ART 4523 Graphic Design Internship
Graphic Design Concentration Elective
Coordinator/Instructor: Cassie Hester
IMPORTANT NOTES
A. BEFORE beginning the internship and registering for the course:
(1) The Internship Coordinator (Hester) must approve the internship.
(2) The employer must register with — and be vetted by — the MSU Career Center. The Internship Coordinator will send the paperwork to the Career Center for review.
This process takes time — do not cut it close to the add/drop deadline. Submit the required paperwork (pages 2–4 of the Internship Packet) well before the add/drop deadline. The ART 4523 Graphic Design Internship packet is available to download at the bottom of this page.
B. ART 4523 is not a traditional course. There are zero contact hours with the Instructor/Internship Coordinator. Throughout the semester, we (the Intern and the Internship Coordinator) will not meet individually or as a group. Students will work directly with their Internship Supervisor — not the Internship Coordinator — to complete class objectives.
C. Final grades are assigned based on the completion of the course requirements (i.e., minimum hour requirement and final grade criteria listed in the packet). Both the Student/Intern and Internship Supervisor must submit the required elements by the deadline.
D. Since internships are in progress and items are not due until 2–3 weeks before final exams, midterm progress grades cannot be calculated or posted.
E. Grades will be calculated and posted during the final exam period.
FAQ
1. Are internships required for graphic design students?
No. Internships can be valuable learning experiences. However, internships are not required for graduation. Additionally, students do not have to pursue ART 4523 credit for internships. (i.e., ART 4523 Graphic Design Internship is a Graphic Design Concentration Elective. Some students use their internship experience to earn 3 hours of ART 4523 credit; others choose not to receive credit so that they may take advantage of other Graphic Design Concentration Electives.)
2. What are the basic ART 4523 Graphic Design Internship credit requirements?
For an internship to qualify for ART 4523 credit, students must work with a design supervisor (a professional design mentor who will supervise the student), doing design-related work for at least 135 hrs.
3. I have an internship lined up! Can I receive ART 4523 Graphic Design Internship credit for it?
Maybe! It has to be verified and approved (via required paperwork) first. See the Important Notes listed above.
4. I already completed an internship. Can I get credit for it?
No. You cannot retroactively receive credit.* You must register for the course before the internship begins. In order to register, you must complete the required paperwork and receive approval.
*The only slight exception to this rule is summer internships. See #5.
5. I have a summer internship lined up. Do I have to register for ART 4523 in the summer and pay summer tuition/fees?
No. If you secure a summer internship, promptly submit the required paperwork (pages 2–4 of the packet) to the Coordinator (Hester) for review. If your internship fulfills the requirements, you will be given approval in the Spring (or ASAP in the summer months, but before the internship starts), complete your internship over the Summer, and register for and complete the class documentation/report in the Fall.
For example: Tom Haverford landed an exciting internship that he will complete this summer. If Tom wants to pursue ART 4523 credit for this internship, he needs to submit the required paperwork for approval ASAP (the Spring semester's advising session is ideal), before the internship begins. If the internship meets the criteria, he will be given permission to complete the internship over the Summer and register for ART 4523 in the Fall (to avoid paying summer tuition/fees).
Second example: At the end of May, long after the Spring semester has concluded, Leslie Knope interviews for an internship. She secures the internship in June and will start working in just a few days. In this case, Leslie should immediately submit the required paperwork for consideration. Remember, the paperwork must be submitted before the internship begins. Although the Internship Coordinator monitors their email less regularly during the summer break, they will review the contract and coordinate with the student ASAP.
6. My internship schedule is nontraditional. Is that okay?
The hours per week may vary as long as the minimum requirement (135 hours) is met. Internships do not necessarily have to be F2F; remote internships are also acceptable.
7. Is there a pre-requisite?
Yes. Students must successfully complete ART 3313 Graphic Design I (GD1) and be of "senior standing."
To clarify, senior standing refers to the students' status in the Graphic Design program, not their cumulative credit hours. Students are considered seniors in the program after they complete their first year in the program — beginning with GD1/Type1 and ending with GD2/Web1. Therefore, students are eligible to pursue internships for credit the summer after they successfully complete ART 3323 Graphic Design II (GD2).
ART 4523 GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERNSHIP PACKET
1. Download the ART 4523 Graphic Design Internship Packet (PDF) and open it in the latest version of Acrobat or Preview.
2. Carefully read the document. Make sure you understand the course policies, responsibilities, and commitments.
3. Work with your Internship Supervisor to complete the required paperwork (pages 3–4 of the packet).
4. Save the completed paperwork (pages 3–4 only) as a PDF and name the file like so: first_last_semYEAR_art4523_internship_CONTRACT.pdf
5. Email the paperwork as an attachment to the Coordinator (chester@caad.msstate.edu). Type the following into the subject line:
First + Last Name / ART 4523 Internship / CONTRACT
6. The Coordinator will review the document and contact you with further instructions.
page updated by CH (10/14/2024) | packet updated by CH (10/14/2024)