Internships

Contact:
Karen Harris, Director of Internships, Career Center
20 Washington Place, 1st floor East Wing
401-454-6613
kharris@risd.edu

Criteria
An internship taken for credit and is graded Pass/Fail during fall or spring requires a minimum of 100 hours or approximately eight hours of work per week. Wintersession internships require a minimum of eighteen hours per week (minimum of 100 hours total).

Summer internships are restricted to undergraduate students after the sophomore, junior and (for 5-year programs) senior years, and graduate students after their first or (for 3-year programs) second year. Summer internships are restricted to internship opportunities with a minimum of six weeks involvement and a minimum of 100 hours total.

Summer internship credit is allotted to the upcoming academic year for purposes of calculating tuition credits. A maximum of 36 tuition credits are allowed in an academic year. If this amount is exceeded, additional tuition charges will be assessed.

Registration for an internship requires a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.

Credit bearing internships are often taken during Wintersession and carry 3 credits, although a student in a department which allows a six-credit internship course during Wintersession will be permitted to do so provided the department has given approval in advance. Summer internships may also be undertaken with departmental approval and may carry one credit toward graduation. However, departmental approval isn’t necessary for internships undertaken not for academic credit.

Non-credit Internships

Internships may be paid, unpaid or offer a stipend. Typically, paid experiences provide compensation that may range from minimum wage to that of an entry-level position. Although unpaid, an internship may still provide valuable skills, experiences and contacts. In some cases a stipend is offered. A stipend is generally offered as a flat amount of money that is allocated for the duration of the internship and may cover daily commuting costs, subway fare and the like.

How students register for an internship

Students initiate the internship process by logging on to the Career Center's website. They must complete all parts of the digital Internship Form online. A workflow tool on the website routes the form to the department head or their designee for approval before registration is completed. After the internship has taken place, an evaluation of the internship by the student and an evaluation of the student intern by the sponsor are executed using the same system. The RISD Careers Office provides helpful information and assistance in the form of an online search tool and the ArtWorks publication. Some departments appoint Internship Coordinators who serve as the departmental approver of internships, identify internship sponsors that can provide meaningful professional experiences for our students, and provide guidance for students seeking internships.