Internships offer a valuable opportunity for MICA students to gain professional experience along with contacts that will open doors as they begin careers. One alum, Shawn Cook ’14 (Interactive Arts B.F.A.), landed a full-time position during his junior year at MICA as a direct result of an internship.

Cook interned at Bully! Entertainment the summer after his sophomore year, and so impressed the staff there that when a programming position opened up, they contacted him with a job offer. What's more, the company's owner stressed the importance of continuing his education and scheduled Cook's job to allow him to complete his degree at MICA.

Today, Cook is a UX/UI designer at Kung Fu Factory in Los Angeles. He has been on of teams that have built games for both Android and iOS mobile devices, including two games - DomiNations and Card King: Dragon Wars - that were released in 2015 and were featured on the App Store's Editor's Choice list.

My artistic background is actually what separates me from many other programmers that work within the game industry. With an arts degree in a technology field, I become multidisciplinary," Cook said, adding, "My professors at MICA enabled me to have constantly changing perspectives on technology and its most effective uses while digging to the core on engagement - and what makes games truly fun."