Departmental Placement Descriptions

Interns observe and assist with projects such as organizing and preparing for exhibition press previews, Museum-wide announcements, press conferences, and other media events. They might also assist with planning advertising or marketing campaigns or with The Met's social media channels. Interns are often students with strong speaking and writing skills who are interested in learning about the communications, marketing, or social media fields.

Interns observe and assist conservators and scientists with projects such as examining and documenting the condition of artworks, researching materials and techniques, and storing artworks. Interns may also assist with administrative and organizational projects. Interns are often students with great attention to detail and interest in studio art, art history, and science. Interns develop observation, research, and organizational skills, as well as knowledge about how art is made, preserved, and conserved.

Interns observe and assist curators, collections managers, and administrators in one of The Met's seventeen curatorial departments. Examples of projects in which interns are involved include gathering research material for upcoming exhibitions, managing information about and images of works of art, and generating ideas for text labels, audio tours, and other interpretive strategies. Interns are often students with great attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and interest in researching art, history, and/or art history. Interns develop research and organizational skills, as well as knowledge about how to curate exhibitions—from conducting research to choosing works of art and writing the text displayed in the galleries. Please discuss which curatorial departments interest you most on your application.

Interns observe and assist exhibition or graphic designers with the planning and development of the designs for gallery installations and special exhibitions. Designers work closely with curators and conservators to determine the layout, color scheme, and overall look of the galleries, and various other aspects of how the works of art are displayed. Interns are often students with great attention to detail and a strong interest in design.

The Development Office works with individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies to raise funds to support every facet of the Museum. They are responsible for grants, donations, fundraising, events, and more. Interns in this department assist with tasks that support these activities.

Staff in the Digital department create films, interactive touch screens, and other digital media for the galleries, special exhibitions, and the website. Other departmental staff are content editors, database managers, application developers, and more. Interns often have interest in film, animation, audio guides, web design, or other digital media or technology. Please discuss your specific interests on your application.

The Education department aims to make learning about art enjoyable and intellectually stimulating through a wide array of programs for all audiences. Educators teach workshops and art-making classes in the galleries and studios for K–12 students, teachers, families, teens, adults, and multigenerational audiences. They also plan and lead other events and programs for these audiences: gallery talks, tours, lectures, performances, and more. The department also coordinates the training of future and current museum professionals through internships and fellowships. Interns in this department observe, assist, and collaborate with Museum educators who oversee and develop programs and events for one of these audiences. Interns in this department also manage Teen social media accounts, such as Instagram and Facebook. Please discuss your specific interests on your application.

Interns observe and assist engineers who oversee the management and maintenance of the building. They also observe staff who maintain the Museum's electrical, plumbing, and lighting systems. They gain understanding of how the building-management systems work and become familiar with much of the equipment used in the building. They may also assist with clerical or administrative tasks.

This team works at the city, state, and federal levels to maximize the local and federal governments' operating and capital support for the Museum and its initiatives. Interns for this department assist with tasks that support these activities.

Photographers and imaging specialists in the Imaging department work with the latest technology to create beautiful and indelible images that enrich and extend visitors' engagement with The Met collection and exhibitions; these assets are used in print publications, on the website, and more. Interns placed here observe and assist with imaging activities such as digitizing and archiving analog media, stitching multiple image files together, and calibrating cameras and monitors. Interns generally have a strong interest in photography or imaging and great attention to detail.

Interns observe and assist experts who manage the Help Desk, server, and network. Interns assist with tasks such as desktop setup and configurations, network-switch configurations, and troubleshooting. They develop strong project-planning skills and attention to detail.

Membership and Visitor Services oversees the Museum's membership services, admissions, visitor information, visitor research, attendance projection, and tourism outreach. Interns observe and assist with projects that support these activities such as organizing and analyzing visitor research, reviewing systems for group visits, and testing and revising directional signage and maps.

Interns observe and assist in one of two areas of Merchandise: Direct Marketing; or Finance, Operations, Systems, and Wholesale. Interns placed in Direct Marketing assist the Graphic Design Manager and the E-Commerce Content Manager with preparing and managing images for The Met Store's website. They develop knowledge about graphic design and online merchandising. Interns placed in Finance, Operations, Systems, and Wholesale assist with tasks such as reviewing sales activity to determine sales performance, researching potential new wholesale customers, and preparing sales materials for distribution to potential new customers.

Interns observe and assist with projects such as preparing for upcoming concerts and lectures; researching performers, presenters, and artists; and generating ideas for future programs and events. Interns are often students with strong organizational skills and interest in performing arts such as music, theater, and dance. Find information on this season's performances.

The Publications and Editorial department produces about thirty publications a year, including catalogues about special exhibitions or the collection, general-audience books, educational publications, and scholarly periodicals. They also produce online catalogues and e-books. Interns observe and assist with the various stages of creating a publication, from planning to editing and design.

The Office of Special Events plans receptions, dinners, private gallery viewings, and fundraising events for The Met and eligible external parties. Interns observe and assist with tasks such as conducting research related to upcoming events, handling inquiries, and preparing for meetings with potential event holders.

Watson Library is The Met's central reference library. It houses more than one million volumes, including books, exhibition catalogues, rare books, and auction and sale catalogues. Like The Met collection, the library's holdings are encyclopedic and offer a broad range of research materials on subjects covered by the curatorial departments. Interns in this department assist with tasks that support the library in providing resources for researchers such as barcoding, reshelving, and creating resources on various topics. Some also assist with the process of acquiring books, catalogues, and other volumes.