Hiring an Intern

An internship is a monitored work or service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what they are learning throughout the experience. 

• The internship should be a learning experience, allowing interns to apply classroom knowledge.
• It should not be solely for advancing the employer’s operations or replacing regular employees.
• Internships can be:
  • Paid or unpaid
  • For academic credit or without credit. 
  • Only internships for academic credit are overseen by The Patty Disney Center for Life and Work.
• Formats available: in-person, online, or hybrid
• Academic credit internships must occur during:
  • Fall (September–December)
  • Spring (January–May)
  • Summer (May–August)

• Fall 2024
  • Internship term: Sept. 9–Dec. 15, 2024
  • Contract deadline: Sept. 13, 2024
• Spring 2025
  • Internship Term: Jan 27–May 11, 2025
  • Contract deadline: January 30, 2025

Companies hosting a CalArts intern receiving academic credit must:

• Be a legally registered business or professional
• Provide an on-site supervisor who is a full-time professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience. 
• Have the capacity to provide a formal orientation and onboarding.
• Provide routine feedback by the experienced supervisor. 
• Make available resources, equipment, and facilities that support learning objectives of the internship.

The intern supervisor is required to meet with the intern individually to set goals, expectations, and responsibilities by completing an internship contract. This document will define the intern’s role within your organization. Throughout the internship, we ask that you meet with your intern on a regular basis to review progress, projects, and expectations.

At the end of the semester, or when the internship concludes, we ask that you provide us with an internship evaluation. For questions about internships, email clw@calarts.edu.

Internships can be posted to Compass@CalArts.

If you need support developing an internship program or position description, take note of the tips below and review our Employer Guide & Sample Job Description.

• Clearly outline all internship tasks, duties, responsibilities, and potential projects.
• Describe the training and mentorship that will be offered and what skills/experience will be gained.
• Describe how the skills/experience will be valuable across your industry and what career it will prepare the intern for.
• Describe the professional background of the supervisor/mentor and what they have to offer.
• List the types of staff member/clients/people the intern will come into contact with and the potential for building relationships/networking.
• Describe the specific skills/qualifications/abilities you are seeking. Keep in mind qualifications should be in the realm of the student’s year level. Interns typically would not have much prior professional experience.
• Limit working hours to 10-20 hours per week during the academic year and offer flexibility if possible.
• Additional ideas: Offer an internship orientation at your company, offer job shadowing opportunities in various in-house departments, offer opportunities to conduct informational interviews with other staff members, offer guidance on professional development within your industry.

A common question asked by employers is whether the employer must pay an intern for their work. Be mindful that although unpaid internships are a possibility, a paid internship of at least minimum wage per hour will generate a larger and more talented candidate pool. The US Department of Labor (DOL) has developed six criteria for identifying a learner/trainee who may be unpaid. The criteria are:

• The training, even though it includes actual operation of the employer’s facilities, is similar to training that would be given in a vocational school.
• The training is for the benefit of the student.
• The student does not displace regular employees, but works under the close observation of a regular employee.
• The employer provides the training and derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the student. Occasionally, the training may actually impede the operations.
• The student is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period.
• The employer and the student understand that the student is not entitled to wages for the time spent training.

All six factors do not necessarily have to be present for an individual to be considered a trainee; however, the experience must ultimately look more like a training/learning experience than a job. If the position does not meet trainee criteria, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay employees at least minimum wage for all hours of work performed.

All interns receiving academic credit must complete a CalArts internship contract. Once formally offered the position, the student will provide the contract to the employer for verification and signature. The contract outlines the basic work agreement between the intern and the host. That is, what duties the intern will have, what they will learn, and the hours and days the intern will work. 

If the host site requires a separate contract for the intern to sign, a blank copy must be given to the Center for Life and Work to keep on file.

In the event the intern submits original material to be considered for development by the organization, or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries, the organization must negotiate with the intern in good faith for the acquisition of rights in and to the original material.

The on-site supervisor should contact The Center for Life and Work at 661-291-3419 or clw@calarts.edu with questions and concerns regarding CalArts interns.

The CalArts Center for Life and Work’s (CLW) employment resources are provided free of charge to employers and to student job seekers. All hiring and compensation for work performed by student employees is handled directly between the student and the employer. CLW does not perform background checks on students applying for jobs, nor on employers posting job opportunities. Employers and students are encouraged to request reference information from each other as needed to establish qualifications, credentials and overall fit between the employer and the student applicant.

All job listings are posted at the discretion of CLW. Jobs and/or internships that appear to discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, disabled or Vietnam Era veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or gender will not be posted. CLW also reserves the right to refuse to post jobs and/or internships that are not related to visual and performing arts, and that do not comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity standards and the US Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regarding unpaid internships.