Internships at the Main Building
Eligibility
General Program Information
Unpaid Internship Program
Paid Internship Program
Notification and Interviews
Letters of Recommendation and Transcripts
Contact Information
The Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students
Eligibility
General Program Information
Notification and Interviews
Letters of Recommendation and Transcripts
Contact Information
Internships at the Main Building
Eligibility
Are there internship opportunities for high school students?
Yes. For more information about internships for high school students, please see Internships for High School Students.
I have already graduated from a college or university program. Am I eligible to apply for an internship?
If you graduated within one year of the application deadline, you are eligible for Paid Internships for College and Graduate Students. If you graduated within one year of submitting your application, you are eligible for Unpaid Internships for College and Graduate Students. If it has been a more than one year since your graduation, please contact the Volunteer Organization.
I have completed a master's degree and am now pursuing a PhD. Am I eligible to apply for an internship?
No. To be eligible for Paid Internships for College and Graduate Students, you must currently be enrolled in an undergraduate or master's program or have graduated from an undergraduate or master's program within one year of the application deadline. To be eligible for Unpaid Internships for College and Graduate Students, you must currently be enrolled in an undergraduate or master's program or have graduated from an undergraduate or master's program within one year of submitting your application. If you are pursuing a PhD, you may be eligible to apply for Fellowships.
Do I need to be an art history major to be eligible for the Museum's internship programs?
No. We welcome applications from students with varied interests and backgrounds. In your application, please be sure to list coursework and experience that is relevant to the department to which you are applying.
I am not a US citizen. Am I eligible to apply for an internship?
Yes. The internship programs are open to international students.
Does the Museum sponsor visas?
No. Although the Museum will act as your host institution, we cannot sponsor your visa. To participate in the Exchange Visitor Program (J-1 visa program), you must go through an outside agency that has been authorized by the State Department to sponsor your 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 US 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 must be completed well in advance of the internship start date. Every non-U.S. citizen accepted as a paid or unpaid intern must obtain a J-1 visa to participate in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's internship program.
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General Program Information
If I am accepted for an internship position, will the Museum provide housing?
No. If you are accepted into the internship program, it is your responsibility to arrange your own housing and accommodations.
If I am not accepted for an internship position, may I reapply the following year?
Yes, as long as you are still eligible the following year. You will need to resubmit a complete application, including letters of recommendation and official transcripts. Please be sure to state on your application that you are reapplying.
Does the Counsel's Office offer legal internships?
Yes. The Counsel's Office offers one unpaid, full-time legal internship in the summer for students who have just completed their first year of law school. Please submit your résumé and cover letter for initial review to Jeffrey N. Blair, senior associate counsel, at Jeffrey.Blair@metmuseum.org.
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Unpaid Internship Program
Which departments currently have internship openings?
The Internship Office will match applicants with departments based on their application information and letters of recommendation. Therefore, it is essential that your application describe the specific interests and skills that distinguish you as an exemplary candidate.
Do I need to submit letters of recommendation with my initial application?
Recommendation letters for unpaid internships are usually not necessary, but may be requested at each department's discretion. We will contact you directly if letters are needed.
How are applicants selected for unpaid internships?
Applicants are selected based on the current needs of Museum departments. If your experience and skills match the needs of a particular department, you will be considered for a position.
May I apply to the unpaid program more than once?
Yes. Please be sure to update your résumé and essay.
Are there deadlines for applying to the unpaid internships?
Yes. For internships taking place during summer 2013, the application deadline is March 7, 2013 (Notification: April 25, 2013). For internships taking place during fall 2013, the application deadline is July 18, 2013 (Notification: last week of August, 2013). For internships taking place during spring 2014, the application deadline is November 7, 2013 (Notification: second week of December, 2013). For internships taking place during summer 2014, the application deadline is March 6, 2014 (Notification: last week of April, 2014). For internships taking place during fall 2014, the application deadline is July 17, 2014 (Notification: last week of August, 2014).
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Paid Internship Program
May I apply for more than one paid internship?
Yes. Please read the internship descriptions carefully and make sure that you meet the requirements for each. Your essay should address your qualifications for and interest in each internship for which you are applying.
Is the $50 processing fee mandatory?
Yes. Applicants must submit a one-time, nonrefundable application processing fee using a valid credit/debit card when submitting the application for the paid internship program. We do not accept cash or checks. Applications submitted without payment will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. If the $50 processing fee is a financial burden, you may request a fee waiver by providing a brief explanation of need to mmainterns@metmuseum.org before submitting your application. All fee waiver requests will be reviewed and granted based on each individual's specific circumstances. Due to the high volume of applicants, the Internship Office can only respond to fee waiver requests that are accompanied by written explanations.
If I apply to more than one internship program, will I be required to pay a $50 fee for each additional program?
No. The Museum charges a one-time, nonrefundable $50 processing fee per applicant, not per program. This is the case for The Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students, the Summer Mentoring Program for College Juniors, and Paid Internships for College and Graduate Students at the Main Building.
I am currently a college sophomore or junior; may I apply for a Paid Internship for College Students?
No. The Internship for College Students is intended for current college seniors who will have graduated from college by the beginning of the program and individuals who graduated within one year of the application deadline. However, current sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply to the Summer Mentoring Program for College Juniors. Freshmen and sophomores may also apply for The Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students.
What is the difference between the Summer Internship for College Students and the Summer Mentoring Program for College Juniors?
The Mentoring Program is designed to encourage college juniors from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and communities traditionally underrepresented in the arts to pursue museum careers. In addition to assisting a supervisor in a host department, each participant in the Mentoring Program is partnered with a mentor within the Museum.
