Internship Program
The Recorded Music Industry Internship Program is designed to give students the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge they have gained in the classroom in a real world setting. A successful internship can equip students with the experience and contacts that eventually lead to full-time employment after graduation. Academic internships are usually unpaid positions, although students who are paid by their internship employers are permitted to receive credit.
The Recorded Music Industry Internship Program runs each semester (fall, spring and summer). The department does not allow non-majors or visiting students to participate in the department’s internship program.
Arranging an Internship
Students are encouraged to look for an internship by:
- Meeting with the department Internship Faculty Adviser for advice, suggestions and resources to help conduct their search
- Looking through the current internship opportunities that are featured in the department’s Internship Newsletters
- Consulting the Internship/Job Information Board, located outside of office 515
- Conducting their own individual searches utilizing resources on the web, or personal contacts
Course Prerequisites
During the fall and spring semesters, students must have completed 64 credit hours to be eligible to register and receive academic credit for an internship. During summer sessions, rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to participate in the department’s Internship Program.
Registration Process
During the registration period preceding the semester in which students wish to intern (e.g., mid-April for the Summer and Fall semesters; mid-October for the Spring semester), students are required to complete an Internship Search Plan Form and meet with the Internship Faculty Adviser. Upon approval of the form, students will be issued an access code to register for H85.1037, INDUSTRY INTERNSHIP, on Albert.
Once a student has secured a potential internship, he or she must complete and submit the Internship Proposal Form for final approval by the Internship Faculty Adviser.
Deadline for Submitting the Proposal
Students must adhere to the following deadlines for submitting their Internship Proposal:
- Fall and Spring semesters: The last day of the second week of classes
- Summer sessions: The first day of the first week of classes for each session
Receiving Credit
Recorded Music students may register for a minimum of two credit hours and a maximum of four credit hours.
Internships for less than two credit hours or more than four credit hours, or other individual arrangements, must be approved by the Internship Faculty Adviser. Academic credit is conditioned on the number of hours that a student works per full work week over the course of the semester.
- If a student works 8 hours per week: he/she will receive 2 credit hours
- If a student works a minimum of 12 hours per week: he/she will receive 4 credit hours
Terms and Conditions
1. The department will not guarantee that every student will be approved for an internship.
2. Internships may be denied if the internship job description is determined to lack sufficient academic content or purpose.
3. Issues relating to stipend and expense reimbursement should be discussed and arranged between the student and his/her Internship Supervisor.
4. Faculty members, the student’s immediate family, including employees of the student’s immediate family may not serve as Internship Supervisors.
5. In the event of a dispute about the suitability of the internship, the department chair will make the final determination.
Internship Supervisor
The Internship Supervisor within the organization will be responsible for overseeing the student’s day-to-day work, and offering guidance to ensure that the student’s learning goals are achieved. In addition to supervising the student’s work, the Internship Supervisor will be required to:
- Complete all forms contained in the Internship Agreement Packet at the beginning of the student’s internship; and
- Complete and return a written evaluation of the student’s performance at the end of the Internship. Please see Recorded Music Industry Internship Timeline for exact dates.
The Internship Supervisor’s evaluation will be factored into the final grade that the student receives for his or her internship.
