Education & Careers

Top Internship Programs for Building an Art & Design Portfolio

A curated selection of prestigious internships and fellowship opportunities tailored for art and design students. These roles prioritize hands-on creative work, mentorship, and the development of tangible portfolio pieces that demonstrate professional competency.

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Cooper Union Summer Program

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Offers intensive, credit-bearing courses in various design disciplines with access to top-tier studios and faculty. Students complete project-based assignments that serve as high-quality portfolio samples, emphasizing experimental design processes.

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RISD Museum Internships

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Provides hands-on experience in museum curation, education, and preservation within a world-class art institution. Interns contribute to exhibition planning and interpretive materials, creating tangible case studies for careers in arts administration.

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AIGA Student Design Awards

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While not a traditional employment internship, this platform allows students to showcase finished projects to industry leaders for critique and recognition. Winning or being a finalist provides significant portfolio validation and networking opportunities.

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Smithsonian Institution Internships

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Offers diverse opportunities across various museums, focusing on conservation, graphic design, and exhibit design. Interns work on real conservation projects or digital design assets, resulting in substantial professional-grade portfolio entries.

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Creative Mornings

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A global organization that hosts breakfast lectures featuring design leaders. Students can volunteer for local chapters, organizing events and managing social media, which demonstrates project management and community engagement skills in their portfolio.

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National Design Museum Internships

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Provides roles in graphic design, exhibition development, and public programs at the Cooper Hewitt. Interns assist in curating exhibits, allowing them to document their involvement in high-level design narrative structures.

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MoMA Learning Internships

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Focuses on educational content creation, digital design, and interactive media for the Museum of Modern Art. Interns develop learning materials that showcase their ability to translate complex art concepts into accessible visual designs.

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Pentagram Design Studio Fellowships

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Though highly competitive, fellowships at top-tier firms offer direct mentorship on client projects. Even junior roles or shadowing opportunities allow students to understand professional workflow and contribute to polished, final deliverables.

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Behance Featured Projects

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Submitting work to Behance can lead to features by Adobe or industry curators. This digital curation serves as an online portfolio hub, attracting recruiters and providing a public record of completed design challenges.

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Local Arts Council Internships

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Working with regional arts councils often involves grant writing, event coordination, and promotional design. These roles provide comprehensive experience in non-profit arts administration and tangible promotional materials for a portfolio.

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Design Observer Internships

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Offers opportunities in digital publishing, editing, and visual storytelling. Interns contribute to articles and visual essays, honing skills in editorial design and narrative development through published digital content.

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Studio Internships at Boutique Agencies

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Small, specialized design studios often offer close mentorship and broader responsibility than large agencies. Students typically handle end-to-end project phases, resulting in diverse portfolio pieces across branding, print, and digital media.

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Arts Council England Apprenticeships

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Provides paid apprenticeships in creative industries, combining work with formal training. Participants complete real-world projects for clients, building a robust portfolio of professional work under supervised guidance.

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Design Milk Internships

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A leading design platform offering opportunities in content creation, social media, and visual editing. Interns curate and design digital content, showcasing their ability to stay current with design trends and aesthetic sensibilities.

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Google Creative Internship

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For tech-focused design students, this internship offers work on product design and user experience. Completing a project for Google provides a prestigious case study demonstrating high-level UI/UX and problem-solving skills.

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Architectural Digest Home Design Internships

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Opportunities in editorial design, photography assistance, and content strategy for a premier lifestyle publication. Interns learn high-end visual storytelling and contribute to layouts that define contemporary interior design aesthetics.

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Design Boom Internships

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A global architecture and design magazine offering editorial and social media internships. Participants engage with global design trends, creating content that highlights international design movements and fosters global portfolio relevance.

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It's Nice That Internships

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A creative culture platform offering roles in editing, social media, and campaign development. Interns manage high-profile client campaigns, providing real-world examples of campaign strategy and visual execution for their portfolio.

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Core77 Design Internships

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Focuses on product and industrial design, offering roles in editorial content and community management. Interns analyze and present design case studies, refining their ability to articulate design thinking and process.

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The Dieline Internships

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The leading brand for packaging design, offering opportunities in editorial and awards coordination. Interns engage with global packaging trends, creating visual summaries and award submissions that showcase advanced branding skills.