Hands-On Learning in Art & Visual Studies

Breadcrumb

At Whittier College, education goes beyond the confines of campus.

Here, we know that classroom learning needs to be practically applied both for career training as well as civic involvement, and so getting out into the community is crucial for intellectual and character growth.

Internships

Whittier's location in Southern California, close to Los Angeles and Orange County, gives students internship opportunities that will help them gain crucial business training and experience valuable for their post-Whittier lives.

Industries ranging from entertainment to finance, aerospace to bioengineering, and more all call Southern California home. Merrill Lynch and First Heritage BankSony Pictures and New Line CinemaEMI Music Publishing, the J. Paul Getty MuseumA.B.S. Designs by Allen Schwartz, Southern California Edison, and Valvoline are just some of the places that our students have interned. Whittier students often travel further afield as they gain invaluable work experience, whether interning at the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., the United Nations in Geneva, or the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

Civic involvement is immensely important at Whittier College as well. Our Center for Engagement with Communities brings together faculty, students, and staff from all sectors of the College to partner with non-profit organizations and local government in Whittier and the neighboring communities.

Learn more about the internship process at the Weingart Center For Career And Professional Development. And to locate volunteer opportunities in and around Whittier College, please visit the Center for Engagement with Communities.

Fellowships

Student artThe Fifth Year Art Fellowship is awarded to recent, truly outstanding Whittier College studio art graduates who intend to pursue a Master of Fine Art degree. During the 1-year program, students will have access to Wardman Gym and its facilities as they produce a formally and conceptually coherent body of work for their graduate school applications. Though students will be granted a substantial amount of freedom in their explorations, they will have several formal critiques with studio faculty throughout the year, and faculty will be available should students need guidance with specific tasks. Additionally, fellows will participate as critics in senior critiques. At the end of the fellowship, students will be expected to mount an exhibition of their work and to submit an artist statement and a complete graduate school portfolio. To be eligible for the fellowship, it is recommended that students graduate with a 3.5 GPA in the Art major and that they be nominated by the Art and Art History faculty.

Whittier’s Director of Fellowships, along with faculty and staff advisors, is committed to helping students launch their search for internal, national, and international fellowships that fit their intellectual, professional, and personal goals.

Each year, students compete for and win impressive scholarship and fellowship awards. Whittier graduates have earned Rhodes Scholarships, Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships, and several have become Fulbright awardees.

Winning a fellowship, scholarship, or grant not only adds prestige to a student’s resume, but it also provides financial support during college or post-graduate studies.

To find fellowships that match your interests, please visit the Fellowships website.