As part of an intensive liberal arts curriculum, it is important that any internship situates you in an interdisciplinary, challenging, and collaborative environment. During the course of the internship, you should take advantage of the opportunity to expand knowledge of your field, learn communication practices, and develop analytical thinking designed to generate innovative solutions. Ideally, internships train you in a range of methodologies and model professional responsibility. Internships in any field should facilitate both career exploration and clarification.
Internship Guidelines
All internships registered for academic credit in Liberal Studies should:
- Be conducted in New York City at an approved site with regular supervision
- Involve approximately 8–15 hours/week, either on site or a location directly related to the assigned duties
- Be structured similar to an apprenticeship, where skills and responsibilities increase over time
Internships are approved for 2 credits during academic semesters or can vary from 1 to 2 credits during summer.
At the time of your internship for academic credit, you must:
- Be in good academic standing (3.0 GPA or above)
- Have attained at least sophomore status for approval to register in the course (first-year students are not eligible to receive internship credit)
Unpaid internships should satisfy the criteria and standards established by the Department of Labor; for more information, refer to NYU Wasserman’s guidelines for unpaid internships from NYU Wasserman.
Follow these steps to secure an internship and register in the Fieldwork Seminar for academic credit:
1. Find an internship. Students who need assistance locating an internship may contact the Wasserman Center for Career Development. Please note that internships outside of New York City are not eligible for academic credit through Liberal Studies. You may accept one internship for the Fieldwork Seminar; multiple simultaneous internships are not permitted.
2. Complete three required forms. Assistance from your site supervisor will be needed in establishing learning goals and signing the internship form.
- Internship Proposal Form
- Internship Agreement–Unpaid (PDF) or Internship Agreement–Paid (PDF)
- Student Insurance Form
3. Submit all forms to the internship program advisor in the LS Academic Advising Office (726 Broadway, 6th Floor) OR through the online Internship Proposal Form. The deadline to file the internship forms is the Friday of the first week of the academic term.
4. If approved, the internship program advisor will register you for the appropriate Fieldwork Seminar and credits
In addition to submitting the three required forms (instructions above), students applying for academic credit for a summer internship must arrange for a faculty director. Any full-time Liberal Studies faculty member who agrees to provide academic oversight of your summer internship can serve as the faculty director during the NYU summer sessions. Contact the internship program advisor for further details and faculty recommendations
If you are an international student applying for academic credit, please contact the Office of Global Services (OGS) to ensure you are completing all of the required steps for work authorization. See more information about the Curriculm Practical Training (CPT)/Optional Practical Training (OPT) process on the OGS website.
As an educational experience, internships should:
- Incorporate a research component that deepens your knowledge
- Provide opportunities to use academic skills (e.g. writing, analysis, technical literacies, public speaking)
- Require a variety of assignments that include progressively challenging tasks/assignments
- Engage the intern in a culture of teamwork and collaboration
- Encourage autonomous decision–making and production
- Offer opportunities for synthesizing knowledge and information
The Fieldwork Seminar is graded on a pass/fail basis. To receive academic credit and a satisfactory grade for the internship, you must complete the course during the internship time frame. For the fall and spring semesters, you must attend the semester-long course, engaging in classroom discussions and other activities assigned by the professor. For the summer term, you will work with your faculty director to develop a curriculum and corresponding assignments in order to receive credit. Regardless of the format, students are expected to complete all coursework assigned by the professor or faculty director.
Isabel Calkins
GLS ’18
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Internship: L’Oreal: Global Marketing Intern at Maybelline
Skills gained: I learned how to use innovation and creativity to problem solve in a market that is currently so congested with unique ideas already. L’Oreal and Maybelline pushed me to work effectively in a team as well as take on my own tasks. I also learned adaptability, because working for the number one makeup brand in the world is bound to have many challenges.
Favorite experience: For my final presentation, I went to the L’Oreal Labs in Clark, NJ, to actually blend and mix my own makeup. Although I am no chemist, I got to understand what goes into creating the perfect shade of lipstick and eye shadow.
Advice about interning: The biggest thing is to sit back and listen, honestly. There are many times during your internship where you will want to jump in and do as much as possible to help, but you can be helpful by just listening and watching others. And when the time is right, you will have a project that is all your own that you will know how to handle because you learned from the people before you.