Art Internship Program

The Art Internship Program offers students who apply and are accepted an hourly rate of $20.00 to participate in internships that would otherwise be unpaid. These include, but are not limited to, assisting professional artists and photographers in their studio practices, working at not-for-profit arts organizations and art galleries, acquiring skills in design and advertising firms, and assisting in film and video productions. 

History of the Professional Development Program

  • Established in 1981, the Professional Internship Program highlights The Cooper Union as an early proponent of the acquisition of implicit knowledge through experiential learning and an innovative supporter of the artistic community. The Program builds goodwill in the public realm and functions as a positive form of institutional outreach and a learning-based bridge for external relations.

    The Professional Internship Program supports student learning and development experiences in professional environments outside the academic setting. As a formal experiential learning arrangement initiated and administered by the Center for Career Development, the Professional Internship Program helps level the economic playing field by providing an hourly stipend to participants, enabling students to benefit from career opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable to them. Earning a stipend from the Career Center while working and learning in internships in New York City also creates a compelling motivation for students to access and engage with the Career Center, which provides valuable support for students’ career success and seeks to advance personal, professional, and educational growth.

    Students are encouraged to pursue a wide range of learning opportunities through internships. These include assisting professional artists and photographers in their studio practices, working at not-for-profit arts organizations and art galleries, acquiring skills in design and advertising firms, and assisting in film and video productions. The wide range of learning opportunities in New York City can enrich the sense of personal, social, and civic responsibility and encourage the appreciation of cultural differences.
  • The Professional Internship Program runs in two cycles: academic year (September – May) and summer (June – August).  
  • Acceptance to the program is not guaranteed 
  • For more information regarding guidelines, eligibility, and application visit our resources on Careers Connect.
  • Contact the Center for Career Development with questions at career@cooper.edu. 

 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.