Summer Internships for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
The Met offers paid opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates, to explore museum careers and gain professional experience during the summer.
The Met strongly encourages applications from students who are members of groups underrepresented in careers related to museums and the visual arts.
The Museum Seminar (MuSe) Internship Program
Long-term nine-month and twelve-month internships are also available. These long-term interns fully participate in the MuSe program during the summer.
Program Information
Departmental Placement
Each intern is placed in one of the Museum's departments under the supervision of a full-time staff member. The Met has over forty department areas that host interns from a wide variety of academic backgrounds with an interest in art and museums. For example, someone studying communications might apply to intern in our External Affairs Department. Art history and humanities students gain valuable experience not only in our curatorial departments, but also in areas like Publications, Education, or Development. Studio art, design, or photography majors have thrived in areas like Digital, Design, or Education. Our Department of Scientific Research often welcomes students with a strong background in science.
The Met Cloisters
Every summer a small group of interns is placed at The Met Cloisters to learn about art interpretation, educational programming, and visitor engagement at this unique site dedicated to medieval art. These interns work onsite at The Met Cloisters at least three days a week and participate fully in orientation and all other intern activities and programs at The Met Fifth Avenue. Cloisters interns do not need a background in medieval art or museum education, though an interest in both is a plus. If you would like to intern at The Met Cloisters, please select Cloisters Internship under the Education or Medieval Art placement areas on your application.
Learn about the possible internship placement areas at The Met.
Departmental placements change annually and depend upon available projects.
The Museum Seminar (MuSe) Series
Weekly seminars give interns an understanding of the many different kinds of work that occur at The Met, and how Museum professionals collaborate to plan and support the daily operations of one of the world's largest museums. Through these weekly seminars, interns are connected to a community of Met staff, fellows, and other interns.
Public Engagement
During the first two weeks of the summer, interns participate in an intensive training period focused on best practices in museum teaching and public speaking. They learn how to talk with visitors about original works of art in a way that is relevant, engaging, and accessible. Interns then develop and lead tours or other programs that incorporate their own interests and offer the public an insider perspective on The Met and its collection.
June 3–August 9, 2024
Full time: five days, thirty-five hours per week
Compensation: $22 per hour, plus $1,500 toward housing/travel to New York City (less applicable taxes and deductions)
Met interns commit to being fully present and onsite for the duration of the internship. They are not permitted to take courses or hold additional jobs or internships that coincide with their scheduled Met internship work hours.
Open to:
- Current undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors
- Current graduate students
- Those who have recently graduated from an undergraduate or master’s-level graduate program within twelve months of the application deadline
- PhD students who have not yet achieved candidacy
If you are unsure about your eligibility, contact us at collegeprograms@metmuseum.org.
Internship Support
Undergraduate and Graduate Internships are made possible by Adrienne Arsht.
Additional support is provided by Jack and Susan Rudin, gifts in honor of Emily K. Rafferty, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, Judith Lee Stronach and Raymond Lifchez, Marilyn M. Simpson Charitable Trust, Ittleson Foundation, The Thorne Foundation, Mary Jaharis, Nellie and Robert Gipson, The Billy Rose Foundation, Winston Foundation, Virginia Barbato, The Soloviev Foundation, and The Ashton Hawkins Fund for Law and the Arts.
Named Ten-Week Internships within the MuSe Internship Program
Of the MuSe interns selected for ten-week summer positions, some will be awarded one of the following named internships. There is no need to submit a separate application.
The Ashton Hawkins Internship
Awarded to a first-year law student.
The Stefan Soloviev Internship
Awarded to two graduate-level interns.
The Jack and Lewis Rudin Internship
Awarded to undergraduate-level interns.
Roswell L. Gilpatric Internship
Awarded to individuals showing special interest in museum careers.
William Kelly Simpson Internship for Egyptian Art
Awarded to an individual who has completed the coursework in Egyptology or in art history with an emphasis on ancient Egyptian art.
Part-time Summer Internship
We are able to offer a very limited number of part-time summer internships (14 hours/week). If you are interested in a part-time opportunity, please indicate this by checking the appropriate box on your application.
Program Information
These internships are more flexible than MuSe internships in terms of scheduling, and are ideal for students who are taking summer classes. Interns may be placed in any Museum department, depending on their interests, skills, and Museum staff resources. Learn about all the possible internship placement areas at The Met. Part-time interns are invited to participate in the Friday seminars described above as part of their internship hours.
June 3 –August 9, 2024
Full time: flexible schedule, fourteen hours per week
Compensation: $22 per hour (less applicable taxes and deductions)
Open to:
- Current undergraduate students (including first-year students)
- Current graduate students at the master’s level
- Those who have recently graduated from an undergraduate or master’s-level graduate program within twelve months of the application deadline
- PhD students who have not yet achieved candidacy
If you are unsure about your eligibility, contact us at collegeprograms@metmuseum.org.
Current and former interns: If you have been an undergraduate or graduate intern at The Met, you are eligible to apply provided you have not already completed twelve months or three semesters as an intern.
All current or former interns who wish to be considered for another internship at The Met must reapply.
Preprogram conservation internships: If you are no longer a student or recent graduate and are looking for a preprogram internship in a conservation department in order to apply to a graduate conservation program, contact us at collegeprograms@metmuseum.org to inquire about your eligibility.
Requirements
• All interns are employed by The Met and must have valid U.S. work authorization. If you are not a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident with authorization and a social security number. If you are not a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident with authorization to live and work in the U.S., please see “International Applicants” below.
