Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design

Internships are periods of practical experience in a textile or textile-related field. This experience supplements the coursework and gives you valuable experience in a career. It might also be useful to let you understand what you don’t want to do when you graduate.
 It is unrealistic to do an internship without some background knowledge gained from coursework, so internships are carried out in the junior or senior year. For some areas of internship there are preferred course prerequisites.
If you are interested in an internship, first, determine what kind of an internship you want. Then approach the appropriate faculty member to arrange the details (i.e., requirements, placement, application procedure, and registration). You will need an override form signed by the instructor to register for TMD 461 and/or TMD 462, the course codes for internships. Consult the faculty areas of specialization below in making your choice.

Below are some of the more recent internships: they give an idea of the variety of experiences that enhance the value of the TMD and TM degrees we offer.  

Summer 2009 internships:

Summer 2008 internships:

Areas of Specialization and TMD Faculty

Fashion Merchandising/Marketing: retailing, wholesaling, manufacturing, forecasting or product development.  Prerequisites may apply.
·        Dr. Yvette Harps-Logan, Quinn 309A
·        Dr. Sookhyun Kim, Quinn 309B
·        Dr Claire Kapstein Quinn 10

Interior Design: interior space planning, furniture, furnishings, or research.  TMD 226 and 326 are suggested as prerequisites.
·        Gideon Loewenstein, Quinn 302

Textile Science: textile production or laboratory, working in areas such as dyeing and finishing, quality assurance testing.  TMD 303 and 313 should be taken prior to an internship.
·        Dr. Martin Bide, Quinn 311

Apparel Design/Development:  textile and apparel design and construction, pattern making, styling in a textile or apparel firm. Students should take TMD 222 before this internship and other apparel courses as appropriate to the position.
·        Dr. Susan Hannel, Qinn 309C
·        Dr Claire Kapstein Quinn 10

Historic Textiles and Costume:  work in an historical society, museum, or textile conservation laboratory.  Students should have at least one course of the historic sequence (TMD 240/440/441) before this internship.
·        Dr. Margaret Ordoñez, Quinn 211A
·        Dr. Linda Welters, Quinn 303

Note:   

1.   The above faculty have primary responsibility for these areas, but other faculty may supervise internships.
2.      TMD faculty are expected to contact internship supervisors at least twice during the internship.  This contact should be documented by either letter or email.

SYLLABUS

TMD 461, 462: Internship (1-6 credits)                                                            Fall/Spring/Summer

THE COURSE

TMD 461 and 462 are the course codes for supervised internships in TMD.  A wide range of internships is possible in a variety of areas covered by the TMD curriculum:  merchandising, retailing, marketing, product development, interior design, textile science, apparel design, and historic areas.  Additional information is on the accompanying guideline sheet.  Details internships will vary depending on the area in which the experience is gained.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1.   To allow students to apply the materials covered in coursework in a practical setting 
2.   To provide experience that supplements curriculum coursework
3.   To give direction in career choice
4.   To provide hands-on experience that will enhance future careers
5.   To work and see how people/departments work in a corporate/institutional structure.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The student performs the internship on site at the sponsoring organization.  The details of the work to be performed, the hours of work, the learning outcomes and the remuneration (if any) will be the subject of a contract to be signed by the student, faculty supervisor and the internship supervisor.  

To ensure that the learning goals are accomplished, students will be required to provide a weekly report in the form of a written journal.  A final report at the end of the internship will be required.  The form of this report and any additional requirements will depend on the area of internship and the supervisor.  See the "Guidelines" at the end of this syllabus. The internship supervisor (employer) will be asked to fill out a student evaluation form that will be used in the grading process.

PREREQUISITES

Junior standing, minimum 2.5 gpa, and permission of instructor.

PROCEDURE

1.      Prior to the first day of classes in a semester, but preferably the semester before, the student consults with an instructor with expertise in the particular subject area who is willing to suggest strategies to find a position and supervise the internship.

2.      Three ways an internship can be identified are: 

• a company contacts the department about an internship position, 

• faculty suggests possibilities for the student to explore, or

• the student finds the position (opportunities posted on bulletin board in the department).

3.      Once a position has been identified, the student obtains a detailed outline of the job responsibilities from the employer.

4.      After further consultation with the instructor, the student completes the contract.  This involves describing the nature of the duties and responsibilities of the position, the learning objectives of the experience, and how they fit the TMD/TM curriculum. It also includes the number of hours to be worked, the number of credits to be earned, and the detailed means by which the student will be evaluated.  The student, employer, instructor, and department chairperson sign the contract.

5.      The student registers for the course by a permission number from the supervising faculty.   This is done by the final add date in the semester during which the internship work is done.

POLICIES

No more than 12 credits may be earned through TMD 461/462.  Only 3 credits of TMD 461/462 can be included as "TMD electives" in the TMD or TM curriculum.  The number of credits to be earned for a particular internship will be based on the number of hours involved (with a minimum of 45 hours worked per credit) and the quality and variety of work undertaken (i.e. a placement in which the student does essentially repetitive duties that do not vary during the internship would be limited in the number of credits).  The faculty supervisor in conjunction with the employer will determine the number of credits.  Further policy details will depend on the area in which the internship is based. 
A student cannot receive internship credit for work previously completed.

GRADES

The means of evaluating a particular internship will be determined as part of the initial contract.  Typically, however, grades will be based on:

1.      Daily or weekly journal.

2.      Final report, internship-based project, work portfolio (See guidelines below).

3.      Supervisor assessments (Samples attached).

Guidelines for writing internship reports
The exact style and nature of the report will be decided ahead of time via the "internship contract" but usually will include the following:

1. A regular routine report, dealing with short periods of time (daily or weekly).  This should be a reflective exercise, as well as giving a list of duties and experiences.   It should include the student's reactions to new situations and how the internship uses prior experience and coursework.

2.      2. A final report of a minimum of 1500 words for 3 credits to be agreed upon with faculty advisor.  This should include elements of the following:

·         An overview of the organization at which the internship was undertaken: its size, organization, functions, etc.

·         A report of the student's role and responsibilities during the internship.

·         A statement of what the student learned through the course of the internship.

·         A summary of the daily/weekly journal.

·         A list of courses that helped most to prepare you for the internship.

The company may need to review the report before it is submitted; avoid including proprietary information.

Depending on the specific area of study, further materials such as a project report or a portfolio of work may be required.

INTERNSHIP CONTRACT (TMD 461, 462) 

Procedure

1. Prior to the first day of classes in a semester, the student consults with an instructor with expertise in the particular subject area who is willing to suggest strategies to find a position and supervise the internship.
2. Once a position has been identified the student obtains a detailed outline of the job responsibilities from the employer.
3. After further consultation with the instructor, the student completes the contract.  This involves describing the nature of the duties and responsibilities of the position, the learning objectives of the experience, and how they fit the TMD/TM curriculum. It also includes the number of hours to be worked, the number of credits to be earned, and the detailed means by which the student will be evaluated.  The student, employer, instructor, and department chairperson sign the contract. 
4. The student registers for the course by a permission number from the supervising faculty.  This is done by the final add date in the semester during which the internship work is done.

TMD 461/2 Internship evaluation

Please rate the student intern in each criterion on a 1-5 scale where 1 is poor, 3 is average, and 5 is outstanding: Additionally, please comment on the student’s strengths and areas that need improvement.

Strengths:

Areas needing attention:

Signed: ____________________________ (Internship Supervisor) Date: ____________

 Return this evaluation to: ____________________________________

 Return to TMD Advising Guide

Return to TMD home page

Return to TMD Course Listing