Internships

With the exception of Acting students, all Theatre Program students must complete at least two (2) internships in order to graduate. These internships are meant to support and expand upon the education in the classroom by providing a glimpse into the world of professional theatre. Internships can be of the student’s choosing, however the student’s concentration head and the Director of Academic Administration must approve them before the internship begins.

Be aware that an internship that meets the requirements for graduation does not automatically mean it meets the requirements for Shubert Foundation funding. The most important criteria for any internship is one where you will learn, experience, and be exposed to lessons beyond the classroom.

  1. Each internship must be a minimum of 120 hours, which averages to approximately 10 hours a week for a semester-long internship.
  2. With few exceptions, each internship must be with a different organization, individual, or department within the same organization.
  3. Before beginning an internship, an Internship Contract (found here, signed by the internship supervisor and student, must be submitted to the Program Assistant and approved by the Director of Academic Administration. The internship is in jeopardy of not counting toward graduation if the contract is not submitted in a timely fashion before the internship begins. Contracts can be downloaded from the Theatre Program wiki or picked up from the Program Office.
  4. Within six months of the end of the internship, each student must submit a 1,500-word reflective essay (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, standard 12-point font) that details the internship experience. This paper must include the following:
    1. how the student was hired,
    2. the specific responsibilities,
    3. what lessons were learned about the field and/or the student, and
    4. would the student recommend this internship to future students and why
  5. Similar to the Internship Contract, this essay must be approved by the Director of Academic Administration. If the essay is not acceptable, the student will have the opportunity to re-write it. If the student fails to do so within one month, the internship may not be counted toward graduation.
  6. The scope of work is quite broad. Any internship that supports a student’s educational or professional goals can be used to meet the graduation requirement.
  7. The student is responsible for the successful completion of the internships. The Theatre Program expects its students to act in a professional manner throughout the tenure of the internship. Promptness, politeness, and a strong work ethic are expected from all students.

The process of searching for internships typically begins in the spring semester of the first year. Most internships are completed the second and third years, or during summer break. Waiting until all coursework is done after the second year can allow the student greater flexibility to complete their internships. When the Program Office receives an internship opportunity, it is sent to students’ Columbia email account from our main email address: [email protected]. In addition, it can be useful to talk with faculty members and more advanced students about possible internships.

Each student is responsible for obtaining their own internships and ensuring they meet the necessary criteria to count toward graduation. They are responsible for arranging interviews with prospective employers, establishing a mutually agreed-upon schedule, and fulfilling the job description of the internship.

At the end of the internship, the Program Office will send an evaluation to the student’s internship supervisor in order to assess their performance. The evaluation is placed in the student’s academic file and they may review it.

Each year the Theatre Program applies to the Shubert Foundation for a grant to support the internship program. This allows the Theatre Program to provide a stipend for up to two (2) internships for each student. However, the continued funding of the program is solely based upon the Shubert Foundation’s approval of the grant application. Shubert stipend criteria differs slightly from the internship requirements for graduation. Please note: these additional rules only apply if a student wants to earn the Shubert stipend for an internship completed for graduation.

Please note: in addition to the rules listed above regarding graduation requirements, your internship must also meet the criteria below in order to receive the Shubert stipend.

  1. The internship must be theatre related, i.e., a position in a commercial or non-profit theatre organization or working directly with a theatre artist on a theatre project, etc.
  2. For any position working in television, film, or a non-theatrical performing art to be eligible for Shubert funding, you must submit written approval from both your Concentration Head and the Program Chair at the same time as the submission of your contract.
  3. No teaching position is eligible for the stipend.
  4. The host organization or individual must contribute to the student’s compensation in some way: a salary or stipend, travel or meal reimbursement, complimentary tickets to productions, etc. It is the student’s responsibility to know how the organization will report this compensation to federal, state, city, and local tax boards.
  5. Any internship that provides the student a salary greater than $600.00 per week will not be eligible for the Shubert stipend.
  6. The internship must be completed by the end of a student’s third year of studies to be eligible for the stipend.
  7. Monies will not be distributed until either: the completion of the internship or the start of the student’s third year of studies, whichever comes later. Please note your internship paper must be handed in and approved before receiving the stipend. The stipend amount is not guaranteed and depends upon a myriad of factors: number of internships eligible, amount of grant money received, etc. It is strongly encouraged that students sign up for direct deposit through SSOL. This increases the speed with which the stipends are deposited into students’ accounts.

To complete an unpaid internship, no employment authorization is required. To complete in a paid internship, all students who cannot legally work in the United States must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) through the Office of International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO). The following restrictions apply:

  1. Students are only eligible for CPT after completing a full academic year.
  2. Applications for CPT must be completed and approved by ISSO before the internships begins. There are harsh penalties for students who work before CPT is approved.
  3. Internships during the academic school year (September through May) for the first two years of the Program must be 20 hours or less per week. Internships during the summer and beyond the second year can be full time.
  4. Taxes are withheld from all stipends processed through the University, including Shubert stipends. International students will receive a Form 1042 at the end of the calendar year in which the internship was completed.
  5. For additional information, click here.

Students may use one of their internships for course credit. This decision must be made before the internship begins and is contingent upon successful completion of said internship. A maximum of three (3) points may be credited towards the 60 required for graduation.