SIPA – How to Apply
Application information for Summer 2023 will be available in late October 2022. Sign up for the ArtsUpdate to receive the latest updates and announcements.
Overview
The Stanford Internship Program in Arts Administration (SIPA) is a funding program that supports the exploration of career pathways in the arts. SIPA is part of Cardinal Quarter, a campus-wide experiential learning initiative.
SIPA is a self-designed internship stipend program. SIPA interns spend the summer quarter working full-time with a supervisor/mentor in a United States-based arts organization of their choice. Students accepted into SIPA receive a stipend from Stanford to assist with living costs during their internship.
Info Sessions:
- TBD (Fall 2022): Cardinal Quarter Opportunity Fair
Application Deadlines:
- March 2023: Cycle A Application Deadline
- April 2023: Cycle B Application Deadline
Review the "Application Timeline" section below for additional details.
Disability Accomodations
If you need a disability-related accommodation and/or need to receive any internship information/application in alternate format, please contact the Diversity & Access Office at, at phone: (650) 725-0326 or email: disability.access@stanford.edu.
How It Works
Step 1: Choose a program track
Option: Apply for and secure an eligible, off-campus internship
- All internships must be full-time (32-35 hours/week) and last 8-10 weeks during the summer.
- Internship must take place at a qualifying host organization.
- Internship is in the field of arts administration
- Arts administration captures a variety of administrative and support roles that facilitate artistic and cultural expression. Typically arts administrators work in organizations of all sizes but they can also be found as freelancers, in collectives, consultancies, government, and more. Arts administrators come from a variety of backgrounds including (but not limited to) practicing artists, business, arts scholars, public policy, education, community organizing, and technology.
- Arts administration can also referred to as arts management, arts leadership, cultural management, cultural policy, entertainment, and the creative industries.
- SIPA stipends are prioritized for opportunities that are otherwise unpaid/uncompensated.
- If a host organization has already committed to provide a stipend or other form of compensation, we may prorate a student's SIPA stipend. Program staff will contact all host organizations to verify the amount of any compensation or stipend provided to SIPA interns.
You must secure your internship prior to submitting your SIPA funding application.
All proposed host organizations for SIPA must meet the following eligibility criteria. Please contact Sabrina Wilensky if you are unsure as to whether your proposed organization qualifies for SIPA.
If your potential host organization has questions about the program please direct them to our resource page for organizational partners. Your organization contact can also reach out to our program staff for additional information.
- Arts focus: Host organizations are typically arts or cultural organizations. Placements will be considered at other types of organizations (e.g. health, legal, community development) as long as the proposed project is centered on the arts.
- Located in the United States: The organization must have a headquarters located in the United States. The internship workplace must also be located in the United States.
- Students interested in global internship opportunities should explore opportunities for self-designed placements through the Global Studies internship program.
- Political-related opportunities: SIPA funding cannot be used for work with political campaigns or partisan organizations (including any official party work).
- Research-related opportunities: Research-focused opportunities will not be considered. For grants supporting research, please explore the grants offered through Undergraduate Research.
- Stanford-based opportunities: A goal of Cardinal Quarter-affiliated is for students to get away from campus, and to engage in the community with an established community partner. Opportunities based at Stanford do not qualify for VPA-sponsored fellowships.
- For-profit organizations: SIPA host organizations are typically nonprofits or government agencies. For-profit entities may be allowed if the proposed work and organization meet the following conditions: (i) the work/activity is primarily intended to create or provide a public benefit, (ii) the entity has explicitly and publicly articulated the intention to benefit the public and has integrated this intention in both internal- and external-facing documents, and (iii) the entity has agreed to, and has expressed a willingness to support, student exploration of the public value of the enterprise and/or the development of a civic identity as part of their engagement.
- Fees for placement/sending organizations: SIPA funds cannot be used to pay fees to third-party placement organizations or volunteer sending organizations.
