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Internships

Paula internship
The HAVC internship program provides opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in the arts and to engage in community service.

HAVC faculty sponsor each internship placement, working with students to integrate their studies in HAVC and apply their knowledge to practical work. The internships we offer allow students a diversity of avenues in which to enrich their learning experience. We offer two different ways for students to become involved with the community:
 

HAVC 198F/198: Independent Field Study Internship (2 or 5 units)

• Open to all HAVC majors and minors
• An internship involves hands-on learning at an agency. Daily work and projects are directed by the agency supervisor with the student's learning objectives in mind. 
 

HAVC 193F: Service Learning Practicum (2 units) *PR-S GE requirement*

• Open only to HAVC majors or minors who have Junior or Senior status.
• You must have successfully completed at least 2 lower and 2 upper division HAVC courses with a minimum grade of B or higher. 
• Different than an internship, a practicum involves a student directed service-learning project developed in consultation with a faculty supervisor. 

Learn more about the Service-Learning Practicum
 

Why do an internship?

HAVC internships allow students the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in the arts and to explore various career paths. They are a great opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge and to engage with the community. Internships range from teaching elementary school arts programs, to assisting with exhibitions at galleries and museums, to learning about archival work and historical preservation. Internships  give you real-world experience that you can add to your resume and/or graduate school application. They teach you professional skills and challenge you to think creatively in meeting the needs of the community. 
 

Partner organizations

We have developed partnerships with a diversity of nonprofits, community arts organizations, museums and galleries, schools, artists, and professionals in the field. Our current internship sites in the local community include the following organizations:

Arts Council Santa Cruz
Claraty Arts Project
Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery
Institute of the Arts and Sciences
Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery
Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery
Santa Cruz Art League
Santa Cruz City Arts
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
William Fisher Architecture

You may also contact museums, schools, professional offices, or arts organizations not on this list. There is a rich resource of internship sites outside of Santa Cruz and we encourage you to reach out and develop a partnership with an agency that interests you!

**Here is a link to a Google Drive with descriptions of the internships and forms. You must be logged in to your UCSC email account to get access.**

Planning for an internship

You should meet with the HAVC undergraduate adviser and discuss your options for an internship placement one quarter before you plan to do the internship. Once you have selected an organization that you would like to work with, you must contact the agency sponsor directly. They may ask for a resumé and require that you do an interview before accepting you as an intern. You should discuss your interest in working with the organization, what skills and training you bring, and what you hope to learn. If there is a specific project you would like to work on, let them know. Once accepted, you must find a HAVC faculty supervisor, complete a learning contract with your faculty and agency, and enroll for credit. 
 

Academic requirements

A 2-unit internship requires a minimum of 6 hours per week at the internship site, or a total of 60 hours per quarter. A 5 unit internship requires a minimum of 15 hours per week or a total of 150 hours per quarter. You are required to meet with your agency supervisor weekly and to check in with your faculty supervisor at least twice during the quarter to discuss your internship. You must submit a midterm report, a reflection assignment and an agency evaluation at the end of the quarter. Additional work (to be determined by the faculty sponsor) is required for a 5 unit internship. Internships are only offered as pass/no pass.