Long-Term Internships for Recent Graduates

Full-time nine-month and twelve-month internships are awarded every year to recent graduates of degree-granting programs at the graduate and undergraduate level. Long-term interns begin on the first Monday in June and participate fully in the ten-week Museum Seminar (MuSe) Internship Program. Please read the description of the MuSe Program before applying. At the conclusion of the summer session, they continue work with their supervisors for the remainder of their internship period and participate in weekly programming for the Fall- and Spring-Semester Internship Program.

The Met strongly encourages applications from students who are members of groups underrepresented in careers related to museums and the visual arts.

Available Internships

With the support and guidance of a staff mentor, the intern will rotate through several different functions of the department over the course of twelve months—including curatorial, production, artist management, finance and administration, press, marketing and external communications—working on a specific project with a dedicated supervisor in each area. This rotational program will provide maximum exposure to a range of professional experiences and opportunities for a holistic understanding of the operations of dynamic, multifunctional performing arts program. Please note that this is not an internship that provides experience in performance, nor does it provide the intern with performance opportunities for themselves.

Ideal candidates are those for whom this opportunity represents a growth and learning experience. Applicants should have both an interest in art museums and a desire to pursue a career in performing arts, and will have concentrated their studies in art history, performance, or a related field. Strong applicants will have great verbal and written communication skills as well as strong writing skills.

Eligibility: This internship is open to current undergraduate seniors who will have graduated by the beginning of the program, current graduate students, and recent graduates of either an undergraduate or a master's-level program. Recent graduates must have completed their degrees no more than twelve months prior to the application deadline. Current first-year students, sophomores, and juniors are not eligible to apply.

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 completed more than a one-semester internship. Preference will be given to applicants who have not yet participated in the MuSe (Museum Seminar) Internship Program.

This twelve-month internship is an opportunity for an individual with the goal of entering a conservation graduate program to gain hands-on experience in a unique, rotational internship that provides broad exposure to current conservation theory and practice. With the support and guidance of a primary supervisor, the intern will rotate through three different conservation areas over the course of twelve months. The specific departments will be determined based on the intern’s interests and goals, as well as the available conservation specializations. Learn more about The Met’s conservation areas.

The internship provides training in many aspects of conservation, combining discussions on conservation ethics, theory, and practice paired with hands-on engagement. The intern will participate in activities such as:

One-on-one instruction, including technical history of various types of art media and deterioration mechanisms
Hands-on projects identifying various media
Using a microscope in documentation and examination
Using different lighting techniques for visual examination and documentation
Writing condition reports
Assignment of readings and subsequent discussions of the texts
Assisting with day-to-day conservation activities such as working alongside staff conservators on incoming and outgoing exhibitions; taking organic materials through the freezer cycle to address pest infestations; taking light-level readings in the galleries; and downloading and interpreting climate data in storage, exhibition, and work areas.

One of the larger goals of this internship is to prepare the intern to apply to a graduate conservation program, with the support and guidance of their supervisors and mentor. Applicants should have a strong desire to pursue art conservation as a career, and to apply to graduate school within the next two years. Ideally, they will have taken undergraduate courses in related fields such as chemistry, physics, art history, or studio art. Strong applicants also have excellent hand skills and attention to detail, strong communication skills, and an ability to work independently and in collaboration with a wide variety of Museum staff and peers.

The Met strongly encourages applications from students who are members of historically marginalized groups, and groups underrepresented in the field of art conservation.

Eligibility: This internship is open to current undergraduate seniors who will have graduated by the beginning of the program, and recent graduates of an undergraduate program. Recent graduates must have completed their degrees no more than two years prior to the application deadline. Current first-year students, sophomores, and juniors are not eligible to apply.

Current and former interns: If you have been an undergraduate intern at The Met, you are eligible to apply provided you have not completed more than a one-semester internship. Preference will be given to applicants who have not yet participated in the MuSe (Museum Seminar) Internship Program.

The Twelve-Month Preprogram Conservation Internship has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

Seal of the National Endowment for the Humanities

This internship provides training in curatorial practice and is awarded to an individual whose economic background might jeopardize the pursuit of a career in the arts or museum field. Only one nine-month Lifchez-Stronach Curatorial Internship is awarded every year. This internship is not specific to a single curatorial department. It is awarded to the strongest applicant from among the successful applicants selected by each curatorial department for the MuSe Program. If you are interested and qualify for this internship, please be sure that one of the placement areas you select on your application is a curatorial department.

Eligibility: Open to current undergraduate seniors, recent graduates from a bachelor's or associate's program, and master's-level graduate students. Recent graduates must have completed their degrees no more than twelve months prior to the application deadline.

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 completed more than a one-semester internship (either unpaid or paid). Preference will be given to applicants who have not yet participated in the MuSe (Museum Seminar) Internship Program.

