BFA Studio Art students can gain valuable professional experience and earn credit toward their degree by taking on an internship with an artist and/or organization engaged with studio practice.  This experience allows students to work with self-supporting artists and be able to fully understand the demands of this profession.

The BFA Studio program does not require an internship, but students can choose to earn 3 to 6 hours of credit toward their Related Area Courses requirements. To earn 3 hours of credit, students must work a minimum of 120 hours during the internship. 240 hours will earn 6 hours of credit. Students can work more hours on site than the minimum required for either 3 or 6 hours of credit.

When deciding how many credits to work toward, keep in mind that the BFA Studio curriculum requires 3 to 15 hours of Related Area Courses.

WHEN TO GO

The best time for a BFA Studio Art student to conduct an internship is the summer after the junior year or after completing specific coursework. At a minimum, students must have a GPA of 2.0 and have completed at least one 3000 level studio in the same medium as the site artist.

APPLICATION PROCESS

If you wish to earn academic credit for your internship, go to the general meeting held each fall.  When choosing a site artist with whom to work, look for someone whose work you respect and from whom you can gain valuable experience. Once you have narrowed down your choices, meet with Lisa Stinson to discuss the internship, the type of work you will be doing, and the application process. The approval process may take as long as a month, so start early. General advice about internships can be found at internships.appstate.edu.

INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENTS

While on site, you will learn more about how your site artist makes their work and their professional practice through interviews, observations, and documentation. Following the internship, you will write a paper and design a book that documents the internship. 

LIABILITY INSURANCE

Appalachian State students conducting internships are required to have liability insurance. See internships.appstate.edu/insurance for more information.