At the start of their second year, students undergo a series of workshops and orientations that prepare them for the SIP. Throughout the internship cycle, they work closely with a faculty advisor from FLAME. Once they accept an offer, they also work with an organizational advisor from the firm at which they intern. The project at the core of the summer internship culminates in a written report, a presentation, a viva, and feedback from the faculty advisor. Students' reflections during and after the internship play an important role in shaping their career plans and helping them craft a professional narrative for themselves.
Liberal arts graduates adapt well to uncertainty. In dynamic times and shifting markets, they can exhibit flexibility and open-mindedness. This results from exposure to a wide spectrum of ideas and diverse systems of thought. The liberal arts teach us to be lifelong learners, to look beyond partitions of knowledge, to work with ambiguity, and to find the balance of humility and self-confidence that is unique to each situation. The concept of the liberal arts is nascent and growing in India; in the West, corporate firms, NGOs, startups, and government branches have always hired liberal arts graduates—offering jobs as well as internships-for their long-term value.
The SIP (Summer Internship Program) is scheduled for the period between the start of May and
mid-July. Undergraduate students must submit their final report in the prescribed format by
July 16th; postgraduate students must do the same by July 22nd. All students must obtain a
Completion Certificate from the organization at which they interned. Presentations and vivas
take place virtually in the first week of August and are facilitated by faculty advisors.
The SIP provides a platform for students to integrate classroom knowledge with the challenges of working in a professional ecosystem. Further, it affords students exposure to the brass tacks of operations in institutional settings. The dovetailing of the SIP with the academic journeys of students enhances their intellectual maturity, work ethic, and all-round development.
These have varied greatly. To name a few roles, our interns have served as Junior Creative Director, Social Media/Content Writer, Copywriter, Production Analyst, and Marketing Analyst. They have worked in functions such as Account Management, Client Relations, Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Sales, and Operations. The industries have ranged from Financial Services, FMCG, Healthcare, Consulting, and Tourism and Hospitality to Government, NGOs, think tanks, startups, and research institutions. In many cases, students find internships that are relevant to their major-minor combinations; however, they are also free to look beyond their specializations for projects and organizations that speak to their career interests or that are meaningful to them in other ways.