This twelve-month internship welcomes applications from students across disciplines who have a strong commitment and passion for leadership in the arts and museums. The internship provides training in many aspects of museum administration, such as education, finance, legal affairs, fundraising, governance, public relations, visitor and market research, external affairs, merchandising, publications, and education administration. With the support and guidance of a staff mentor, the intern rotates through three different departments over the course of twelve months, working on a specific project with a dedicated supervisor in each department. The first two departments are predetermined, and the third is selected in consultation with the intern and based on their specific interests and goals. This rotational program will provide maximum exposure to a range of professional experiences and opportunities for a holistic understanding of the operations of the Museum. The ideal applicant will have a strong desire to pursue museum administration as a career, and will have concentrated their studies in arts administration, art history, or a related field. They will possess strong interpersonal, communication, and writing skills.

Eligibility: This internship is open to current undergraduate seniors who will have graduated by the beginning of the program, current graduate students, and recent graduates of either an undergraduate or a master's-level program. Recent graduates must have completed their degrees no more than twelve months prior to the application deadline. Current first-year students, sophomores, and juniors are not eligible to apply.

Emily K. Rafferty is president emerita of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Recognized nationally and internationally for her leadership and communication expertise, she served The Met for forty years in various positions, including as chief fundraiser, and a decade as President. She oversaw the administration of the institution's 2,300 employees, financial and legal issues, revenue sources, security, and government relations. This internship is made possible by numerous friends and donors in honor of Ms. Rafferty's legacy of extraordinary professional achievement.

This twelve-month internship is awarded to an individual with a special interest in American decorative arts. Curators in the American Wing work with the Tiffany & Co. Foundation intern to develop their knowledge and skills through hands-on projects researching and documenting the permanent collection, special exhibitions, and/or additional ongoing departmental projects. During their internship, the Tiffany intern also pursues an independent research project culminating in a small gallery installation. Read about a former Tiffany & Co. Foundation intern’s project.

Strong candidates for this internship are students who have a dedicated interest in American culture and American decorative arts, 1700–1930. Good writing skills, the ability to work independently, and an enthusiasm for hands-on experience are especially useful.

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation internship was established to provide invaluable training for the next generation of museum professionals in the decorative arts. Former interns currently hold curatorial or administrative positions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Several are pursuing a doctorate degree in the field.

Only one twelve-month Tiffany & Co. Foundation internship is available every year.

Eligibility: This internship is open to current graduate students who will have completed a master's degree in a field related to American decorative arts by the beginning of the internship program in June, or who have completed a master's degree in a field related to American decorative arts no more than one year prior to the application deadline.

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 completed more than a one-semester internship (either unpaid or paid). We will give preference to applicants who have not yet participated in the MuSe (Museum Seminar) Internship Program.

June 2, 2025–May 29, 2026
Full time: five days, thirty-five hours per week
Compensation: $26 per hour, plus $1500 toward housing/travel to New York City (less applicable taxes and deductions). Long-term interns are eligible to receive benefits currently offered to non-exempt full-time employees of the Museum. $3,000 stipend available for research and educational travel

The Met's Digital Department leads the creation, production, presentation, and dissemination of the Museum's multimedia content to support the viewing and understanding of The Met collection and exhibitions, both in the galleries and online. The Digital Department offers a twelve-month internship for students with an interest in video editing and production and/or animation, audio, writing, and editing copy.

The internship offers an opportunity to learn how the Digital Content team creates content for exhibitions and collections across the Museum. The intern will focus on developing skills in video editing, animation, and related multimedia and editorial projects. Day-to-day tasks might include editing videos, assisting on video shoots, website production (including copy editing and building web pages in a content management system), and assisting with audio guide production for onsite visitors.

Ideal applicants will have a strong interest in art and museums, in addition to their interest in digital-media creation. They will have strong and varied multimedia skills, experience in video editing and production and/or animation, and will have completed coursework in any of the following: visual or moving image arts, art education, art history, communications, journalism, history, or related fields.

Applicants for this internship must either submit a portfolio as an attachment on the application or include links to an online portfolio or videos in their essays, or on their résumé.

Eligibility: This internship is open to current undergraduate seniors who will have graduated by the beginning of the program, and recent graduates from a bachelor's or an associate's program (within twelve months of the application deadline). Graduate students and current undergraduate first-year students, sophomores, and juniors are not eligible to apply.

The Education Department offers one twelve-month internship for an individual interested in accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities in museums. Based in Education's Access team, the intern helps support activities that foster inclusivity throughout the Museum. These include Access programs for visitors with disabilities and family, teen, K–12 student and teacher, college, and adult programs, as well as initiatives with departments across the institution that make the broader museum experience inclusive of visitors with disabilities. The intern will learn about best practices for access and inclusion through working closely with Access staff on program planning and implementation, by observing educators teaching programs for various audiences, and by supporting projects related to accessible exhibition design, staff training, and digital accessibility, for example.

