Arts and Administration Program - University of Oregon

For Students

Overview

Candidates for the master’s degree in Arts and Administration at the University of Oregon are required to complete a 200-hour internship during the summer between the first and second years of the program and to complete two one-credit courses in the Internship series.

During Winter term of the first year, students enroll in a one-credit Internship course in preparation for identifying and securing their Internship sites, optimizing their internship experience with regards to personal, professional and research goals, and preparing an e-portfolio. Students enroll for 4 Internship credits during the summer, and a one-credit course in the fall prepares students to organize and present their learning experiences and to complete their e-portfolios.

An integral part of professional preparation is the creation and development of eportfolios. As part of the Internship series and the Multimedia in Arts Administration coursework, graduate students in the Arts and Administration Program design and build their eportfolios during their first academic year. eportfolios assist students to connect with potential internship sites, with future employers, and are a repository for research and work conducted during the course of their academic careers at UO.

Internship Development Timeline

YEAR ONE

Fall	You will review internship packet and begin research on internship locations relative to your professional and academic goals. The largest, and most competitive arts organizations have early deadlines - often in December. Work with your faculty advisor and internship supervisor during fall quarter to identify possible internship sites.

Winter	AAD 604 Internships I One credit
	Enroll in AAD 604, and continue searching for your internship. This course will support you to identify work learning goals relative to your professional and academic goals, access resources for your internship search, and assist you in developing your contract. This course also assists you to develop content materials for your ePortfolio.

Spring	Complete internship preparation materials in consultation with advisors. Finalize contracts and make arrangements for housing, etc. CONTRACTS DUE - MARCH

Summer	Internship II Four credits
	Enroll in 4-6 internship credits during summer quarter. Complete 200-hour internship and submit evaluations materials and participate in exit interview. Collect materials for internship presentation and ePortfolio pages
YEAR TWO
Fall	Internship III One Credit
	Enroll in Internship III. Reflect and analyze on your internship experiences within the context of applying academic theory to the contemporary arts management field. Presentation of internship experiences to your academic community, and internship link created on your eportfolio.

Contract Development Forms

These are the basic components of the internship contract:

Hints for a successful internship

Begin looking early

Ask your faculty advisor for suggestions about good internship sites. Begin contacting interesting arts organizations. Don’t be afraid to ask about stipends and housing. Stipends and housing are often included in larger arts organizations, but smaller organizations will want to help you as well. Access all available web resources, such as professional association websites, ArtSearch, ArtJob, the Uo Career Center, PODS, and the AAA Professional Resource Council.

Be clear

Work with your supervisor to develop realistic and clear expectations and job responsibilities. Assist them to understand what your academic and professional goals are, and what they can do to assist you to progress toward them.

Be realistic

Arts organizations are always under tremendous stress, especially the smaller ones. So be prepared for change. Your supervisor will often be too busy. Remember, you are a guest, your co-workers will remain after you are gone. Be realistic about the level of responsibility that is realistic in a short-term environment.

Be flexible

Most interns return from their summer saying that flexibility was the one of the most essential traits to cultivate. Nothing went as they expected, things changed, their supervisor quit, etc. There is always something to learn, especially when things are not going as expected. The point of the internship is to wrap a real world experience into the academic learning process, and to continue to develop your professional life.