Internships & Other High Impact Experiences

Internship Programs

Ready to take your professional development on the road? SU interns can take part in experiences in New York, Washington, DC, London and Disney World.

  • New York Arts Program

    The New York Arts Program is designed to provide interested students in any major the opportunity to experience working in an arts-related field of their choice and earn up to 15 academic credits in the process.

    Selected students spend a semester living in New York City and working as an intern/apprentice. Former students have interned with Saturday Night Live, Glamour, Teen Vogue, NBC, MTV, VH1, Mary Zimmerman’s Arabian Nights, Strasburg Institute, Young People’s Chorus of NYC, and many others.

    The opportunities provided through the New York Arts Program are priceless and can often lead to related post-graduate career opportunities. For more information about the program, please contact Dana Luna, Assistant Director of Internship & Employment Development in the Center for Career & Professional Development, who serves as the On-Campus New York Arts Program Representative.

    Get Started

    Step 1: You must have approval to study off campus. APPLY to off-campus/study abroad

    Step 2: Get started on your New York Arts Program application. APPLY NOW to NYAP 

    Application Deadlines

    Applications are reviewed as they are received, so it’s to your advantage to apply early. Final deadlines are:

    Fall: March 1

    Spring: October 1

    Note:  There is no summer program available; however, program housing is available in the summers to those students who have completed the New York Arts Program.

    Southwestern University students have previously interned with the following organizations:

    • Ensemble Studio Theatre
    • Strasberg Institute
    • Tony Origlio Public Relations
    • Glamour Magazine
    • GOOD Music
    • Saturday Night Live Music
    • Art Studios of Sculptors
    • Charles Ross & Jill O’Brien
    • City Center Marketing and Development Department
    • Chicago City Limits
    • MTV, VH1
    • NBC, Entertainment Publicity
    • NBC Program Standards
    • Whitney Museum
    • Dixon Place Theatre
    • The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institue
    • Dodger Stage Holding Theatricals
    • Randy Carfagno, Puppeteer
    • House of Power Records
    • Rogers & Cowan
    • I Caramba Communications
    • Shaw Delany, Painter
    • Passport Recording
    • NBC Nightly News
    • Nancy Hoffman Gallery
    • W Magazine
  • SU London Semester

    During the SU London Semester program each fall, students can elect to take part in an academic internship through the program’s non-profit partner, IES Abroad, for a unique cultural perspective on the world of work and invaluable experience working abroad. When applying for the IES Abroad internship in London, students are placed in internships based on their academic backgrounds, interests, and previous work experiences, as articulated in their resumes and cover letters.

    SU London Semester Information Page and Application

  • SU Washington D.C. Semester

    Southwestern cooperates with the Capitol Hill Internship Program in Washington, D.C., through the United Methodist College Washington Consortium.

    This internship and academic program offers opportunities for coursework and internships in politics, economics, and foreign policy as well as journalism, fine arts, and architecture. Depending upon the specific program, students work as interns at the White House, on Capitol Hill, in the courts, or in public interest groups. Twelve to fifteen credit semester hours can transfer to Southwestern. Students live in flats on Capitol Hill. This program is open to students in all majors.

    SU Washington DC Semester Information Page and Application

    Previous internship sites: 

    • Human Rights Watch
    • Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange (exclusive opportunity to Southwestern students)
    • World Affairs Council of America
    • Council in Opportunity for Education
    • Feminist Majority Foundation
    • FDA Office of Orphan Products Development
    • Office Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
    • Children’s Defense Fund
    • House Ways and Means Committee
    • Department of State
    • National Water Resources Association
    • Center for Multi-Track Diplomacy
    • Smithsonian Museum