Design Internship
Define your journey. Design your path.
Define your journey. Design your path.
Designing your path through MIAD’s high school Design Internship program is more than just introducing students to careers in design. It is about a series of opportunities that lead to something more.
Developed to create pathways for high school students into creative careers, the Design Internship at MIAD is a free, year-long program for motivated high school students interested in design as a career option. The program began in response to the Greater Equity 2030 challenge, an initiative which recognizes a lack of diversity in Milwaukee’s creative industries. As a shared interest among all partners, special consideration is given to BIPOC students in support of increasing diversity in Milwaukee’s creative workforce.
Design Internship Opportunities
Structured around accessibility and repeat contact, students learn foundational skills in various design workshops from MIAD faculty and are immersed in a 50-hour, paid internship at one of MIAD's professional partners to explore hands-on projects and gain industry experience. With tuition-free access to MIAD’s Summer and Weekend Pre-College courses, interns select from a variety of courses that range from introductory to advanced, investigative explorations.
Mentorship opportunities provide additional access to be a part of the MIAD community and experience Wisconsin’s premiere art and design college, and gain the tools necessary to design a path from high school to college to career.
...working at a real company [provided] a much better perspective for me and gave me a deeper understanding of the role of a graphic designer. [It is] an amazing opportunity ... for a high school student to get an internship at a real functioning business.
Marissa Taylor
Ronald Reagan High School, Class of 2025 Intern at Cramer-Krasselt
Design Internship
Professional Partners
Past Design Internship professional partners have included:
• Boelter + Lincoln
• Core Creative
• Cramer-Krasselt
• Engberg Anderson Architects
• Eppstein Uhen Architects
• Hanson Dodge
• HGA Architects and Engineers
• Harley-Davidson
• JWD Creative
• Maker LLC
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Plunkett Raysich Architects
• Rinka
→ To see our 2025–2026 Design Internship professional partners, visit miad.edu/designinternship.
This internship allowed me to embrace myself and learn new methods of design. I enjoyed every bit of the experience.
Sharon Hill
St. Joan Antida High School, Class of 2027 Intern at Maker LLC
2025-2026 Programming
The Design Internship Program Includes:
• A Kickoff Session on February 15, 2025, at MIAD
• A program orientation on April 26, 2025, at MIAD
• Free MCTS bus pass
• An afterschool project at MIAD with MIAD faculty in May 2025
• A 50-hour paid internship in June 2025
• Free tuition to MIAD's Summer, Fall, and Spring Pre-College Programs
• Mentorship with MIAD students and/or alumni
• An end of program celebration in April 2026
How to Apply
• Complete the free online Design Internship application at miad.edu/designinternship
• Include your statement expressing what excites you most about design and this internship program on your application.
→ To see our 2025–2026 Design Internship professional partners, visit miad.edu/designinternship.
Important Dates
• Application Deadline: February 1, 2025
• Kickoff Session: February 15, 2025
• Program Dates: April 26, 2025 – May 1, 2026
Questions?
Maeve Morris
Youth & Community Outreach Coordinator 414-847-3337
maevemorris@miad.edu
