PHILADELPHIA -- The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania has launched a new project called RealArts@Penn, created in part to integrate art-world practice into the intellectual life of the university.

RealArts will sponsor six paid internships in the summer of 2008 at MTV Networks, Rolling Stone magazine, Brooklyn Films, Shore Fire Media, Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books) and Women Make Movies.

"We are not talking about passing Penn students off to impersonal, group-selection and mass-orientation processes," Al Filreis, professor of English and director of RealArts. "Nor do RealArts@PENN internships turn out to be jobs as gophers. These are unique, special arrangements with the hosting entities."

The RealArts internship program (www.writing.upenn.edu/realarts) is open to students at Penn's four undergraduate schools, with information available at realarts@writing.upenn.edu. Freshmen and seniors can apply but preference will be given to juniors and sophomores. The application deadline is Jan. 22.

Filreis said RealArts will expand to offer more internships, courses, workshops, roundtable discussions and project-based seminars taught by major figures in the arts and culture world as well as Penn professors who've been "doing real art at Penn all along."