Arts & Culture Track

The arts play a vital role in Boston's daily life. The city's cultural offerings include everything from small gallery shows and world-class museum exhibits to productions in the Theatre District; historic preservation projects in the Back Bay; outdoor concerts at the Hatch Shell; and summer festivals on the Common.

From art history to film and the performing arts, students explore topics and in arts and culture and gain valuable hands-on experience through internships in local arts organizations.

Perspectives from an Intern
" I had a great internship. No textbook could ever teach me what I have learned. The work experience was great, and the classes prepared me for my internship."

Shih-Ling Luke, Syracuse University
Intern, Danforth Museum

Summer 1: The Academic Phase
(May 19 – June 26, 2009)

The dates for the 2010 program have not been announced yet. Please check back on December 15 for next summer's information.

You’ll spend your first six weeks of the Summer Study Internship Program taking two 4-credit courses chosen from the following offerings in arts and culture, including courses in archaeology, American studies, literature, film, and art history. The course section has course descriptions and schedules.

Select Two:

  • CAS AH 111 Introduction to Art History I: Antiquity to the Middle Ages

    • An introduction to art history and the analysis of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other arts. Study of masterpieces of Western Art from prehistoric to dawn of Renaissance. Focus on monuments of Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages, with a survey of Egyptian and Near Eastern art.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Nieciecki CAS 229 M, W 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
  • CAS AH 112 Introduction ot Art History II: Renaissance to Today

    • Major monuments and artists. Sequential development from the late Renaissance to the modern period of major styles in architecture, sculpture, painting, graphic arts, and photography. Relationship of visual art to social and cultural trends.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Linssen CAS 229 M, W 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM
  • CAS AH 210 Learning to See

    • Offering training in the perception, description, and comparison of works of art, this course is intended for students of art history, studio art, engineering, science, and anyone else with an interest in an enhanced experience of the visual environment. Through discussions in the classroom and trips to local museums, objects are considered in regard to their historical functions. Regular writing assignments involving description and comparison are intended to make the student a stronger writer and a sharper observer.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Ribner CAS 303A M, W 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM
  • CAS AH 275 Baroque Art

    • A study of the major artists and patrons in the seventeenth century in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and France. The work of Caravaggio, Bernini, Velazquez, Rubens, Rembrandt, Poussin, and other masters will be viewed in relation to religion and politics.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Anderson CAS 229 M, W 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM
  • CAS AH 333 The Art of Classical Greece

    • An in-depth examination of the sculpture, painting, and architecture of the Classical Period, approximately 480-323 BCE. Emphasis placed on the developing ideologies that shaped artistic production following the Persian wars, the use of myth as "history" in social and political contexts, and the emergence of the individual.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Westervelt CAS 229 T, R 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM
  • CAS AH 392 Twentieth-Century Art from 1940 to 1980

    • An exploration of the major currents in European and American art between 1940 and 1980. Examines abstract expressionism, pop art, minimalism, earthworks, and conceptual art in relation to major issues in postwar culture, politics, and art criticism.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Ribner CAS 229 T, R 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM
  • CAS AH 530 Chinese and Japanese Calligraphy: History, Theory, and Practice

    • A hands-on introduction to the practice, history, and theory of the art of Chinese and Japanese calligraphy. The related art of seal carving is also introduced. Studio sessions in which students practice calligraphy are an integral part of the course.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Bai CAS 311 T, R 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
  • CAS AM 371 Art and Architecture in Boston

    • Studies the art and architecture of Boston through lectures, readings, walking tours, and gallery visits. Explores Boston’s neighborhoods and the works of major artists, sculptors, and architects working in Boston. Themes include the emergence of the museum as a cultural force and the city’s interpretations of, and contribution to, European and American art and architecture.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Orwig CAS B18B T, R 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    SA1 Orwig HIS 110 T, R 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
  • CAS WS 346 Women and Film

