CART Career Services assists students in finding, securing and getting the most value from internship-type experiences, including Cooperative Education internships, Department-based internships, self-initiated internships and/or professional volunteer experiences. In all cases, such opportunities provide on-the-job-training related to your major and are an excellent means of “testing” a career interest in a discipline-applied setting. Internships also provide a great way to establish professional contacts for career transitioning following graduation.
The College of the Arts offers various forms of internships to meet your needs. Offerings include:
- a structured experience for college credit, made available through Cooperative Education (Co-op);
- a structured experience for college credit through a Department-initiated internship; or
- an experience, not for college credit, to test a career interest which may be self-initiated
Cooperative Education (Co-op) Internships
Montclair State University’s Cooperative Education (Co-op) program provides internship opportunities for students who want a structured experience that includes work-site supervision by a faculty member, and integrates classroom-learning and related academic assignments with hands-on application in an occupational field. Through Co-op you can explore applications of your major within the professional workplace while, at the same time, earning academic credits and, possibly, an hourly salary or stipend. The credits are not merely for time on the job but for the total learning experience.
Before beginning your co-op application, please view the following video to understand how our office can help you through your Cooperative Education experience!
Co-op Deadlines
Summer 2024: May 17, 2024, by 4:00 pm
Fall 2024: September 9, 2024, by 4:00 pm
Steps in securing a Co-op internship
- Plan ahead: It’s recommended that you start the process of exploring Co-op options two semesters prior to the time of the intended experience. Co-op courses are offered during Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Some internships may be pursued part-time (10-15 hours), others full-time (35-40 hours).
- Determine your eligibility: To be eligible for a Co-op Internship, you are required to have completed 30 credits of academic study and hold a minimum GPA of 2.0. (GPA eligibility requirements are higher for some majors.)
- Schedule a CART Career Services Counseling Session: During the career counseling session, you may receive help in a number of areas including: developing a resume, cover letter, and search strategies for finding and securing an internship, as well as how to use Handshake.
- Outreach to internship employers: Following the career counseling appointment, your next step will be to outreach to potential employers with your resume and cover letter.
- Go on the Interview(s): If an employer is interested in your resume credentials, you will likely be invited to an interview. Refer to Preparing for Job Search for interview preparation tips which would also apply to internship interviews.
- Enroll into the internship course: Upon receiving and accepting an internship offer, you should log into Handshake to complete the Co-Op Application form to determine eligibility for receiving credit. The number of credits you will earn for a Co-Op/Internship will depend on a number of factors, including guidelines for your respective major and whether the internship is part-time or full-time. Internships can range from 3-6 credits which will be determined by the Career Services office.
Non-credit Internships
Students in any major within the College of the Arts can also pursue an internship for experience without receiving college-credit. Such internships may be initiated through a variety of means:
- Employer-initiated Internships– Employers use Career Services to announce part-time and internship opportunities. Students may research and respond to these opportunities directly.
- Student-initiated Internships – Students can research and contact companies on their own to create an internship opportunity.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…Volunteer Experiences – Students interested in gaining professional experience, but who may not be ready to or do not wish to fulfill the requirements necessary to attain academic credit, may offer their services to organizations as volunteers. Arts councils, non-profit arts organizations and arts presenting agencies frequently welcome volunteerism offers from students (particularly for project support) There are many approaches for identifying opportunities, including online volunteer search-engines designed for this purpose. Go to external link: VolunteerMatch
Student Teaching
Students enrolled in the University’s teacher-preparation/certification programs (e.g. Music Education, Fine Arts Education, Dance Education) are required to complete Student Teaching assignments as part of the program. These assignments are not handled by CART Career Services but, rather, by the academic program directors and the University’s Center of Pedagogy. For more information, go to: Center of Pedagogy