- Faith-based organizations: Working with a faith-based organization can be supported by a SIPA fellowship, but the organization must be inclusive in who they serve, non-proselytizing and nonpartisan.
- Supervisor/Mentor Requirement: All interns must have a supervisor/mentor at their host organization. The mentor/supervisor must be a staff member of the organization (i.e., not a volunteer) who works on-site full time. The mentor/supervisor may not be the fellow’s family member, and the host organization cannot be owned or run by the fellow’s family member.
- Safety: Although Stanford is providing funding for a project or has recommended a student for a project, Stanford’s evaluation of the project has been limited to the merits of the student’s fellowship application. VPA staff do not necessarily have direct experience with, nor do we professionally endorse, partner organizations. Among other things, Stanford is not in the position to evaluate, and therefore has not evaluated, whether the project will take place in a safe and secure environment. Stanford is not responsible for matters that are beyond its control, and cannot warrant the safety or convenience of the circumstances under which the student will be traveling, living or working. Students are solely responsible for evaluating the safety of the environment in which they will be traveling and/or working and for taking appropriate precautions to safeguard their health and personal belongings.
- Remote Work: SIPA is designed as an experiential learning opportunity, and as such, we expect interns to work on-site at their host organizations during their fellowship experiences (health and safety conditions permitting). Some hybrid or fully virtual experiences may be allowed on a case-by-case basis, dependent on the needs and capacities of the host organizations. If an intern is engaging in a virtual experience, we expect the intern to be situated in a similar time zone as the host organization supervisor and team members in order to facilitate synchronous project collaborations. An intern who is approved for a fully virtual experience will not receive a cost-of-living adjustment to the base stipend.
- Start your search process early! Every organization has a different timeline for their summer recruitment--some applications are due in December, while others may be due in March or April.
- Our Application Resources page has tips and guides for finding an internship and preparing your SIPA application.
- If your potential host organization has questions about SIPA you can point them to our partner resource page.
Thank you for hosting a Stanford intern during Summer 2022. The following guide contains details and requirements for this year's program. We encourage host organizations to review the materials prior to your intern's first day.
Step 2: Apply to SIPA
- Open to current Stanford undergraduate and co-term students from all academic disciplines.
- Priority will be given to students who have not previously participated in SIPA or the Lyric McHenry Community Arts Fellowship.
- Graduating seniors and co-terms: May be given lower priority for SIPA. Graduating seniors and co-terms may not be eligible for additional financial aid beyond the base stipend amount and cannot receive both SIPA and a postgraduate fellowship in the same year.
- Internships can only be completed during Summer Quarter.
- Students must have completed two full-time enrolled quarters this academic year by the time their internship opportunity begins, but these quarters do not have to be consecutive.
- Students are only eligible for one Stanford-funded full-time experiential learning opportunity during the 2021-22 academic year (inclusive of summer). If students choose to participate in SIPA or CAF, they will not be eligible for another Stanford-sponsored full-time funding opportunity (e.g., another Cardinal Quarter opportunity, Global Studies Internship Program, Undergraduate Research Major Grants, Chappell Lougee, VPA Senior Grant, full-time departmental and faculty research grants, Beagle II Award, etc.).
Applications are only accepted through SOLO and include the following:
- Basic applicant info (Name, SUID#, Stanford email, major/program)
- Personal statement (as a PDF)
- What are your learning goals for participating in SIPA?
- Why do you want to intern at this specific organization? What elements of the organization's mission/activities particularly resonate with you?
- What skills/experiences can you offer the organization?
- Resume (as a PDF)
- Unofficial transcript (as PDF)
- One (1) Recommendation form from a Stanford faculty, academic staff, professional staff member, or a work/internship supervisor (current or former). Recommendation forms are submitted online via SOLO.
- One (1) Host Organization Questionnaire, to be completed individual representing your proposed host organization who can answer questions pertaining to the organization and your proposed internship experience. The questionnaire is submitted online via SOLO.