The intern will gain knowledge of art museum education pedagogy and working with audiences with disabilities. They will develop skills to embed principles of accessibility and inclusion into the design of education programs, including planning strategies, outreach/marketing, creating inclusive activities, accommodations, adaptive supplies, and more. In collaboration with educators, the intern will identify areas for further growth in programs and resources and create innovative solutions. They might develop guidelines, resources, teaching strategies, and/or training. The intern will also develop a research question to pursue independently.

Ideal candidates are those for whom this opportunity represents a growth and learning experience.

Eligibility: This internship is open to current undergraduate seniors who will have graduated by the beginning of the program, current graduate students at the master's level, and recent graduates of either an undergraduate or master's-level program. Recent graduates must have completed their degrees no more than twelve months prior to the application deadline. Current first-year students, sophomores, and juniors are not eligible to apply.

June 2, 2025–May 29, 2026
Full time: five days, thirty-five hours per week
Compensation: $26 per hour, plus $1,500 toward housing/travel to New York City (less applicable taxes and deductions). Long-term interns are eligible to receive benefits currently offered to non-exempt full-time employees of the Museum. $3,000 stipend available for research and educational travel

The Education Department offers one twelve-month internship for an individual interested in museum education, with a focus on teen audiences. Based in Education's Teaching and Learning division, the intern helps support programs and events that engage teens with original works of art, museum careers, and creative projects during out-of-school time. These include the High School Internship Program, Teens Take The Met! teen night, Career Labs or teen workshops, drop-in and more intensive art-making opportunities for teens, and our gallery-based Art Explore programs for teens ages 11–14. The intern will learn about and contribute to the planning, running, and evaluation of these programs. The intern will also develop a research question to pursue independently.

Ideal candidates are those for whom this opportunity represents a growth and learning experience.

Eligibility: This internship is open to current undergraduate seniors who will have graduated by the beginning of the program, and recent graduates of either an undergraduate or master's-level program. Recent graduates must have completed their degrees no more than twelve months prior to the application deadline. Current first-year students, sophomores, and juniors are not eligible to apply.

June 2, 2025–February 27, 2026
Full time: five days, thirty-five hours per week
Compensation: $26 per hour, plus $1,500 toward housing/travel to New York City (less applicable taxes and deductions). Long-term interns are eligible to receive benefits currently offered to non-exempt full-time employees of the Museum. $3,000 stipend available for research and educational travel

This nine-month internship in The Met’s Costume Institute will be awarded to a recent undergraduate or graduate student with a special interest in fashion history. The internship offers the opportunity to work closely with staff in a placement area from among Curatorial, Conservation, Collections, Installation, Administration, or the Library. In addition to working on projects within their area of interest, the intern will have the opportunity to learn about a wide range of activities that relate to the ongoing care, display, and interpretation of The Costume Institute’s permanent collection. The intern will learn about the exhibitions process, conduct gallery tours, and contribute to The Costume Institute’s digital initiatives and social media platforms. Additionally, the intern will pursue an independent project developed with the support and guidance of a staff supervisor.

Ideal candidates are those for whom this opportunity represents a growth and learning experience. Applicants should have a strong interest in museums, fashion history and theory, conservation or collections care, strong communication and writing skills, and the ability to work collaboratively and independently.

Eligibility: This internship is open to current undergraduate seniors who will have graduated by the beginning of the program, current graduate students, and recent graduates of either an undergraduate or a master's-level program. Recent graduates must have completed their degrees no more than twelve months prior to the application deadline. Current first-year students, sophomores, and juniors are not eligible to apply.

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 completed more than a one-semester internship. Preference will be given to applicants who have not yet participated in the MuSe (Museum Seminar) Internship Program.

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 to live and work in the U.S., please see “International Applicants” below.
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.
Internship dates are fixed and not flexible.

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 this online application.

Application deadline: January 15, 2025, 5 pm (ET)
Notification: by the end of April 2025

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 (including an essay specific to the long-term internship(s) to which you are applying)
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

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 process.

Apply online.

Please note: your recommendation letters must be submitted by this 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, Anna Sui, The Soloviev Foundation, and The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom.

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.

Long-Term Internships for Recent Graduates

Available Internships

Twelve-Month Internship in Live Arts

Twelve-Month Preprogram Conservation Internship

Lifchez/Stronach Nine-Month Curatorial Internship

The Emily K. Rafferty Twelve-Month Internship in Museum Administration

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

Twelve-Month Internship in the Digital Department

Twelve-Month Access and Inclusion Education Internship

Twelve-Month Teen Programs Education Internship

Anna Sui Internship in The Costume Institute

Requirements

International Applicants

How to Apply

Review and Evaluation Process

Criteria

Your goals for learning

Your potential for personal, academic, and professional growth

Your contribution to an inclusive Met community

Your preparation for learning

Your exposure to the arts and cultural sector

Internship Support