Internships
An internship is a temporary work experience designed to help a student learn by doing, usually in a field that complements the student's academic program. Internships are normally normally undertaken during semesters. Many academic programs at The New School strongly encourage or even require an internship experience, and students can often earn academic credit for an approved internship. Most internships are unpaid, but some are paid or include a stipend for expenses.
Because internships are experiential in nature, they count as non-liberal arts credits. Students seeking to earn credit for an internship must submit an Experience Form (ELA) on Handshake for advance review and approval. Students may search for internship opportunities and document internships for credit through Handshake, which is accessible online at https://newschool.joinhandshake.com .
Visit www.newschool.edu/career-services for contact information, internship policies, and career resources. Please also refer to the Student Success section of this catalog for additional information.
Please Note: International students who wish to complete an internship must discuss their eligibility with an International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) advisor before they begin searching for a position.
College of Performing Arts
Students at the College of Performing Arts can pursue internships to complement their academic program. In order to maintain a balance between coursework and the internship experience, students cannot work more than 15 hours per week during the fall or spring semester without the approval of their dean or program director. Students can work up to full-time during the summer semester.
Students must work a minimum of 60 hours total to receive credit for a one-credit internship and a minimum of 120 hours to receive credit for a two-credit internship. Supervisors will be asked on the final evaluation to verify that the student has worked the agreed-upon number of hours for the semester.
A student cannot work more hours than the number specified on the experience learning agreement.
Master of Arts in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship
Students in the MA in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship are required to complete a 1 credit internship. The internship requirement is intended to provide an opportunity to develop the student's enterprise, management, or administrative skills and experience. Students are expected to pursue and secure internships on their own. The MAAME program office maintains a list of organizations/positions MAAME students have interned in the past, and can be a reference when students are applying for internships. These are the requirements and guidelines:
Students must spend a minimum of 60 hours on the internship over the course of the term; however, the internship may not exceed 15 hours per week without written approval.
Students who already hold a position connected to arts administration, arts management or arts entrepreneurship may be able to use this position to fulfill their internship requirement, though the MAAME Program Director or Dean may require additional work to ensure the curricular benefit of this experience. Students interested in this possibility should speak to the Program Director.
Students must have a supervisor / mentor assigned from the start of the internship.
Students must gain approval for their internship from the Program Director by submitting the following: the total number of hours he/she/they will work and over what period of time, the name and email of the supervisor, and the nature of the work.
Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Internships and civic engagement are invaluable components of the undergraduate liberal arts program at Lang. Student interns receive professional guidance, gain hands-on experience, develop confidence, and establish a network of professional contacts. Students need to complete 60 hours of internship work per academic credit. Depending on the amount of hours the student will complete at the internship, several course options are available, which are defined as Internship (0 credits), Internship Seminar (1-4 credits), and Advanced Internship Seminar (2-4 credits). Some options require a graded internship seminar with scheduled group meetings during the semester or individual meetings with internship staff. Information is available online at www.newschool.edu/career-services/internships/.
Students can earn academic credit for most internships. Note, however, that internship credit is not applicable to any major or guided area of study requirements unless specifically approved by the program chair or director. Internships can be taken for credit by sophomores and above who are in good academic standing. Internship credit can be earned during the fall, spring, or summer term.
The New School for Social Research
NSSR students should consult their program Handbook for information about internship requirements or options in their program.
Parsons School of Design and Parsons Paris
Some Parsons programs include an internship as part of the degree requirements. Some programs grant credit for internships whether obtained independently by the student or through Career Services. Normally, one credit is awarded for 60 hours of onsite, supervised work at an approved employer. Students eligible to participate in an internship for credit must secure an internship offer, complete an Internship Work Contract (Experience Learning Agreement or ELA), and register for the approved number of credits during the internship “Add” period.
Complete information about internship eligibility, processes, and work and academic requirements is available at the following links:
Parsons: www.newschool.edu/parsons/internships
Parsons Paris: www.newschool.edu/parsons-paris/career-services
Schools of Public Engagement
Bachelor’s Program for Adults and Transfer Students
To apply for an internship, a student must be in good academic standing and have earned at least 12 credits in residence at The New School. The proposed internship should also contribute to the student’s overall plan of study. To register for an internship for credit, students can submit an Experience Form (ELA), which is available in MyNewSchool. For more information, students may contact academic advising or experience@newschool.edu.
Internships are determined pass or fail by the internship coordinator in the Bachelor’s Program for Adults and Transfer Students office, based on (1) a four- to seven-page essay from the student, detailing the experience and (2) an evaluation of the student’s work from the internship supervisor. Students may take up to 6 credits.
Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment
Milano strongly encourages adding either credit or non-credit internship experiences to your classroom learning. The Center for Graduate Career and Professional Development works with students to find an appropriate internship. Many internships lead to valuable contacts for future employment and some offer a stipend.
Julien J. Studley Graduate Programs in International Affairs
Students in the Julien J. Studley Graduate Programs in International Affairs are strongly encouraged to explore doing an internship to connect their academic work with practice..The program awards up to three credits for completion of an approved internship.
School of Media Studies
Students may earn up to six credits toward the master’s degree for internships: three credits for a production internship and three credits for a research internship. Internships can be taken for zero, one, two, or three credits and are available to students who have completed 15 credits of graduate coursework. Opportunities are provided weekly on the my.newschool.edu Media Studies Student Announcements portal and the School of Media Studies Blog.
Internships are available at many media companies and independent and educational media services in New York City and around the world. Recent graduate students have interned at NBC, CBS, ABC, VH-1, MTV, GLAAD, Telemundo, Miramax, Universal, and Downtown Community Television.