Growing Divides: Historical and Emerging Inequalities in Arts Internships - Spring 2021 Special Report

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Angel

Special Report SPRING 2021 examines historical shifts and emerging inequalities in the arts internship economy, drawing on SNAAP internship module data from 2015–2017. It shows internships have nearly doubled for arts and design students around pre- and post-2003 cohorts, while paid internships transition students into first paid employment more effectively but overall post-2008 transitions from internship to work have become more tenuous. Findings highlight growing competition, unpaid opportunities with lower rewards, and persistent inequities driven by race, affluence, and first-generation status.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Executive Summary

Introduction

Internship characteristics

Support: finding and affording internships

Experiences and outcomes

In their own words: feedback from alumni

Conclusion

References

snaap special report SPRING 2021 GROWING DIVIDES: Historical and Emerging Inequalities in Arts Internships Alexandre Frenette with Gillian Gualtieriand Megan Robinson GROWING DIVIDES: Historical and Emerging Inequalities in Arts Internships Alexandre Frenette with Gillian Gualtieriand Megan Robinson CONTENTS 1. Foreword by Douglas Dempster 2. Executive Summary 3. Introduction 4. Internship characteristics General characteristics The rise of multiple internships Why intern? 5. Support: finding and affording internships Finding internships Primary means of support Why not intern? 6. Experiences and outcomes Mentorship and creative judgment From school to work Satisfaction with internship experience 7. In their own words: feedback from alumni Finding internships Guidance Oversight Financial concerns Positive experiences 8. Conclusion 9. References 3 4 4 6 9 12 15 20 21 Foreword “Growing Divides: Historical and Emerging Inequalities in Arts Internships” is the 11th major research report commissioned by the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project. The report, authored by Alexandre Frenette, Gillian Gualtieri and Megan Robinson of the Curb Center at Vanderbilt University, is a revealing deep dive into the efficacy, popularity and growing inequities that are reshaping what they call the “intern” economy. Over the last ten years the gold standard of postsecondary accountability has shifted decisively toward gainful employment measures. It is no longer enough that colleges provide affordable access to a demographically diverse student population or achieve high yields of timely degree completion. Colleges increasingly must demonstrate that they are achieving acceptable returns on public investments in higher education as measured by graduates achieving acceptable earnings. Our curricula have become increasingly professionalized in response. And students’ educational efforts, as revealed in this research, have become increasingly motivated by career aspirations or, perhaps, employment anxiety. This is nowhere more evident than in the rapid growth of internships as an integral and transitional feature of art and design curricula. The authors quote a 2013 graduate saying,“My internship…opened the door to my entire career” and students and parents and arts school faculty and administrators are beating a path through that door. Frenette [et al. discover](et al. discover) in the SNAAP data that internship participation has nearly doubled among arts and design school students among the cohorts graduating before and after 2003. Their research also reveals that internships, especially paid internships, have proved impressively effective at transitioning students into first paid employment in the arts and predicting durability in those careers. But they also observe that since the Great Recession of 2008,“the transition from internship to employment has become increasingly tenuous.” “Growing Divides” exposes important emerging trends that deserve greater attention and proactive energy from arts schools: n Competition among students for internship opportunities, especially the best of these opportunities, is becoming greater. n A growing percentage of all internship opportunities are unpaid and, prove to be less rewarding and less professionally preparatory for interns. n Schools are not doing enough to originate and place students in well-designed and carefully curated internships. n Schools are doing a better job of reducing the tuition cost of for-credit internships, but need todo more to underwrite non-paying or low-paying internships for students without the personal or family resources needed for an internship. n Most urgently—but not surprisingly—white, affluent, non-first-generation students garner the most and best internship opportunities exacerbating intramural inequities in educational opportunity. Arts school executives and faculty need

FAQs

What data sources does the report use to analyze arts internships?

The report draws on the SNAAP internship module fielded in 2015–2017 and also references several years of SNAAP data, including comparisons across cohorts graduating before and after 2003.

How do the report’s findings describe the growth and effectiveness of internships?

Internship participation among arts and design students nearly doubled across earlier and later cohorts, and paid internships are described as especially effective at transitioning students into first paid employment and predicting career durability.

What inequalities does the report emphasize in internship access and outcomes?

It highlights that competition is increasing, unpaid opportunities are growing, and the best internships disproportionately benefit white, affluent, non-first-generation students, worsening intramural educational inequities.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Angel