students and employers at job fair

Career Services

Our mission is simple: to provide students and alumni with comprehensive resources and individual counseling tailored to help them reach their creative professional goals.

QUICK LINKS

Here are some Quick Links to get you started in navigating our resources and services.

Schedule a meeting (virtual or in-person) to review your resume and/or cover letters, discuss your plans for the future, and get advice about how to navigate your job/internship search and career journey.

Employers are actively posting opportunities in UArtsCareers, so log in regularly to search the listings.

Check out our Online Career Resources for Creatives Guide for information and opportunities specifically relevant to the careers of artists.

Looking for ways to explore your career options and enhance your personal and professional development? View our Career Development Checklist of suggested activities you can do anytime from anywhere.

We also share valuable resources via social media, so follow us on Instagram (@UArtsCareers) and friend us on Facebook.

You can also email us with any career-related questions at careerservices@uarts.edu.

About Career Services

Mission Statement

The Career Services Office is committed to supporting the education and professional training of artists in the visual and performing arts, design, media and writing. We offer comprehensive advising to students and alumni that assists them in building career development skills and tools, and provide access to professional opportunities and job market information. We are dedicated to supporting the multi-career life of the artist by offering personalized assistance that reflects the goals of each individual while also addressing the unique realities of establishing and maintaining a career in the creative economy.

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Our Commitment

The Career Services Office is not a placement agency - while we cannot guarantee anyone a job, we are committed to providing resources and information that will make the job search much easier. Career development is a life-long process. Throughout their lifetimes, graduates of University of the Arts will continuously pursue professional success and fulfillment. We aim to be partners with students and alumni in order to empower them as they pursue their career goals.

Professional Associations & Partnerships

NACE: National Association of Colleges and Employers
EACE: Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers
CIAD/AICAD: Career Issues in Art and Design/Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
NETMCDO: Network of Music Career Development Officers
DVCP: Delaware Valley Career Planners
DVEC: Delaware Valley Education Consortium
MACCA: Mid Atlantic Career Counseling Association
PACDA: Pennsylvania Career Development Association

Meet Our Staff

Elisa Seeherman
Elisa Seeherman

Director of Career Services

headshot of Julie Woodard posing outside in front of greenery
Julie Woodard

Career Development Advisor

Internships

Practice and build on what you learn in the classroom and gain valuable connections in the professional world.

The value of out-of-classroom experiences is beyond measure. These opportunities promote professional development, enhance your resume, and ultimately enable you to be well prepared to launch your careers after graduation.

University of the Arts connects students to a wide variety of internship experiences that reinforce and expand classroom theory and practice. These educationally based experiences allow students to explore possible career choices and gain a better understanding of a chosen field through professional growth. 

Notable companies and organizations where UArts students have interned include MTV Networks, Conde Nast, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Cartoon Network, Broadway Dance Center, the National Gallery of Art and CNBC.

In addition, many internships take place within the studios of practicing artists, as well as in art galleries and museums; design firms; dance and theater companies; arts nonprofits; and various local, regional and national companies in the creative industries.

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Internship FAQ

What is an academic internship?
An academic internship is an experience for which students enroll to earn academic credit. It should be related to a student’s major (or minor) and have a site supervisor who is an expert in that field.

When are students eligible to do internships?
Students who have completed at least 60 credits toward their degree are eligible (typically starting the summer after sophomore year). Exceptions are made for students with fewer credits who are offered an excellent internship opportunity.

When are internships offered?
Internships are offered for academic credit every semester (fall, spring, summer). Up to three credits of a summer internship may be taken at a significantly reduced tuition rate.

How do students find internships?

  • Schedule an appointment with Career Services at uarts.edu/careerappointment.

  • Ask program faculty for suggestions.

  • Review lists of previous places that UArts students have interned on the UArts Careers database.

  • Do their own independent research and follow up with Career Services.

How do students register for internships?
UArts Career Services registers students upon their completion of the required Pre-Internship Application Process form. 

How do students learn about the Pre-Internship Application Process?
Information is available in the UArts Portal: Offices and Services > Career Services > Internships. Students may also attend one of the Internship Information Sessions offered before the advising and registration periods for the following semester or contact the Career Services office.

When do students need to complete the Pre-Internship Application Process?
Students should apply well in advance, since they must have an internship offer to be registered for credits. The process can be initiated as soon as a student begins planning to intern. Exceptions for late registrations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. 

What are the expectations for academic internships?

  • Students will intern for approximately 30 hours per credit over the course of the 15-week semester (a typical 3-credit internship equals about 6 to 10 hours per week.

  • Students should successfully achieve three learning objectives, defined by the student in collaboration with their faculty internship coordinator and their internship site supervisor.

  • They must document their internship experience.

  • They must complete end-of-internship evaluations.

Beyond Internships

Other experiential education opportunities include student teaching assignments for Art and Music Education graduate students.

Student/Alumni Services & Resources

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Career Counseling

Our career counselors provide hands-on support to help prepare you for your next step. We also provide assistance in researching and pursuing fellowships, grants and contests, as well as graduate school and alternative post-graduation options. Students and alumni can go online to easily schedule an appointment to meet with us.

Schedule an appointment with Career Services

Résumé Building

We provide assistance with résumé and cover letter writing, and coaching on interview techniques/job search skills. Review our Resume Tips to ensure that you are putting your best foot forward when you apply for opportunities.