    • Study of primarily American films, exploring how the medium has shaped and been shaped by cultural perceptions of women. Readings provide background for interpretation of films ranging from screwball comedy to film noir, "women's films," and films by women directors   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Gottfried SHA 210 T, R 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
  • CFA DR 123 Acting for Non–Theatre Majors I

    • Introductory level of theatrical exercises, improvisations, and short scenes to teach the fundamentals of acting.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Vaan Hogue CFA 356 T, R 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM
  • CFA DR 128 Acting: Comedy

    • Prereq: Introductory acting course or consent of instructor. An advanced acting course with an emphasis on the study and performance of contemporary comedy, utilizing daily exercises, improvisations, scripted scene work, and stand-up monologues.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
  • CFA MU 246 Popular Music: The Rolling Stones

    • The phenomenal and durable musical career of the Rolling Stones spans almost the entire history of rock and roll. Formed in 1960 and making their début three years later with their single Come on, a Chuck Berry cover, the Stones were leaders in the important British blues revival of the late 1950s, and helped spearhead the British pop music invasion of the 1960s. For over forty years they have sustained an influence that has been seminal to the development of virtually all aspects of the massive rock and roll industry. Adapting to and in many cases anticipating almost every new (or retro) trend in popular music during their long career—psychedelic, funk, punk, reggae, rap, disco, folk, and others—the Stones nevertheless remained true to the fundamental stylistic roots and sound of rock and roll: R&B, country, and most of all blues, to which their indebtedness is almost reverential. Their use of these styles, their transformation and amalgamation of them into an individual, highly distinctive, and hard-edged sound, and their distinctly subversive manner, are the essence of what rock and roll is all about, and it is no exaggeration to say that the Stones have played a crucial role in defining the entire history of popular music and culture. This multi-media course provides an in-depth examination of the Stones and their role within the evolving history of popular culture, with the major emphasis being placed on understanding their musical styles. Along the way, the relationship between the group and the major trends in rock music is highlighted, since a history of the Stones is, in many ways, a history of rock music in general. This course is intended for the general university student and neither assumes nor requires previous training in music.   [ 4 cr.]

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Coelho KCB 101 M, W 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
  • COM FT 553 Special Topics

    • Topics for Summer 2009: Summer 1: A1 The Blockbuster; A2 Hollywood Genre. Summer 2: B1 The Contemporary Western; B2 The Film of Joel and Ethan Coen; B3 Advanced Screenwriting.   [ 4 cr.]

    Prereq: only when specified.

    Offered: Summer 1 2009

    Section Type Instructor Location Days Times
    SA1 IND Bernstein COM B05 T, R 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM
    SA2 IND Root COM B05 T, R 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Summer 2: The Internship Phase (July 6 – August 14, 2009)

The dates for the 2010 program have not been announced yet. Please check back on December 15 for next summer's information.

For the second six weeks of the program, you’ll be placed as an intern in a Boston-area organization or business that matches your interests and experience. You should expect to work five days a week for a minimum of 35 hours.

Arts & Culture Internship Opportunities

Internship placement opportunities are available at commercial galleries; auction houses; museums; architectural firms; design companies; arts campaigning groups; theater companies; music and dance companies; and art centers.

Internship Placement

  • Guaranteed internship placement for 35 hours a week
  • Internship matches are based on your interests, abilities, and experience
  • All internship sites are accessible by public transportation
  • Visit our Placement Process page for additional information

Summer Study Internship Course (May 22 – August 11, 2009)

The dates for the 2010 program have not been announced yet. Please check back on December 15 for next summer's information.

Throughout the 12 weeks of the Summer Study Internship Program, you will participate in a required 2-credit Summer Study Internship Course. This course serves as a means of preparing you for the internship and provides support as you adjust to a new workplace. It will also provide you with an opportunity to explore links between your academic coursework and your work experience.

You’ll have a faculty advisor and a shared forum with other interns to address your expectations, goals, and challenges as an intern. In the Internship Course, you will continue to develop as a professional by addressing topics such as workplace culture, networking skills, and self-assessment.