Internship+ Resources for Con Faculty

Beginning with the Class of 2025, all Oberlin students will be eligible to receive up to $5,000 to support an unpaid or underpaid high-quality summer internship, research experience, or other pre-professional performance-based opportunity during the summer following their junior year. The Oberlin $5,000 pledge supports the integration of co-curricular experiences with the curricular program and ensures that all students, regardless of background, have access to experiences that enrich their academic pursuits and help them launch successfully from Oberlin.

Students in their junior year may apply for up to $5,000 in funding to support a pre- professional summer experience.

More about Internship+

Opportunity Requirements

1. In order to be eligible for funding, students will be expected to participate in a high-quality opportunity. For Conservatory students, this includes established summer festival programs, conferences, or internships. Competitions and private lessons will not be considered for Internship+ funding, however, students may apply to the Student Success Fund to support those types of opportunities. To ensure that the experience is a high-quality opportunity, we will rely on the student’s studio faculty and/or primary advisor to approve the experience, and we plan to include members of the faculty in the panel or committee that reviews the applications.
2. For Conservatory students choosing music festival participation, the summer opportunity must be a minimum of four weeks in duration. The four weeks can be split throughout the summer (e.g. a two-week program in May combined with a two-week program in July). Students choosing a traditional internship experience must work a minimum of eight weeks at 25 hours per week for a total minimum of 200 hours.

Student Requirements

1. Students must be in their junior year either in the fall or spring semester of any given academic year to be eligible for funding the following summer. This ensures that December graduates will also be eligible to participate in the Internship+ program. Students should check with the Registrar for final determinations on eligibility.
2. In parallel with the Career Exploration and Development Center (CED) Junior Practicum program, Conservatory students must complete one of the following in order to be eligible for Internship+ funding:
   • PROF 200: Professional Development for Musicians (4 credit course offered every fall semester)
   • LEAD 375: Career Readiness for Musicians (2 credit course offered every spring semester)
   • A minimum of three workshops offered by CED and/or Conservatory Professional Development (such as the Professional Development Speaker Series) and a Digication e-portfolio.
3. The student’s primary (studio) teacher and/or primary advisor must approve the student’s proposed summer experience(s). Conservatory Professional Development will create and distribute a simple form that the faculty member will submit on behalf of each participating junior.
4. Students will complete an application that includes a budget outlining their anticipated expenses and any income related to their summer opportunity. Students who are defined as high-need and extremely high-need may request additional supplemental funding up to $700 from CED. Eligible expenses include festival tuition, housing, travel, and food.
5. International students are welcome to participate in the Internship+ program and we encourage students to meet with International Student and Scholar Services for Optional Practical Training (OPT) advice.