PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
Students must complete two different practical experiences to fulfill the requirements for the Museums Concentration. These may include internships and paid or volunteer work. Students who choose a specific area of focus for the Concentration (Curatorial, Education, Art Conservation) are encouraged to complete at least one practical experience in that area. The Smith College Career Development Office and the staff of the Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) can provide information on potential museum-based work experiences, but it is the student's responsibility to arrange for two relevant experiences.
To count towards the Museums Concentration, an internship, volunteer or work experience must meet the following requirements:*
- Consist of 150 hours of work (roughly equivalent to a year-long campus commitment or a 1-month full-time internship) or meet the specific SCMA program requirements listed below. When possible, internships of longer duration are strongly encouraged.
- Focus on substantive, content-based work (documented as described here).
- Receive prior approval from your Concentration adviser using the Practical Experience Approval form, available below. If you do not yet have a Concentration adviser, submit the form to Maggie Lind for approval (campus address: Museum of Art, Tryon Hall).
If you already completed one or more Practical Experiences before entering the Museums Concentration program, you are still eligible to receive credit for these experiences. Instructions are provided on the Retroactive Internship Approval form.
Forms
Practical Experience Approval Form (Microsoft Word document)
Supervisor Evaluation Form (Microsoft Word document)
Retroactive Internship Approval (Microsoft Word document)
SCMA Program Requirements to Receive Concentration Credit
Student Museum Educator (SME) Program
- Participation for one full academic year
- Full attendance at Monday training sessions
- No more than 1 excused absence from office hours per semester
- Work at 2 SCMA Family Days for the full day (Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
- Lead at least 2 tours per semester
- Complete all weekly assignments (ex. readings, tour script drafts, etc.)
Frame Conservation Apprenticeship Program
- Participation for one full academic year
- Students need to work in the lab an average of three hours per week
- New students need to attend the training sessions on either Thursday or Friday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. for the first two months of the semester
- Students are required to keep a daily journal of their work
- Students will have to produce a finished document with illustrations and photographs summarizing their treatments of the frames they have worked on
*As a general rule, students are encouraged to apply for Praxis funding for one of their practical experiences. Any internship that receives Praxis funding must meet separate qualifications detailed by the Career Development Office.
