agreement has been finalized, the student will be given permission to register by the Program Head.
3. There will be an on-site Advisor/Mentor assigned by the Internship Sponsor. The student will also be assigned a Faculty Advisor in the Communication Design Program.
4. The student will work a total of 160 hours for two credits. This is based on 10 hours a week for 16 weeks. However, the agreement could be 20 hours a week for 8 weeks, 15 hours a week for 12 weeks, or any other combination mutually agreed on by the student, faculty advisory and internship sponsor advisor/ mentor. The internship may be paid or unpaid.
5. The student will keep a weekly log listing tasks that were completed during each week, including specific concepts and techniques, to be discussed with the faculty advisor upon completing the internship.
6. At the end of the internship period, the Advisor/Mentor will be asked to fill out a form assessing the student’s work by addressing several points: incoming skill level, skill development, punctuality, and professional attitude. The Advisor/Mentor will also be given the opportunity to make suggestions and comments. The student will be asked to assess the internship in terms of the training received and the overall professional experience.
7. The student will meet with the faculty advisor once before beginning the internship, and again at its conclusion. The faculty advisor will review the student’s work and log at the final meeting. The student should be prepared to present the work and the log in a professional format.
8. Optional: The faculty advisor will visit the site of the internship at some time while the student is working.