What is the Lesley University internship experience?
Lesley’s internship professionals are dedicated to assisting and supporting students throughout the entire process of securing internships. Internship staff work with students to ensure that they have the best possible experiences by guiding them to internship opportunities that match their interests and professional goals. Along with the Career Resource Center staff, the Internship staff prepare students to meet with potential supervisors by sharpening their résumé writing and interviewing skills.
All students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) complete credit-bearing internships (optional for Adult Learners in the Liberal Studies program). On-site hours requirements vary by major, but range from 6-18 hours/week. Lesley has over 250 partnerships in the Cambridge area, including major hospitals, community agencies, for-profit/not-for-profit businesses, media affiliations (print/TV/radio), local museums, arts programs, libraries, and more. Students may also have an opportunity to complete internships in other parts of the United States and in other countries around the world. The Internship Office is constantly adding new and exciting internship opportunities to its existing approved list of internship options. To ensure a successful experience, CLAS students must obtain a Lesley-approved internship no later than two weeks prior to the start of the internship seminar course.
At the College of Art and Design, students have multiple options to fulfill their internship requirements and gain professional experience. In several programs students take specific Internship Seminars to develop their hiring materials and better understand their industry, and then work with their Seminar Professor or the Internship Coordinator to secure an internship. Internships vary from student to student – all comprising 120-180 hours, in sites from large companies to small organizations and single artists. In other programs students have the option of taking specific professionally focused courses to fulfill their internship requirements. These courses are designed to place students in direct contact with industry professionals and prepare them for successful careers. Art + Design students have been interns in sites such as Puma North America, Hill Holiday, Tufts Medical Center, American Repertory Theater, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Digital Silver Imaging, Boston Magazine, WGBH, Griffin Museum of Photography, The Guild of Boston Artists, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Printmakers, Whitney Museum, Photographic Resource Center, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, Hasbro, Soup2Nuts, CloudKid, FableVision Studios, Public Art Boston, Anthropologie and many more.
Why internships make a difference?
Students graduate with more than a degree. After completing their internships, students will have gained valuable first-hand experiences in their field, building a stronger résumé and better preparing them for graduate school. Additionally, through networking at their internship sites, Lesley students will have established several professional contacts in their field prior to graduation.
For more information on CLAS Internships, please contact:
Dr. Jan Wall
Director, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Internship Office
jwall2@lesley.edu, 617-349-8902
Dan Walker
Assistant Director, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Internship Office
dwalker4@lesley.edu, 617-349-8939
For more information on LA+D Internships, please contact:
Stuart Steck, Interim Associate Dean, College of Art and Design
ssteck@lesley.edu