Applications will not be considered complete until all materials have been received. Please make sure to communicate deadlines with your recommendation form provider and host organization.
Visit the Application Resources page for additional tips!
SIPA is only available for Summer 2022 internships. Students interested in opportunities during the academic year can apply for funding through the Haas Center’s Cardinal Quarter program.
Info Sessions:
- November 10 & 12: Cardinal Quarter Opportunity Fair
Application Timeline:
- November 29, 2021: Application opens
- February 8, 2022 @ 11:59pm (Pacific): Priority (Round 1) Application deadline
- Both your recommendation form and the Host Organization Questionnaire are due by this deadline!
- late February 2022: Semi-finalist interviews may take place for selected candidates.
- early March 2022: Round 1 finalists notified. Students will have up to 48 hours to accept/decline an offer.
- March 14, 2022 @ 11:59pm (Pacific): Round 2 Application deadline
- Both your recommendation form and the Host Organization Questionnaire are due by this deadline!
- mid March: Semi-finalist interviews may take place for selected candidates.
- late March: Round 2 finalists notified. Students will have up to 48 hours to accept/decline an offer.
- May 2022: All Students complete online orientation via Canvas.
- late May 2022: Stipends paid via Student Financial Services.
- June/July 2022: Internships begin
- August/September 2022: Internships end
Application Priorities
For Summer 2022 we are prioritizing applications as follows:
- Group 1: Current frosh, sophomores, juniors, and rising co-terms (returning to campus in Fall 2022) who have not yet participated in SIPA or CAF (our sibling program); and who have eligible unpaid internships
- Group 2: All other current frosh, sophomores, juniors, and rising co-terms (returning to campus in Fall 2022) who have not yet participated in SIPA or CAF
- Group 3: Graduating seniors and co-terms who have not yet participated in SIPA or CAF
- Group 4: Past SIPA and CAF participants
Students who apply during Round 1 and are part of Groups 2-4 may have their applications deferred until Round 2. We will notify all students who are impacted.
Evaluation Criteria
All applicants should exhibit a demonstrated interest in the arts that relates to a particular field of study. Applicants vary in academic interests, community service involvement and experience. Application materials should reflect a students interest in this specific organization and internship opportunity.
- Students will receive a base stipend of $5,500 for for 2021-22 internships, plus financial aid and/or a cost-of-living supplement, if eligible.
- For international students: Stipend will be paid through Stanford. Contact the Bechtel Center to review any additional paperwork/authorizations that may be required in order to participate.
- Stipends will be paid once students complete all pre-participation requirements and finalize their internship placement.
SIPA stipends are calculated for each individual based on the following:
- Stipend Base for All Students (to help support basic living expenses during the internship): $5,500
- Need-based Supplement (based on information from the Financial Aid Office): Up to $1,500, depending on the Financial Aid Office's assessment
- Location-based Supplement (based on where the student is living during the internship and the location of the organization):
- $0 for remote internships
- $500 for interns living and interning with organizations in Boulder, Seattle, Honolulu, and Boston
- $1,000 for interns living and interning with organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Los Angeles-area, New York City, and Washington D.C.
Interns may be required to work remotely during their internship depending on the forthcoming University policy regarding Summer 2022.
For Academic Year 2021-22 (inclusive of summer 2022), proof of vaccination will be required for all undergraduate travel, with no exceptions. The final decision to proceed with domestic and international learning opportunities is dependent upon factors such as a continued decline in case numbers and increase in vaccinations in specific locations. Policies regarding travel (domestic or international) and experiential learning opportunities will be updated as University policies evolve. Visit Health Alerts for Stanford travelers for the most current travel guidance and restrictions due to COVID-19.
Travel Reservations Requirement: SIPA recipients are required to utilize Stanford Travel, a centralized booking program, when booking air fare, hotels, or rental cars for their internship experiences.
Contact:
Sabrina Wilensky (she/her)
Manager of Grants and Programs
Office of the Vice President for the Arts
swilensk@stanford.edu
