Internships

Undergraduate program

Internships allow students the opportunity to gain hands-on 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 developing and leading arts educational programming, assisting with exhibitions at galleries and museums, learning about archival work and historical preservation, and more. Internships give you real-world experience that you can add to your resume and/or graduate school application. You gain professional skills and are challenged to think creatively to meet the needs of the community.

There are both paid and unpaid opportunities. Though not required, students may choose to complete an internship for academic credit. Please note that internships can only be completed for credit during fall, winter, and spring quarters as faculty supervisors are not available during the summer.

HAVC 198/198F: Independent Field Study Internship

Open to all HAVC majors and minors
Daily work and projects are directed by the internship site supervisor with the student’s learning objectives in mind
Students earn either 2 credits (HAVC 198F) or 5 credits (HAVC 198)
Please see Academic Requirements below for additional details

HAVC 193F: Service-Learning Practicum

Open only to HAVC majors or minors with junior or senior standing
You must have successfully completed at least two lower- and two upper-division HAVC courses with a minimum grade of B or higher.
Distinct from an internship, a practicum involves a student directed service-learning project developed in consultation with a faculty advisor
Students earn 2 credits and satisfy the PR-S GE requirement
Please see the Service-Learning Practicum Details below

Student interns next to a sign that reads "community builders at work" at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History

Partner Organizations

We have developed partnerships with a number internship sponsors on and off-campus including:

You may also contact museums, galleries, schools, professional offices, or arts organizations not on this list. There is a rich diversity of internship sites outside of Santa Cruz county as well, including the greater Bay Area and perhaps your home community during the summer, and we encourage you to reach out and develop a partnership with an organization that interests you!

In addition, we encourage you to watch for job and internship listings on Handshake (the official job board of UCSC Career Success), and to explore Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP) positions when they are posted (typically in January for the following academic year).

Planning for an Internship

Internship placements are student-driven. The HAVC undergraduate advisor shares specific internship opportunities with the undergraduate email group when available, but student internships frequently develop as a result of direct contact from the student. Explore organization websites to learn more and identify opportunities to get involved, and contact the organization directly. 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. If they are able to sponsor the internship, they may require a resume/cover letter and/or interview.

If you choose to complete an internship for academic credit, the supervision of a HAVC faculty advisor is required. When you have an internship site sponsor on board, you must identify a HAVC professor to support you with the academic requirements. You will complete a learning contract with your faculty supervisor and internship site supervisor, and complete the process to enroll for credit. Meet with the HAVC undergraduate advisor for guidance and plan one quarter in advance.

Academic Requirements

A 2-credit internship requires a minimum of 6 hours per week at the internship site, or a total of 60 hours per quarter. A 5-credit internship requires a minimum of 15 hours per week, or a total of 150 hours per quarter.
You are required to meet with your internship site supervisor weekly, and to meet with your faculty supervisor at least twice during the quarter to discuss your internship.
You must submit a midterm report, a reflection assignment, and a timesheet at the direction of your faculty supervisor, as well as a student evaluation of internship at the end of the quarter. Additional work (to be determined by the faculty supervisor) is required for a 5-credit internship.
Internships are evaluated on a pass/no pass basis.

You will find relevant forms and documents in this Google Drive. You must be logged in to your UCSC email account to get access.

Service-Learning Practicum Details

Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach that combines learning goals, meaningful community service, and reflection in ways that enhance student growth and address genuine community needs. Through service-learning, the real-world application of classroom knowledge in a community setting allows students to apply academic knowledge and skills in meaningful ways. Students gain a deeper understanding and broader appreciation of the discipline and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility.

What is Service-Learning?

A service-learning project is typically designed through a collaboration between the student, faculty sponsor, and a community partner (e.g., community organization or institution, non-governmental organization, government agency, neighborhood). The project applies academic content to community-based activities. It can take the form of an internship, but can take other forms as well.

Examples of service-learning projects include:

An internship at a local arts/history institution (e.g., museum, archive, library) where students can synthesize and apply their knowledge of visual studies while contributing to a community
Working as a course assistant for an AP Art History course at a local high school
Delivering visual studies lectures at K-12 schools, community colleges, senior centers, or after-school programs
Organizing field trips to a gallery/museum for schools or other community organizations and delivering relevant presentations and activities
Working with the EOP Bridge Program to provide subject-related tutoring, study sessions, and peer-mentoring
Delivering radio broadcasts on history of visual art and culture topics

How To Get Involved

You must find a faculty advisor to supervise your project and guide your learning throughout the quarter. When contacting a potential faculty supervisor please send them a formal email containing the following information:

Specify that you would like to do a 2-unit Service-Learning Practicum
Indicate if you are a HAVC major or minor and your year in college
Give a description of your proposed project and, if appropriate, the organization(s) you would like to work with
Offer a brief description of your coursework or other experience that has prepared you for this project
Include a sentence or two about why you think this particular faculty person is a good fit for your internship or project

Once a faculty member agrees to sponsor your practicum, you must go to their office hours to discuss the course requirements and the details of your service-learning project. If you will be working with an organization, please contact a sponsor at that organization directly. Tell them of your interest in working with the organization, your ideas for a service-learning project, and ask whether or not they are interested in collaborating with you on this project.

Once you secure a faculty and organization sponsor to work with, you must then complete a 193F application. Please submit a Statement of Purpose and complete a learning contract with your faculty and organization sponsors one quarter before you plan to do the practicum. Once approved, you will be given a code to enroll for credit.

Academic Requirements

The time commitment is 6 hours per week – usually a combination of working with a faculty sponsor to develop the project, conducting independent research and planning, and working on-site to implement the project.
You are required to meet with their faculty advisor throughout the quarter to discuss your research and project.
You must also keep a journal and submit a final reflection paper at the end of the quarter at the direction of your faculty supervisor.
The service-learning project is evaluated on a pass/no pass basis.

You will find relevant forms and documents in this Google Drive. You must be logged in to your UCSC email account to get access.

A student intern assisting a child with a craft project at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History

Questions?

Email: havc@ucsc.edu