Entertainment and Theatre Arts Internship Policy

The intent of a Entertainment and Theatre Arts Program internship is for the student intern to participate in meaningful work in one or more specialty areas in a professional or semi-professional entertainment or theatre setting, so that the student intern can further develop skills desirable for employment and/or graduate-level study in entertainment or theatre. Specialty areas include: acting, design, directing, playwriting, stage management, theatre education, administration, technical aspects of entertainment or theatre, or any other area agreed to by the student and the faculty internship supervisor.

Procedures and Guidelines: 

1. The student is responsible for locating and securing a suitable internship, and seeking approval of the internship from the faculty member in the corresponding specialty area, who will subsequently serve as the internship supervisor.
   
   
2. The student, the faculty internship supervisor, and a representative of the organization hosting the intern will maintain records to document:
   • the beginning and ending dates of the internship,
   • the estimated number of hours worked, and
   • the duties performed by the intern.
     
     
3. The student may register for internship credit if desired, and should consult with the faculty internship supervisor regarding the number of hours for which to register, commensurate with the total number of hours to be worked.
   
   
4. The student intern is responsible for:
   • meeting deadlines and fulfilling duties set forth by the host organization,
   • maintaining documentation as noted in item 2 above,
   • understanding that, while serving as an intern, the student is a representative of the SMSU Entertainment and Theatre Arts Program, and the student’s actions reflect back on the Program and the University,
   • understanding that poor or non-performance of internship duties could result in removal from the internship and/or failure to receive credit, and
   • carrying liability insurance as required by the university internship policy.
     
     
5. The internship host organization is responsible for:
   • providing meaningful work designed to help the student intern further develop skills desirable for employment and/or graduate-level study in entertainment or theatre,
   • providing constructive feedback to the student intern about the student’s performance, and
   • maintaining documentation as noted in item 2 above and sharing with the internship supervisor. The host organization may also provide feedback related to the student’s performance or be asked to score the student’s work on a rubric.
     
     
6.  The faculty internship supervisor is responsible for:
   • reading and evaluating the documentation from the student intern and the host organization,
   • submitting an appropriate grade if the student intern is registered for credit, and
   • maintaining file copies of the internship agreement and reports.

Department and Program Information

The Entertainment and Theatre Arts Program is an academic area within the Department of Fine Arts and Communication.

Dr. John Ginocchio, Department Chair, FA 124, (507) 537-7209
Sheila Tabaka, Professor of Theatre, FA 216, (507) 537-6273
Nadine Schmidt, Professor of Theatre FA 218, (507) 537-7011
Dr. Tetta Askeland, Assistant Professor of Theatre, FA 219, (507) 537-6434

Entertainment and Theatre Arts Program, FA 207
Southwest Minnesota State University
1501 State Street
Marshall, MN  56258
Ph: (507) 537-7103

Thank you for your continued support of SMSU Theatre!