• Expand your educational experience into the professional world of design.
• Increase your chances of securing a professional position in your chosen field.
• Contribute to a broad understanding of the values, skills, and commitments necessary for achieving success within the discipline of design.

An internship expands your educational experience into the professional world of design, increasing your chances of securing a professional position in your chosen field. It also contributes to a broad understanding of the values, skills, and commitment that CCA students bring to the discipline of design.

While the role of an intern is humble in nature, an internship exposes students to the daily processes involved in professional practice:

• Project management
• Client relations
• Collaboration with photographers, illustrators, and writers
• Design presentation
• Production of print, motion, and/or web-based graphics
• Vendor selection and coordination

Students should try to gain professional work experience early and often, beyond the requirement. The more students understand the role of the designer in the work environment, the more they can leverage their learning at CCA. This may mean doing internships beyond the one required for graduation.

CCA’s Graphic Design internship program is only open to students currently enrolled at California College of the Arts. To be eligible, students must have successfully completed all required Level 3 courses at CCA. Students who intern before they complete their required Level 3 courses may not use the experience for credit.

After securing an intern position at an approved internship site, students must log a minimum of 150 hours at the site. The internship counts for two credits and is generally completed during the summer between junior and senior year.

Compensation is a mandatory requirement of our internship program. Unpaid internships devalue the contributions of our students; beyond school, unpaid work is not a sustainable model for professional graphic designers. We require our students be paid at least the regional minimum wage.

We discourage our students from working at sites that are either unwilling or unable to provide adequate monetary compensation.

Students perform their own internship search using a variety of resources: industry websites and job boards, program suggestions, Career Development resources (Handshake Job Board, Weekly Picks, and Career Expo), networking, and personal contacts. Site approval is based upon the quality of learning experience the internship site will provide as well as the kind of work students will be asked to produce. Approval is granted on a case-by-case basis and is not guaranteed.

Prior to starting work, students must obtain site approval from the program’s Internship Coordinator, Rachel Berger. Early verification of the internship site is critical to obtaining credit for the internship, especially if the site is located outside of the United States.

To receive credit for internships located outside of the United States, obtaining site approval from the Internship Coordinator is required. International students must contact International Student Services (ISS) for instructions and requirements related to employment in the United States and abroad.

Any site, payment arrangement, or type of experience that falls outside of the requirements listed above must be approved by an internship coordinator prior to the start of any work.

To initiate the internship process, students must first meet with their Academic Advisor followed by meeting with the Internship Coordinator, early in the spring or fall semester, prior to starting their internship search.

Students will register in Workday for the Graphic Design Internship (GRAPH 3980) prior to starting their internship.

Students who wish to receive credit for an internship but have not gone through the process correctly must contact the Internship Coordinator as soon as possible.

After an internship offer is made, students work with their site supervisor to complete the Learning Agreement found in the Graphic Design Internships Moodle site; negotiating the terms, learning objectives, and expectations of the internship.

The Learning Agreement must be approved by the Internship Coordinator and, for international students, by International Student Services. Students should not begin work until they receive approval. Students receive an email notification when their Learning Agreement is approved.

Post-Internship

Students should use the Graphic Design Internships Moodle site to track their internship hours on an Internship Hours Log, submit an Internship Reflection document, and send their supervisor a digital evaluation form. The evaluation form is optional, and not required for completion of the internship.

Contact the Internship Coordinator with questions about the process.

CCA and the Graphic Design Program are committed to supporting undocumented students throughout the internship search process. Undocumented students can contact their internship coordinator for help identifying options to fulfill their internship requirement.