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Internship Program

Real-World Experience: Montserrat College of Art’s Required Internship Program

At Montserrat College of Art, we believe that hands-on experience is paramount to launching a successful creative career. That’s why our robust Internship Program is a required component of every student’s journey, ensuring you graduate not just with a strong portfolio but with invaluable professional skills and real-world connections. Since 2006, this program has been a cornerstone of our commitment to career readiness, helping you bridge the gap between academic excellence and industry success.

Elevate Your Skills & Build Your Creative Network

Our comprehensive internship program is designed to provide you with unparalleled opportunities to:

  • Gain Professional Skills: Apply your artistic and design talents in a real-world setting, developing critical industry competencies like project management, client communication, and teamwork.
  • Build an Industry Network: Connect with professionals, mentors, and potential employers within your chosen creative field, opening doors for future collaborations and job opportunities.
  • Enhance Your Portfolio: Work on live projects that strengthen your portfolio with tangible, professional experience, making you highly competitive after graduation.
  • Explore Career Paths: Test out different roles and environments, gaining clarity on your career aspirations before you even graduate.
  • Prepare for Employment: Understand the demands and expectations of the creative workforce, ensuring a smoother transition into your desired career.

Comprehensive Support for Your Creative Internship

Every Montserrat student is required to complete at least one 90+ hour creative industry internship before graduation. The Career Design Studio provides dedicated support to help you find, secure, and thrive in your internship:

  • Personalized Advising: Our Career Design Studio staff, peer Internship Ambassadors, and industry-specific Academic Advisors offer one-on-one guidance to help you identify internships that align with your artistic discipline and career goals.
  • Extensive Employer Network: We connect students with a wide range of employers across diverse creative industries, from design studios and advertising agencies to galleries, museums, film production companies, and non-profits.
  • MontserratWorks Online Platform: Your exclusive resource for discovering vetted internship and employment opportunities, connecting with creative mentors, and accessing a wealth of career development resources.
  • Professional Practice Preparation: We equip you with the skills for successful applications, interviews, and professional conduct in the workplace.

Intern in Your Field: Examples of Creative Industries & Roles

Montserrat students secure internships in a variety of exciting creative fields, including but not limited to:

  • Graphic Design: Branding agencies, marketing firms, in-house design teams.
  • Animation & Film: Production studios, independent filmmakers, post-production houses.
  • Illustration: Publishing, product design, game development.
  • Fine Arts: Galleries, museums, artist studios, art conservation.
  • Photography: Commercial studios, photojournalism, fashion photography.
  • Arts Administration: Non-profit arts organizations, cultural institutions, event management.
  • Game Design: Game development studios, concept art roles.
  • Exhibition Design & Curation: Galleries, museums, exhibition spaces.

Study Abroad Internships through Montserrat College of Art’s Partnership with Artbound

Montserrat’s partnership with the Artbound Initiative gives students and recent graduates opportunities to gain hands-on experience through creative internships in major cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, London, Berlin, Melbourne, and Sydney.

The program goes beyond getting a guaranteed internship by helping students:

  • Receive mentorship and coaching from industry experts at companies like Warner Bros, PepsiCo, Omnicom Group, Shutterstock, and Ralph Lauren
  • Navigate logistics like visas, housing, and insurance
  • Access an international network of alumni
  • Explore the city through curated events, gallery visits, and local insights

Learn more about ArtBound Initiative

Montserrat College of Art students can apply the full ArtBound Initiative experience and internship as a 6-credit course, and may use tuition and financial aid to cover program costs.

All students are required to schedule a meeting with the Director of Student Financial Services within one week of submitting their application. Please contact Beth Price Morgan to review program details and confirm eligibility for funding.

Ready to Gain Real-World Art Experience?

Discover how Montserrat’s required internship program provides the professional edge you need for a successful career in the arts.

Hire from Montserrat – post your internship opportunity

“Working on the Big Sky project was my chance to get a glimpse of what a career in the animation industry would look like. I have a better understanding of how to develop storyboards for a stop motion film and how it can be limited with the camera on the set. I enjoy being able to visualize rough concepts and pitch my ideas based on the script for the production phase.”
Catherine Caredenas, Storyboard Intern, Big Sky, Class of 2024