Short information
Current students and recent graduates can learn about museum practice and gain professional skills in a variety of fields through unpaid internships at The Met Fifth Avenue during the academic year. These internships require a minimum commitment of twelve hours per week for at least ten weeks. Academic credit may be arranged for interns at their schools' discretion.
In addition to developing their skills through projects in various departments, our interns join a community of fellow interns and staff during their time at The Met. All interns participate in a weekly program introducing them to projects, activities, and staff across the Museum. This might include talks in the galleries, presentations by staff, lunches with individual staff members, or behind-the-scenes tours of Museum departments.
Intern Placement
The Met has over forty department areas that host interns from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. For example, students majoring in computer science, who are also interested in art and museums, could apply to intern in our Digital or Information Systems & Technology departments. Engineering students might be interested in our Buildings and Construction Department. Art history and other humanities students gain valuable experience in curatorial departments, as well as Editorial, Education, and Development. Studio art, design, or photography majors have thrived in areas like Digital, Design, or the Photograph Studio. Our Department of Scientific Research often welcomes students with a strong background in science. Request a full list of possible internship placement areas.
We select interns based on the availability of projects and supervisors in each Museum department; this changes every semester. If your interests and skills match the needs of a particular project, you will be considered for an internship. Please do not contact individual staff members to inquire about internships or current projects.
Dates
All interns must begin their internship within the first week of the overall internship program and must end their internship within the last two weeks of the internship program.
Fall Internship Program dates: Third week of September to second week of December
Spring Internship Program dates: First week of February to last week of April
All interns must attend a mandatory internship orientation. For fall interns, the orientation takes place on the third Friday in September. For spring interns, the orientation takes place on the first Friday in February. In addition, interns must be available for weekly lunchtime internship events on Fridays.
Eligibility
Unpaid internships are available to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in a degree-granting program, as well as recent graduates. To be considered a recent graduate, applicants must have graduated no more than twelve months before the application deadline. PhD students may be eligible to apply within the first twelve months of their program, provided that they have not yet achieved candidacy. PhD candidates are not eligible for internships.
Conservation internships: If you are no longer a student or recent graduate, but are looking for a preprogram internship in a conservation department in order to apply to a graduate conservation program.
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 program. Although the Museum will act as your host institution, 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.
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 your visa before the start date of the program, your internship will be canceled.
How to Apply
Please apply using the online application below. You will select the Museum areas that interest you, as well as your academic interests and skills, and write a short essay explaining why you want to be an intern at The Met. You will also need to upload an unofficial transcript and a résumé describing your past work and internship experience. Depending on the department areas you select on the application, you may be asked to submit a short writing sample. Students applying for an internship in the Design Department will be asked to upload a portfolio.
We recommend that you review your application carefully before submitting, and perhaps ask one of your instructors or professors to look over your essay and/or résumé as well. 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 not required, but many internship supervisors ask to interview finalists before making a decision. We will contact you directly about an interview if needed.
Deadlines
Fall 2017- June 11, 2017, 11:59pm (ET) First week of August
Spring 2018-October 2017, 11:59pm (ET) Second week of December
For more information click "Further information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/internships/undergraduate-and-graduate-students/fall-and-spring