Information For Students

A brown haired young woman in an orange sweater smiles for the camera.
A brown haired young woman in an orange sweater smiles for the camera.

Interdisciplinary Programs

The college offers a number of interdisciplinary programs that draw on faculty from several departments. Students interested in pursuing studies in art have the opportunity to complete minors in American Studies and/or Media Studies, as well as a major in Urban Studies. For further information on interdisciplinary programs at Rhodes, see the section on Interdisciplinary Study in the college catalogue.

Internships

Students often augment their education through internships with local and national institutions. In recent years, these have included the Dixon Gallery and Gardens and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Typically, students undertake internships after completing their second year of study. 

Guidelines for Internships in the Art and Art History Department

Students must complete all of the following requirements in order to receive internship credits:

  1. Students must seek in writing approval from the chair of the art department and secure the consent of a faculty member to serve as mentor before beginning or registering for internship credits. This short petition, not to exceed three hundred words, will explain why you wish to undertake an internship, how it fits with the goals of the Rhodes Vision, and how it will complement your academic study of art. Normally a student must be a junior or senior in good standing to be approved.
  2.  Students must pledge and complete the requisite hours for an internship based on the following formula: 1 credit hour = 34.5 work hours (4 credit hours = 138 work hours)
  3.  Students must arrange periodic consultations with their mentors during the semester.
  4.  Students must keep a comprehensive journal of their internship activities with an accurate accounting of hours served.
  5. At the end of the internship, students will submit to their faculty mentor a paper of no more than five pages in length, reflecting on the relationship between the college’s vision, the Department’s goals, and the ways the internship has shaped the students’ understanding of art and their career path.
  6. Students must make sure that their on-site director submits a signed letter of satisfactory completion of the internship before receiving their final grade.
  7. Students may not receive any other compensation (including monetary) for their internship.
  8. Students must sign the general waiver and release form to be kept on file at Career Services.
  9. Students should be prepared to discuss their internship at the end of the semester for which they are receiving credit.
  10. All internships will be graded on a pass/fail basis

Theodore William Eckels International Art Practicum 

The Theodore William Eckels International Art Practicum provides an art immersion experience for four to five outstanding art or art history majors to work abroad during an eight-week period in the summer months. The practicum covers the cost of airfare and accommodation while living abroad. 

To qualify for a Theodore William Eckels International Art Practicum, students must be rising juniors or seniors majoring or minoring in art or art history. The student must also have a minimum overall and major GPA of 3.0 and demonstrate relevant foreign language skills. To be considered, applicants must submit a formal letter of application, a resume, three recommendations and a language evaluation form if appropriate. After returning from the practicum, each recipient will complete a written reflection on the experience and share learning outcomes in a public forum with others in the Rhodes community.

The application process begins Oct. 7. For more information, contact. Prof. David McCarthy or Sandi George Tracy, director of career services.

Opportunities for Special Study

Internships in museum methods are possible through an arrangement with the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, and other local institutions, where students earn credit in museum methods by working alongside professionals in the field. The Brooks Museum, which is near the campus, along with other educational institutions, galleries, and theatres in the Memphis area, offer a rich variety of exhibitions and films to students throughout the year.