Internship Structure
The internship component of the MA in Sound Arts and Industries is the culminating experience of the program, where students apply what they have learned in the classroom in an experiential format. This important aspect of the Sound MA program involves completing a minimum of 120 experiential learning hours during the summer quarter through an internship while enrolled in an online career development course. While students are responsible for securing their own internships, they do so with the guidance and support of an EPICS career coach. This hands-on experience not only reinforces classroom learning but also provides industry exposure, giving students a valuable edge in their professional development.
Internship Requirements
A full-time internship requires that students are gaining a minimum of 15 hours per week (for 8 weeks) of supervised experience in a role and within an organization relevant to the MA in Sound Arts and Industries curriculum.
Career Development in Sound
While students are completing their internship or thesis, they are enrolled in a 3-credit online course that provides intentional structure to maximize their summer experience. This course centers on career-related topics such as goal-setting, professional self-reflection, industry research, job search strategies, networking techniques, and more!
FAQs
How do students find an internship?
Students have access to the resources and services provided by External Programs, Internships, & Career Services (EPICS) and Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) for their internship search. Students can receive support with their search and application materials through career coaching and advising.
When can I complete my internship?
Full-time, for-credit internships take place in the summer quarter. Students are welcome and encouraged to find part-time internship experiences during the other quarters and can enroll in a non-credit course during the fall, winter, and spring quarters.
Where have students done internships and/or gone on to work after the program?
Students have diverse interests within the sound arts and industries. Below is a list of organizations and companies where students have completed internships and/or gone to work after finishing the program:
2112/Fort Knox Studios, American Public Media, Anthem Recording Company, Brainvolts Lab at Northwestern University, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Chicago Recording Company (CRC), Comma Music, Earhole Studios, Earlens, Electrical Audio (EA), Experimental Sound Studio (ESS), Fair Worlds, Footsteps Foley, iO Theatre, Jackbox Games, Jellyvision, the John Walt Foundation, Knowable, Metropolis Coffee, NFL Films, Noisefloor, the Northwestern Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, Periscope Post and Audio, Ravinia Festival, Rounder, Saavn, Shure, Inc., The Bunker Studios, The People’s Music School, The Truth Podcast, Utopic Films, Vanderbilt University Music, Mind, and Society and the Music Cognition Lab, Vox Media, Warner Media, Warner Music (Atlantic Records Division), Watchdog Media, WFMT, Wildwood Picture & Sound, Working Narratives, and with various sound artists, as sound artists and creators, and within academic institutions.
What if I’m not interested in an internship?
For students who are not interested in completing an internship or who may be at a point in their careers where an internship is not viable/desirable, thesis options are available. Students select a research topic and secure a thesis advisor, completing the thesis over the summer quarter while enrolled in the 3-credit career development course.