Office of the Vice President for the Arts
SIPA – FAQs
Student Eligibility
Absolutely! SIPA opportunities are designed to help you take the first step in exploring career pathways in the arts. The majority of SIPA participants have never completed an internship in the arts (or even a formal internship.) Students accepted into the program participate in an online orientation that will provide a solid foundation for you to maximize your summer experience.
No. We encourage students from all majors/backgrounds to apply. However, for some types of internships (such as curatorial and artistic development), students have found it helpful to have completed some coursework related to their internship field before the beginning of the summer. You can always take a preparatory course Spring Quarter before you start your internship.
It depends. Please contact program staff to discuss before making any additional commitments outside of SIPA.
Application
It depends on your learning goals for the summer:
- If you want to learn more about how to be involved in the arts ecosystem beyond being an artist, SIPA is a great fit.
- If you are interested in working at the intersection of arts & social justice; apprenticing with an established artist; completing an independent, community-based project, consider applying for the Lyric McHenry Community Arts Fellowship (CAF).
- If you want to do an international internship, the Stanford Global Studies (SGS) Internship Program is a great option.
Students can either apply for the pre-arranged or self-designed tracks, not both.
- For the pre-arranged track you can rank your top two preferred positions.
- For the self-designed track, you can only apply for one internship position at a single organization.
SIPA's focus is on arts administration and working with organizations. If you are interested in pursuing a community or independent project (such as making a film, apprenticing with an artist, pursuing a writing project, developing community artwork, etc.) you are encouraged to explore the following Stanford opportunities:
For both program tracks, you only need to provide the name and contact information of one (1) professional reference. Your reference provider can be a Stanford faculty, academic staff, professional staff member, or a work/internship supervisor (current or former). Your reference does not need to submit anything as part of your application. Program staff will let you know if there is a need to contact your reference.
Find a Host Organization for a Self-Designed Internship
Check Handshake and the organization's website to see if they've posted any current opportunities for students. If nothing is listed you can also try reaching out to the organization directly as part of your internship search strategy.
No. SIPA internships must be with organizations based in the United States.
If you are interested in international opportunities you may want to consider the following opportunities:
No. SIPA stipends only support full-time internships with a single, eligible organization. Stipends do not support multiple placements (e.g. two part-time internships.)
Ultimately you will need to select one organization for your SIPA application. We encourage students to make their choices based on individual learning goals rather than organizational prestige.
Yes! Our program is a strong supporter of paid internships. If you are accepted into SIPA you will be eligible for both the payment from your host organization and the full SIPA stipend.
Yes. You can send this form via SOLO before you submit your full application. Applications are not complete until all materials have been received. If your host organization has any questions about the form and/or SIPA, please have them contact program staff.
It depends:
- The internship must align with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines for internships. Host organizations will be required to attest to complying with these guidelines as part of the Host Organization Questionnaire.
- Review our Host Organization Eligibility Criteria to ensure your proposed internship is eligible.
If you're still unsure, contact program staff to discuss your proposed internship.
Selection
Competition for SIPA varies from year to year. Competition is based on the applicant pool and it is impossible to determine in advance how many students will apply. The amount of funding available determines the number of SIPA internship awards available each year. Applicants are encouraged to discuss options with their host organization in the event that they're not selected for a SIPA stipend.
If you choose to take the other opportunity, please communicate your decision to both us and, if you're applying for the self-designed track, your potential host organization.
After Your Internship
Many self-designed internships funded through SIPA are Cardinal Quarter-eligible.
Students are eligible for the Cardinal Service Notation after completing one of the following:
- Cardinal Courses: Students complete a minimum of twelve units in certified Cardinal Courses (students must take courses for a letter grade if offered), and receive a 3.0 or higher in all courses; or
- Cardinal Quarter: Students successfully complete a full-time (minimum 35 hours per week), quarter-long (minimum 8 weeks) public service experience.
Students who complete the requirements for both the Cardinal Quarter and the Cardinal Courses need only apply under one of the categories. Choose the experience that most influenced your overall education and experience here at Stanford, and share with us why in your academic integration statement.
Prior SIPA participants are welcome to apply again in a future year. However, the selection committee will generally give priority to students who have not yet participated in SIPA or the Lyric McHenry Community Arts Fellowship (CAF), our sibling program.
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Reach out with questions:
