Internships are another increasingly common form of experiential learning. The idea is to provide students with direct experience in a work setting—usually related to their career interests—and to give them the benefit of supervision and coaching from professionals in the field. If the internship is taken for course credit [as an independent study], students complete a project or paper that is approved by a faculty member. From High-Impact Educational Practices: A Brief Overview.
Familiarizing ourselves with professional associations in a career we are considering is a wonderful way to learn about the current issues impacting the field as well as the direction the field is heading. Professional associations offer memberships and development opportunities; often have scholarships, grants, and awards; host conferences where folks can network in person (or virtually) and share their scholarship; may have publications--generally peer-reviewed journals; and usually have resources for students and new professionals, including mentoring programs.
The premiere association for the arts in academia is CAA:
Associations in alphabetical order:
More Information on Professional Organizations:
