What is the Lesley University internship experience?

Lesley’s internship supervision is dedicated to assisting and supporting students throughout the entire process of securing internships. Faculty 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, professional development courses prepare students to meet with industry professionals by sharpening their résumé writing and interviewing skills.

All students in undergraduate programs 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, undergraduate students must obtain a Lesley-approved internship no later than two weeks prior to the start of the internship seminar course.

Students enrolled in an Art and Design program have multiple options to fulfill internship requirements and gain professional experience. Internships vary by student, comprising 120-180 hours, and can be with large companies, small organizations, or single artists. Currently, only the BFA programs in Graphic Design, UX/UI Design, Animation, and VFX have an internship requirement. Students in these programs take an Internship Seminar course to prepare them for a professional internship. These courses are designed to place students in direct contact with industry professionals, helping them prepare for successful careers. Professionally focused courses, offering in-class internships (called “Community Studios”), also fulfill the internship requirements for Graphic Design, UX/UI, Animation, and VFX students. Students seeking an off-site internship work with a Seminar Professor to coordinate and handle paperwork. Although many BFA programs do not require an internship, any student enrolled in an Art and Design program can pursue one, and all BFA programs include professional development requirements.

Art and Design students have interned at sites such as IBM, 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.