Internships

Already Have an Internship Offer?

Submit your CAPX Internship Request Form to start the approval process.

Step 1: Find an Internship

Begin your search for internships on Handshake, where many CAPX-approved organizations post opportunities. You can also find internships on LinkedIn or other platforms, or secure one through your own network. Internships can be with artist studios, museums, design firms, galleries, animation studios, publishing houses, community organizations, and more.
Need help? Meet with a CAPX advisor for support with your search, resume, cover letter, portfolio, or interview prep.

Step 2: Submit the Internship Request Form

After accepting an internship offer, fill out the CAPX Internship Request Form to start the approval process.

Tip: Submit your form as soon as you receive an offer—or at least 2 weeks before your internship start date. The final deadline to register is the Add/Drop deadline for each term.

Step 3: Get Approved and Enrolled in a CAPX Internship Course.

After you submit the CAPX Internship Request form, CAPX will review your internship and contact the site to complete a job description and provide additional information. We will then review the internship to make sure it meets our established guidelines. Once the internship is approved, and the internship site signs SAIC’s Internship agreement, you can be enrolled in the appropriate undergraduate or graduate internship course.

You do not need to register the course yourself—CAPX will handle the registration for you.

International Students (F-1 Visa)
After your internship is approved, CAPX and International Affairs will begin your CPT (Curricular Practical Training) process. You must receive CPT approval before you start working.

There are three internship course options:

• Professional Practice: Internship as Professional Experience 3900
  • Open to juniors and seniors
  • Fulfills professional practice, studio, and off-campus requirements
  • Offered during the fall and spring semesters
  • Credits, 3.0
• CAPX Internship 4001 
  • Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors
  • Fulfills studio and off-campus requirements
  • Offered during the fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters
  • Credits, 3.0 or 1.5 credits
  • Winter 1.5 credits only
• CAPX Internship 5001
  • Open to graduate students
  • Offered during the fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters
  • Credits, 3.0 or 1.5 credits
  • Winter 1.5 credits only

As with other SAIC courses, you must register your internship for course credit before the SAIC semester add/drop date. The registration deadline are below. Tuition is charged for internship courses. 

Summer 2025 (second term): Tuesday, July 8
Fall 2025: Friday, September 5
Winter 2026: Monday, January 5

These courses are designed to provide students an opportunity to gain experience as interns in professional arts and design environments and prepare for professional life after SAIC. Faculty provide in-depth mentorship and act as liaison with the internship site supporting students meet their learning goals as outlined for the semester. Through group meetings and online discussions, students engage with a peer cohort of students participating in a variety of internships. Students work on-site at internships for a total of 140 hours (approximately 14 hours per week) for the term. Students may register for 1.5 credits for courses 4001 or 5001. On-site hours are reduced to 70 hours; all other requirements remain the same.

In addition to successfully completing the internship, students will conduct an informational interview with their employer, attend four class meetings and an onsite meeting with the faculty and supervisor, complete an internship supervisor evaluation, revise their resume, and update their online portfolio, website, or professional profile.

Students are required to secure an internship prior to the start of the semester. Internships must be approved by the Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) office. Students are encouraged to meet with a CAPX advisor for assistance with researching and applying for internships. To begin the internship approval process students must fill out the internship approval request form. 

F-1 visa international students may complete paid and unpaid internships after receiving Curricular Practical Training (CPT) work authorization and registering for an internship course.

Visit International Affairs for more information about CPT work authorization. 

Domestic students have the option to participate in internships without enrolling in an internship course for credit.

Students may be required to register for an internship course if they accept an SAIC internship stipend award. 

SAIC Internship Funds

The SAIC internship stipend program supports selected students pursuing valuable internships that are unpaid, underpaid, or high-cost. Thanks to the generous support of SAIC donors, eligible students may apply for these stipends. Currently, two funds are available to support SAIC degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students.

Parent and Family Internship Fund

Degree-seeking students who will be enrolled in a CAPX Internship Course and participating in unpaid, underpaid, or high-cost internships in the summer semester can apply for the Parent and Family Council Internship Fund.

Mencoff Family Internship in Historic and Cultural Preservation Fund

The Mencoff Family Internship in Historic and Cultural Preservation Fund supports degree-seeking students who are enrolled in a CAPX Internship Course and are participating in internships in historic and/or cultural preservation.

For more information, contact careers@saic.edu.

For Future Supporters

If you are interested in contributing to an SAIC internship fund, please visit the SAIC giving form and select “Parent and Family Fund.”