Tracks of Study
Internship Track
UTNY opens opportunities in New York's competitive industries. Internship Track students work with the UTNY team, all of whom have worked as recruiters in New York, to hone their professional job application skills and secure an internship in New York the semester before they arrive. This crucial foot-in-the-door starts students with invaluable industry experience, which can be leveraged once they return to Austin and toward a post-graduation career anywhere in the world.
While in New York, Internship Track students enroll in an internship course, typically within their college or department. Each course has its own prerequisites, and UTNY students must meet the requirements for the course in order to register for it. Students should talk with their academic advisor about the course that works best for their degree plan.
UTNY took a hands-on approach both with supporting me in finding an internship and throughout the program—it felt like career therapy. I had access to 1:1 support when I needed it and the staff facilitated connections across multiple career sectors. My future felt expansive due to this support, and I credit much of my professional growth in college to this program.
Internship Courses
- F A 340 / F A 640 – All COFA majors and Minor in Arts Management and Administration
- DES 360I - Design majors
- B A 353 / B A 653 – All Business majors
- ADV 350 / ADV 650 – Advertising majors
- CLD 351 / CLD 651 – Communication and Leadership majors
- CMS 307K / CMS 370K – Communication Studies majors
- J 360F / J 660F – Journalism majors
- P R 350 / P R 650 – Public Relations majors
- RTF 350N / RTF 650N – Radio-Television-Film majors
- RTF majors should register for the UTNY internship sections (vs. RTF 330N / RTF 630N) to simplify course overrides.
- Through 22-24 catalog: Three hours of RTF 650N may count as Media Studies for RTF majors; the remaining three hours will count toward the fifteen hours of additional RTF electives required for RTF majors.
- 24-26 catalog onward: Three hours of RTF 650N may count as the required internship course; the remaining three hours will count toward the fifteen hours of additional RTF electives required for RTF majors.
- I 378T – Any Informatics major
Students pursuing a BDP certificate may be able to use their internship or independent study in New York to fulfill a BDP connecting experience requirement:
BDP 325K internship
BDP 320K research assistantship
- BDP 320L independent research/creative project
While most students choose to earn credit through their major, minor, college, or certificate program, any UTNY students can opt to earn internship credit through UTNY's internship courses:
- COM 350-utny: 150+ internship work hours required
- COM 650-utny: 300+ internship work hours required
- Radio-Television-Film majors – three hours of COM 650 may count as Media Studies; it will count toward the RTF 36 hour coursework requirement, but not against the 48 hour RTF limit.
- Communication Studies majors – COM 350-utny and COM 650-utny counts as a "Career Prep Course."
Independent Study Track
UTNY offers the connections and resources to dig deep in the Big Apple. The Independent Study Track can be particularly beneficial to students who want to explore a topic in depth, have an interest in independent research, or are ineligible to work an internship.
Students admitted under the Independent Study track design a course of study or project connected to the city or resources of New York under the supervision of a UT Austin faculty member with a specialization in the project’s area. Students enroll in an independent study course within their home department or UGS 320L.
Students interested in applying to the Independent Study Track are required to schedule an advising appointment with UTNY and their academic advisor to discuss their independent study prior to applying to UTNY.
Through UTNY, I transformed the city into both a subject and a resource for my independent research, with New York itself as my office —an experience made possible by the program’s unique access and support.