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Internships for High School Students

Internships for College and Graduate Students, 2008–2009
The Metropolitan Museum of Art announces its 2008–2009 internship opportunities for college and graduate students interested in careers in art museums. Based upon their academic training and interests, as well as the availability of projects, interns work in one of the Metropolitan's departments—curatorial, education, conservation, administration, or library. Most projects require a strong knowledge of art history. Applicants of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Summer Internship Program

Interns have unprecedented access to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and to other collections and research libraries in the New York metropolitan area.

This internship commences with a one- and two-week orientation for graduate and college students respectively. Orientation involves an introduction to the curatorial, educational, and operational structure of the Museum, participation in professional development workshops, and visits to local cultural institutions. In addition to contributing to seminal activities in the departments to which interns are assigned, college interns prepare and lead guided tours for Museum visitors and assist at the Information Desk two days per week.

June 2–August 8, 2008
Full time: five days, thirty-five hours per week
Stipend: $3,250 for college students and recent graduates; $3,500 for graduate students
Applications must be postmarked by January 4, 2008.

Internship for College Students
This ten-week internship is awarded each summer to college juniors, seniors, and recent graduates who have not yet entered graduate school. Interns help with departmental projects (curatorial, administrative, or educational), give gallery talks, and assist at the Visitor Information Center. Applicants should have a broad background in art history. Applicants must have completed their junior year to be eligible for this internship. To be considered a recent graduate, applicants must have graduated no more than one year prior to the application deadline—current freshmen and sophomores are not eligible.

Internship for Graduate Students
This ten-week internship is intended for individuals who have completed at least one year of graduate work in art history or in an allied field. Interns help with projects related to the Museum's collections or to a special exhibition. Specific duties depend upon the needs of the department. PhD candidates are not eligible for this internship, but are encouraged to apply for the Museum's Fellowship Program.

Internships for college and graduate students are made possible by The Lebensfeld Foundation, The Billy Rose Foundation, Inc., The Solow Art and Architecture Foundation, the Ittleson Foundation, Inc., and The Tianaderrah Foundation

Selected candidates will be awarded one of the following designated internships:

Roswell L. Gilpatric Internship
College juniors, seniors, recent graduates, and graduate students showing special interest in museum careers receive consideration for this award. There is no need to submit a separate application. Successful candidates participate in the internship program for college or graduate students (see above).

Made possible by The Thorne Foundation

The Jack and Lewis Rudin Internships
Awarded to three college students. There is no need to submit a separate application. Successful candidates participate in the internship program for college students (see above).

Supported by a generous grant from Jack and Susan Rudin

William Kelly Simpson Internship for Egyptian Art
This internship is intended for a graduate student who has completed the course work for an M.A. degree in Egyptology or in art history with an emphasis on ancient Egyptian art. The intern works with the curatorial staff on projects related to the Museum's Egyptian collection or a special exhibition.

Made possible by the Marilyn M. Simpson Charitable Trust

French Heritage Society Internship for French Art
For a graduate student who has completed the course work for an M.A. degree in art history or conservation with an emphasis on French art in any medium. There is no need to submit a separate application. Successful candidates participate in the internship program for graduate students (see above).

Made possible by the French Heritage Society.

The Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students
This nine-week internship (June 9–August 8, 2008) is for undergraduate college students, particularly first- and second-year students who are interested in art and museum careers, enjoy working with children, and have an interest in medieval art. Participants join the Education Office of The Cloisters, the branch museum of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art of medieval Europe. Intensive training prepares interns to conduct gallery workshops for New York City day campers and to develop a public gallery talk.
Stipend: $2,750

Made possible by the Norman & Rosita Winston Foundation Inc.

Applications must be postmarked by January 18, 2008.

How to Apply

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Mentoring Program for College Juniors

The Mentoring Program is designed to encourage college juniors from diverse backgrounds to pursue museum careers. This program is offered by the Multicultural Audience Development Initiative in partnership with Education at the Met. Participants work in one of the Museum's departments (curatorial, administrative, or educational). The Mentoring Program includes a two-week orientation of the Museum, meetings with Museum professionals, a Museum mentor, and field trips to other institutions.

The program is open to college juniors (students must have completed their sophomore or junior years by the beginning of the program).

June 2–August 8, 2008
Full time: 5 days, 35 hours per week
Stipend: $3,250

Applications must be postmarked by January 4, 2008.

How to Apply

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Six-Month Internship

Graduating college seniors, recent graduates, or graduate students in art history or related fields are eligible for this six-month internship. Interns are placed in one of the Museum's departments, where they help with projects that match their academic background, professional skills, and career goals. Interns participate in the two-week Summer Internship Program orientation.

June 2–November 28, 2008
Full time: five days, thirty-five hours per week
Stipend: $11,000
Applications must be postmarked by January 4, 2008.