Workshops & Events

We hold annual career fairs and periodic professional development workshops and special events. Check the Academic Calendar in the UArts Portal and the UArts mobile app for announcements of upcoming events.

Internet Links & Resources for Creatives

The Career Services staff has searched the web for sites that are valuable to students and alumni pursuing careers in the arts.

Explore online career resources

Research Jobs, Companies & Salaries

The LinkedIn Job Search tool is a great resource for identifying open opportunities. Not only can you narrow your results by geographic location, keywords, company, industry and other fields, but you will also see if any of your LinkedIn connections work at the companies when you click on the job descriptions.

Start your search using LinkedIn


It's always about what you know and who you know during the job search. How does Glassdoor help you learn more about companies and who you can connect with during your job search? By offering these research networking tools:

    • See how you stack up — salaries and bonuses for specific jobs at any company
    • Take a look inside — detailed company reviews posted anonymously by employees
    • Prepare yourself — interview questions and process details for any company or job

    Start your search using Glassdoor

    UArtsCareers Portal

    The Career Services Office is pleased to offer our students and alumni free access to UArtsCareers, a database of job listings and other opportunities. Through UArtsCareers, students and alumni may store and distribute online resumes and portfolios. The system is also used to manage the academic internship program.

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    Jobs and Other Types of Opportunities in UArtsCareers
    • Internships

    • Part-time jobs

    • Full-time jobs

    • Freelance projects and gigs

    • Auditions

    • Summer jobs

    • Contests and competitions

    • Volunteer opportunities

    Gaining Access

    Currently enrolled students already have accounts in the system (username is what is before @uarts.edu in your email address. The first-time logging in, click "Forgot Password" to get a link to set your password). 

    UArts alumni who don't already have an account can register for one (click the Student/Alumni button).

    Online Resumes & Portfolios

    Your UArtsCareers account not only enables you search the database of opportunities, but also allows to upload resumes, cover letters, references, image files of your artwork, headshots and other related documents (formats: MSWord, PDF, JPG, PNG). Files are then available to be forwarded directly when applying for opportunities.

    Seeking Employment at UArts?

    Employment at the university is handled by Human Resources, not the Career Services Office. Visit the Employment Opportunities page for current job openings and application procedures.

    Employer Services

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    Advertise Your Jobs, Internships & Other Opportunities

    The Career Services Office is pleased to offer employers access to UArtsCareers, our comprehensive online system. UArtsCareers allows you to post your open positions directly to the web in a password-protected system that is only accessible to our students and alumni, as well as to receive applications via e-mail directly from those who are interested.

    If you would like to gain access to the system, go to www.uartscareers.com and click on "'Employers." Upon approval by Career Services, you will be able to post your opportunities.

    We will also continue to accept position listings that have been e-mailed directly to our office.

    Your listing should include the following: 

    • Position title, description and desired qualifications
    • Company name, contact person, address, phone, fax, e-mail and website address
    • Any other pertinent information you wish to provide to us
    Internship Program Guidelines

    An internship is a career-related opportunity that enables students to gain real-world experience and explore a professional field. The academic internship program at University of the Arts is designed to give students practical learning experiences that relate specifically to their area of academic study.

    Academic (credit-bearing) internships might be paid or unpaid. Based on recent litigation related to the Fair Labor Standards Act, we encourage employers to offer students compensation equivalent to minimum wage in the form of pay, stipend, travel reimbursement or housing expenses for a summer program. However, we acknowledge that there are also valuable internships that are unpaid.

    An unpaid internship must be a legitimate learning experience benefitting the student, and not simply an operational work experience that just happens to be conducted by a student. The work performed by an intern may benefit the employer, but not in a way that does not also advance the education of the student.

    To ensure the quality of our students’ internship experiences, the Career Services Office at University of the Arts has adopted the following criteria, as developed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

    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.

    How can an employer set-up an unpaid internship to comply with these criteria?

    • To demonstrate that your internship exists for the primary benefit of the intern, and not the sole benefit of your company, your internship description should focus on what the intern will learn from the experience and not just what the intern will do for your company. 

    • Your interns should be registered to earn academic credit during the duration of their internship. The university requires students to define learning goals and document their experience. In addition, there are both student and supervisor evaluations submitted at the completion of the internship. These requirements serve to support the educational purpose of the internship. Also note that student interns are required to complete 30 hours per credit, so the typical 3-credit internship requires 90 hours total over the course of the semester. While your internship can exceed this requirement, please make sure the total number of hours remains reasonable.

    • Academic internships are supervised both within the work setting by an expert in the discipline related to the internship, as well as by a UArts faculty member. Therefore, if you are seeking an intern, you MUST already have an employee on staff with specific, relevant expertise to train and oversee the work of the intern. If you do not, then your position is either a paid freelance project or paid part-time job! 

    • The timing of academic internships should ideally coincide with our semesters (fall, spring, summer) to enable students to register for and earn academic credit. We do recognize that your timeline may not line up perfectly with ours and will consider late registrations for internships that start after a semester has begun and our add/drop period is over, as well as Incompletes for those that last beyond the end of a semester.

    Keep in mind that students must pay tuition to enroll for internship credit, so an unpaid internship poses an additional financial burden to students. Academic credit and compensation are not mutually exclusive; therefore, if your company or organization is in a position to compensate your interns, we encourage you to do so.

    If you are interested in hosting a student intern at your company or organization as part of the academic internship program, email us the details at careerservices@uarts.edu or enter it into our online system, UArtsCareers.