Registering an Internship for Credit
Before you start the registration process…
Formalize It
Always turn your verbal offer into a formal offer by asking for an offer letter. An offer letter provides tangible confirmation of the position and protects you if the internship does not turn out as promised. Your offer letter must have all of the following information:
The organization is accepting you as an intern
Start and end dates of the internship
Number of hours you will be expected to work per week
Rate of pay
Your internship position title
Name, title, phone number, and email address of your internship supervisor
A brief description of your responsibilities, its educational value, and relevance to your area of study
Check the Sample Offer Letter template for more information.
Meet with your Department Chair
Next, meet with your Department Chair or other academic staff person (either in person or via email) to discuss the learning objectives of the internship and which course(s) you are waiving.
Studying on an F1 Visa?
Be sure to connect with the International Student Advisors in CSE, to check your eligibility status and get your work authorization.
Completing the Internship Record
Deadline: The deadline to submit your Internship Record and register your internship for credit is the Friday of Week 1 of the internship term. If you miss the deadline you may be able to complete a Petition for Exception to Academic Policy form (see below for more details).
Complete an Internship Record located on ArtCenter Connect. A new record can be created by clicking the “Add New Experience” button under “My Internships” under your initials on the top menu bar. Complete all of the required fields, and upload all of the required documents.
Once complete please submit the record for review and approval.
The required documents you need to upload to your Internship Record
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01. Offer Letter
A complete offer letter with all 7 pieces of information listed above. We must have this information in writing from the employer.
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02. Degree Audit
A Degree Audit which can be obtained by logging into Inside, then go to your Student Planning Dashboard, and click on View Your Progress to access your interactive degree audit. To save a PDF version of your degree audit you can click on the Print icon on the upper right-hand corner of the page and save as a PDF.
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03. I-20
Students studying on F-1 Visas must also upload a copy of their I-20 with Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization. Connect with the International Student Advisor in the Center for the Student Experience via email for more information at international@artcenter.edu.
Internship Employer Agreement
Once you have submitted your Internship Record, CPD will us the information you supplied to reach out to your internship site. Using Adobe Sign, we will send them an Internship Employer Agreement to sign. Employers offering unpaid internships will also be asked to verify that they meet the federal guidelines. Your Internship Registration will not be approved until we have received the signed form from your employer. Please stay in touch with your hiring contact to make sure the agreement is signed.
Approval Process
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01. CPD Approval
CPD will review your record. If any information is missing or needs clarification, your form will be rejected and you will be asked to update it accordingly. We must also receive a signed Internship Employer Agreement from your employer. Once we have all your required information, CPD will approve your record.
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02. Department Approval
After approval by CPD, your Department Chair or Advisor will then fill in the course(s) you are waiving and give their approval.
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03. Enrollment Services Approval
After Department approval, Enrollment Services will register you for the course(s) listed on your Internship Record. If you have a hold on your enrollment you will have to clear that first.
You will receive a confirmation email for a registered internship once all approvals have been made.
NOTE: Internship credit is not retroactive! You cannot petition to have a previous internship experience count for credit in a future term.
Need to Petition?
It is your responsibility to be aware of all internship guidelines, policies, and procedures. There may be instances when your internship does not meet one or more of the criteria for credit. Since ArtCenter allows students to request exceptions to an academic policy, you have the option to submit a Petition for Exception to Academic Policy form. These petitions are for a one-time exception, meaning you cannot petition for the same exception more than once.
Common reasons students petition for an exception to the internship policy:
You have missed the Week 1 deadline to register your internship.
The internship is shorter than the 10-week required minimum.
The number of hours you are working does not meet the minimum hour requirement for the number of credits you are requesting.
You have less than the 70 units required to request credit. (For undergrads; 30 units for graduate students)
Step by Step Guide to Submitting a Petition:
Download the Petition for Exception to Academic Policy form.
Fill in your information.
Type up an explanation detailing why you are requesting an exception to the policy. This must be included with your Petition Form.
Meet with your Department Chair for approval and a signature.
For International Students: You must meet with an International Student Advisor for approval and signature on the Petition form. In your Petition explanation, CPD highly recommends explaining how taking an internship for credit may impact your F1 Visa status.
Upload both documents (the completed form plus the separate explanation) to your Internship Record on ArtCenter Connect.
Petition Decisions:
The Petition Committee will review your request.
Enrollment Services will notify you with the Petition Committee’s decision.
NOTE: Approval by the Petition Committee is not guaranteed. By planning ahead and being aware of the internship policies, you can avoid having to submit a petition. You may only petition ONCE for the same reason.