How to Apply

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Lifchez/Stronach Curatorial Internship

This internship is awarded to a student who has recently graduated from college or is enrolled in an art history M.A. program and would use the internship to continue in a career in art history. Applicants should come from a background of financial need or other disadvantage that might jeopardize pursuit of such a career. The intern is assigned to a curatorial department to work on projects appropriate to his or her academic background, professional skills, and career goals. The intern participates in the two-week Summer Internship Program orientation.

June 2, 2008–February 27, 2009
Full time: five days, thirty-five hours per week
Stipend: $16,500

Applications must be postmarked by January 4, 2008.

Made possible by Judith Lee Stronach and Raymond Lifchez

How to Apply

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The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Curatorial Internship in American Decorative Arts

This year-long internship is awarded to an individual who is either finishing or has recently been awarded an M.A. The intern assists one or more curators with research and documentation of the permanent collections, special exhibitions, or other projects. The intern participates in the two-week Summer Internship Program orientation.

June 2, 2008–May 29, 2009
Full time: five days, thirty-five hours per week
Stipend: $25,000; stipend of $3,000 available for research and educational travel
Applications must be postmarked by January 4, 2008.

Made possible by The Tiffany & Co. Foundation

How to Apply

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Editorial, Design, and Video Internships in Educational Media

Educational Media offers three distinct twelve-month internships that are designed for recent college graduates in design, education, art history, video, or related fields who want to participate in the production of print, online, and video publications created for families, teachers, students, and the general museum public. The internships are multidisciplinary, but each intern concentrates on developing editorial, design, or video skills. No previous production experience is necessary but strong and varied computer skills are required. The intern participates in the two-week Summer Internship Program orientation.

June 2, 2008–May 29, 2009
Full time: five days, thirty-five hours per week
Stipend: $25,000
Applications must be postmarked by January 4, 2008.

How to Apply

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Unpaid Internships

Unpaid internships for college students, recent graduates, and graduate students are available throughout the year on a full- or part-time basis. The number of positions varies according to departmental needs, and opportunities require a minimum of twelve hours per week for twelve weeks. Academic credit may be arranged for interns at their schools' discretion.

Applicants should follow the standard application procedure. Letters or essays should describe specific areas of interest within the Museum, precise dates for the proposed internship, and number of hours per week the applicant is able to work. Applications should be made at least 6 weeks prior to the proposed starting date.

How to Apply

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How to Apply

Deadline: Applications for all paid internships except The Cloisters Summer Internship must be postmarked by January 4, 2008. Applications for The Cloisters Summer Internship must be postmarked by January 18, 2008. Applications for unpaid internships are accepted on a rolling basis September through May.

Electronic applications are not accepted. All application materials must be sent in one envelope. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A typed application should include the following:

  • Please download, print, and complete the Application Form for Summer and Long-Term Paid Internships (PDF; 47 KB) or the Application Form for Unpaid Internships (PDF; 43 KB) and include it with the following application materials:
  • Full résumé of education and employment
  • Two academic recommendations
  • Official transcript(s) (Graduate students must supply both official undergraduate and graduate transcripts.) Cloisters internship applicants must supply transcripts for at least the past two years.
  • A separate list of art history or other relevant courses taken, as well as knowledge of foreign languages
  • An essay (maximum 500 words) describing your career goals, interest in museum work, and reasons for applying

After an initial review of the applications, a small number of students are invited for an interview at the Museum. With the exception of graduate students applying to the Summer Internship Program, applicants are not accepted without a personal interview. Interviews for unpaid positions are conducted throughout the year. Interviews for all other candidates are conducted during the month of March. Candidates for unpaid internships are advised as soon as possible. Final notification for all paid internships except The Cloisters will be mailed by March 28, 2008. Final notification for The Cloisters Summer Internships will be mailed by April 15, 2008.

At the Museum's sole discretion, the Museum may be able to aid interns who have (i) at least a master's degree or (ii) a bachelor's degree with extensive experience to secure a J-1 visa; otherwise, non-U.S. citizens must offer proof that they are legally permitted to undertake an internship in the United States.

Application materials for all internships, EXCEPT for The Cloisters Summer Internship, should be submitted to:

Internship Programs
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10028-0198

Inquiries may be sent to mmainterns@metmuseum.org. Electronic applications are not accepted.

Applications for The Cloisters Summer Internship Program should be mailed to:

The Cloisters Summer Internship Program
The Cloisters
Fort Tryon Park
New York, New York 10040

Questions about The Cloisters Internship Program may be sent to cloistersinterns@metmuseum.org. Electronic applications are not accepted.

Inquiries about the Mentoring Program for College Juniors may be sent to audience.development@metmuseum.org. Electronic applications are not accepted.

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College Intern Audio Feature

Explore stunning wall reliefs commissioned by the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II nearly 3,000 years ago in the latest audio feature created by one of our college interns.

Download the audio file. (1.8 MB)

Stream the full audio program now. (RealPlayer: 3:57 minutes)

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