College of the Arts
CART Career Services header of people talking at a career fair

For Employers

The College of the Arts works with employers that represent industries, corporations as well as for-profit and non-profit organizations, who are looking to hire interns or recent College of the Arts graduates.  Below is information regarding ways in which CART Career Services connects with employers:

Establishing internships

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE):

An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.

Criteria for an Experience to Be Defined as an Internship

To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:

  1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
  2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
  3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
  4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
  5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
  6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
  7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

Establishing Co-ops

  • Employers are encouraged to offer internships through which students may earn academic credit at the University.  Most credit-bearing internships are managed by the Cooperative Education (Co-op) program which carries specific employer-participation guidelines.
  • Internships may be offered as carrying a salary or stipend, or as unpaid.  The Fair Labor Standards Act sets clear guidelines for employers offering unpaid internships. (FLSA Worksheet #71) Wherever possible, the University encourages organizations to offer paid internships if they are in a position to do so.
  • Internships are generally scheduled for the length of a semester (at Montclair State, a semester is defined as 15 weeks long during fall and spring and 14 weeks long during summer).
  • Employers can structure positions as part-time (10-20 hrs) or full-time (35-40 hrs.)
  • Employers are asked to provide a detailed position description which is posted for students to review.  At a student applicant’s request, a resume would be forwarded to the employer for review.  Follow-up interviews would be arranged by the employer.
  • When a student accepts an internship offer, course enrollment for the work-based experience is arranged through the University’s Cooperative Education program.  A Co-op Faculty Advisor is then assigned to supervise the student’s learning activities.
  • For more information on employers’ participation in the Co-op program, go to: Co-op Employers