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Home>School of Public Policy & Management>Entertainment Industry Management (MEIM)>Curriculum>Practicum/Summer Internships
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Practicum/Summer Internships
Critical to your successful training as a future leader in the entertainment industry is the opportunity to gain invaluable practical experience. Not only will this practica allow to you to test and refine the classroom theories and principles in very real setting, but you also will enhance your personal network of contacts and build your resume.
The practicum component of the curriculum is structured to provide a layered experience, each layer building upon the previous effort. All of these practica help the students develop their “soft skills” and, during the internship assignments, polish their management skills within the stressful and demanding environment of the industry.
First-Year Practicum
The goal of the first-year practicum – in addition to providing students with the means to earn additional financial aid – is to expose the MEIM students to the creative process, to make connections with people who may become their creative collaborators in the future, and to build confidence in their management skills.
During your first year in Pittsburgh, you will have an opportunity to earn additional financial aid (currently $3,000 or 300 hours @ $10/hour) by working in one of the entertainment-related firms or organizations in the Pittsburgh region, including Pittsburgh Filmmakers, the Pittsburgh Film Office, QED Communications, the Silk Screen Festival, or in the management offices of a film or television show shooting on location in Pittsburgh. MEIM students also may elect to work in a management-support capacity within Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama operations. Recent Pittsburgh-based practicum included assignments not with the organizations noted above, but also as management or production associates on films and television shows shot in Pittsburgh including Adventureland, The Road, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Smart People and The Kill Point.
Summer Internship
The summer internship is intended to acquaint MEIM students with industry practices and vernacular, to strengthen the students’ professional network, and to expand their skills, knowledge and, of course, their resumes.
During the summer between the first and second year of study, MEIM students are required to complete a ten-week, full-time internship at a film or television production studio or company or a related agency. Though no academic credit is given for the internship, it is a core requirement of the MEIM Program. Recent summer internship locations include Focus Features, United Artists, John Wells Productions, Steiner Studios (NYC), Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Telemundo (Miami), Overture Films and Grey's Anatomy.
Second-Year Practicum
The second-year practicum is an immersion in the heart of the entertainment industry, enlarging exponentially the benefits of the previous practica and providing the students with a critical platform for showcasing their knowledge, skills and experience.
During the fall semester, you will work nearly full-time (30+ hours/week) in the management divisions of film or television studios, production companies or related firms supporting the entertainment industry. These practicum assignments allow the students to gain first-hand knowledge of the how the theories and principles learned in the classroom are implemented in the profession. They also serve as the foundation for many discussions in the rest of the program's curriculum. Past internships included assignments with John Wells Productions, ICM, Fox Television, United Artists, Warner Bros Features, Lifetime Television, Perles Films, Ventanazul, Focus Features, Nickelodeon, CSI New York, Warner Interactive, Overture Films and Sony Pictures Marketing, among others.