International Applicants
Undergraduate and graduate internships at the Museum are open to international applicants. Interns are responsible for ensuring that they have valid legal status under applicable U.S. visa regulations while participating in the Museum's paid internship program. All interns must have valid U.S. work authorization. The Museum does not sponsor visas for interns. If you require a visa, you may be eligible to participate in the Exchange Visitor Program (J-1 visa program), by going through an outside agency that has been authorized by the State Department to sponsor a J-1 trainee visa. These sponsors are responsible for supporting and monitoring foreign nationals during their exchange programs in the United States. Note: the J-1 visa program currently requires that interns work 32 hours per week; for this reason, individuals requiring a J-1 visa should only apply to the full-time MuSe Internship Program, not the part-time internship.
We recommend that you consult with the U.S. embassy in your home country to determine which visa will allow you to participate in this internship. Please be aware that obtaining a visa is usually a lengthy process and can cost upwards of US$1,500; it must be completed well in advance of the internship start date. If you are offered an internship but do not have work authorization before the start date of the program, your internship will be canceled.
How to Apply
Apply using the online application.
Application deadline: January 10, 2024, 5 pm (ET)
Notification: by the end of April 2024
If you need an access accommodation or have a question regarding available accommodations, or if you need this application in an alternative format to successfully submit your candidacy, please contact collegeprograms@metmuseum.org.
The application will ask you to select which internships interest you: a part-time internship, a MuSe Program ten-week internship, or a MuSe Program long-term internship. You may apply for any and all of these internships with the same application.
The application requires:
- Short essay responses
- An unofficial transcript
- A résumé describing any work or extracurricular experiences
- For Design Department candidates, a PDF portfolio or link to an online portfolio
- Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a professor or instructor who knows you in an academic context
If you are unsure about how to write a résumé, we suggest you contact the career services center at your college or university for guidance.
Interviews
Interviews are required for finalists only. If you are selected as a finalist, we will contact you directly to set up a virtual interview.
Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions if you have general questions about the program, or register for one of our online information sessions to learn more about the program and application.
There is no fee to apply to any of the internships.
Please note: your recommendation letters must be submitted by the application deadline. We will not accept any applications, application materials, or recommendations after the deadline.
Review and Evaluation Process
What happens after you submit your application?
Once the application deadline passes, the first round of review begins. An Internship Review Committee comprised of staff from across the Museum considers your application for the two Museum areas you’ve selected. Reviewers evaluate applications using the rubric discussed below and recommend the strongest ones proceed to a second round of review by the internship supervisors. During this round of review, supervisors evaluate applications using the same rubric, and then select at least four applicants as finalists. These applicants will move to the interview stage. Supervisors will conduct virtual interviews and then recommend one candidate for the internship. Final candidates are sent to the Director’s Office for approval.
How are applications evaluated? What makes an application strong?
Reviewers look across all your application materials: your skills, essays, résumé, transcript, and for summer applicants, letters of recommendation. They use the rubric to score your application, but the number serves only as a guide. There is no cut-off number for progressing to the second round of review or being awarded an internship. You can view the evaluation rubric here, and read an explanation of the five criteria below.
Criteria
It’s important to explain what you want to learn from an internship at The Met in your essays. Researching the variety of jobs available in an art museum—and the skills needed to do those jobs—will help you shape and articulate your goals. Once reviewers understand what you’d like to get out of the internship, they can evaluate whether The Met’s program and internship projects can help you meet your goals.
Reviewers look at your past jobs, internships, volunteer work, academic courses, and your personal journeys and consider how this internship could help you grow and/or constitute a turning point in your studies or career. Your application will be stronger if you’re able to demonstrate how the internship could have a strong impact on your growth in one or more areas. This potential impact could be evident in your essays and supported by the experiences on your résumé. For summer applicants, this potential can also be supported by your letters of recommendation.
The Met is committed to creating a cohort that is diverse, inclusive, and supportive. Reviewers look for interns who are eager to participate in this kind of community and demonstrate a commitment to these values in their application materials. You can demonstrate your values as part of an essay—by offering examples of how you practice inclusion and anti-racism in your own life—or through a sample of your work that embodies these values.
Reviewers evaluate the level of personal and academic responsibility your application demonstrates. We’re not only considering your grades, but also whether you’ve been consistent and followed through with your commitments to your chosen activities, jobs, or volunteer work. Reviewers want interns who will show up for themselves and their peers and are ready to learn and take advantage of everything this internship experience can offer. We’re looking across all your materials to find a picture of how ready you are to learn and commit to this internship; a few low grades will not knock you out of consideration. For summer applicants, letters of recommendation are also helpful.
Reviewers look at your past exposure to the arts and art museums, and whether you’ve had any experiences like our internship program. If you’ve already had several museum internships, especially at large museums like The Met, reviewers want to know how The Met’s program can offer something new, and how you’d continue to grow from this experience. Students who have had very little or no prior experiences in the arts due to systemic barriers or unequal access to art and culture will be rated higher in this area.
Internship Support
Undergraduate and Graduate Internships are made possible by Adrienne Arsht.
Additional support is provided by Jack and Susan Rudin, gifts in honor of Emily K. Rafferty, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, Judith Lee Stronach and Raymond Lifchez, Marilyn M. Simpson Charitable Trust, Ittleson Foundation, The Thorne Foundation, Mary Jaharis, Nellie and Robert Gipson, The Billy Rose Foundation, Winston Foundation, Virginia Barbato, and The Soloviev Foundation.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status, and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.