I have graduated from college but have not yet started a graduate program. Am I considered a college or graduate student?
To be considered for the Internship for Graduate Students, you must have completed at least one year of graduate school before the internship begins. If you have finished college within the past year and are not enrolled in graduate school, then you qualify for the Internship for College Students.
Do I need to submit letters of recommendation with my initial application?
Yes. For the paid internship program only, two letters of recommendation must be submitted by the recommenders directly to the Internship Office at paidinternrecs@metmuseum.org.
May I submit my application before the deadline?
Yes. You may apply as soon as application forms are available on this website.
I missed the application deadline. May I submit a late application?
No. The Internship Office does not accept late applications; there are no exceptions.
In what kinds of projects can I expect to participate as an intern?
Departmental placement and project descriptions will be posted for the 2014 paid internship program by early December 2013. Some past projects have included assisting in the creation of an online catalogue of the Met's silver collection, developing finding aids for archival materials for the indigenous cultures of Island Southeast Asia, and creating gallery-based projects for various public programs. View detailed descriptions of past projects.
May I take days off during the ten-week summer period for vacation or other personal reasons?
No. The program is designed so that each intern participates in all training sessions from the first to the last day of the program as outlined in the program description.
Will I need to intern on weekends during the summer program?
Yes. College-level interns will conduct tours and assist at the Information Desk on weekends as assigned by the Internship Office, and graduate interns are likely to be scheduled to give gallery talks on weekends, as well. However, interns will not be required to assist in the Museum more than thirty-five hours per week.
How many interns are accepted into the paid program?
Approximately forty interns are selected each year for summer and long-term paid internship positions.
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Notification and Interviews
Will I be notified when my application is received?
Yes. You will receive a confirmation email once your online application has been successfully submitted.
Is it possible to have a telephone interview?
While the Internship Office prefers to conduct in-person interviews with candidates in the tristate area, the internship coordinator will conduct interviews over the phone with candidates who are unable to travel to the Museum. All internship program finalists must interview with the internship coordinator or a representative from a specific Museum department.
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Letters of Recommendation and Transcripts
May I submit a work recommendation instead of an academic recommendation for my application to the paid internship program?
Yes, but the Internship Office requires at least one academic recommendation. A recommendation from a job or internship supervisor must be related to the Museum department to which you are applying. Please remember that certain departments request recommendation letters for unpaid internships. We will contact you directly if needed.
My recommender will not be able to send a letter of recommendation at the time I apply for a paid internship. May I submit the letter of recommendation on behalf of my recommender?
No. Both letters of recommendation must be submitted directly from the recommenders to the Internship Office. If you are applying for an unpaid internship, we will let you know if a recommendation letter is required.
Do letters of recommendation have to be written in English?
Yes. The internship application and supporting letters of recommendation must be written in English.
Does the Internship Office require official university transcripts?
You will be asked to upload an unofficial academic transcript (and English translation, if necessary) from each institution you have attended as part of the paid (and, in some cases, unpaid) internship applications. Graduate students must include both undergraduate and graduate transcripts. You must submit official university transcripts only if you are selected for a paid internship position. Request that your university registrar send your official transcripts in a sealed envelope directly to the Internship Office:
Internship Programs
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028-0198
Please remember that certain departments may request transcripts from unpaid internship applicants. We will contact you directly if needed.
Do graduate applicants need to submit undergraduate transcripts?
Yes. Graduate applicants for paid internships must send both graduate and undergraduate transcripts. Certain departments may request both graduate and undergraduate transcripts from unpaid internship applicants.
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Contact Information
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions thoroughly before calling or submitting an email inquiry. Thank you.
For fee waiver requests and all other questions regarding Internships for College and Graduate Students at the Main Building, please email mmainterns@metmuseum.org.
For all other questions regarding the Summer Mentoring Program for College Juniors, please email audience.development@metmuseum.org.
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The Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students
Eligibility
As a graduating college senior, am I eligible for The Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students?
No. To be eligible for The Cloisters Summer Internship you must be matriculated in an undergraduate degree program and not have graduated before the program begins.
Do I need to be an art history or medieval studies major to apply?
No. We welcome applications from students of varied interests and backgrounds. However, students who have taken at least one art history course, preferably covering medieval material, or at least one course in medieval history, literature, or another area of medieval culture, will present a stronger application.
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General Program Information
Is the $50 processing fee mandatory?
Yes. Applicants must submit a one-time, nonrefundable application processing fee using a valid credit/debit card when submitting the application. We do not accept cash or checks. Applications submitted without payment will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. If the $50 processing fee is a financial burden, you may request a fee waiver by providing a brief explanation of need to cloistersinterns@metmuseum.org before submitting your application. All fee waiver requests will be reviewed and granted based on each individual's specific circumstances. Due to the high volume of applicants, The Cloisters can only respond to fee waiver requests that are accompanied by written explanations.
If I apply to more than one internship program, will I be required to pay a $50 fee for each additional program?
No. The Museum charges a one-time, nonrefundable $50 processing fee per applicant, not per program. This is the case for The Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students, the Summer Mentoring Program for College Juniors, and Paid Internships for College and Graduate Students at the Main Building.
May I submit my application before the deadline?
Yes. You may apply as soon as application forms are available on this website.
I missed the application deadline. May I submit a late application?
No. The Cloisters does not accept late applications; there are no exceptions.
May I take days off during the summer internship period for vacation or other personal reasons?
No. The program is designed so that each intern participates in all training sessions from the first to the last day of the program as outlined in the program description.
How many interns are accepted into the program?
Eight interns are selected each year for The Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students.
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Notification and Interviews
Will I be notified when my application is received?
Yes. You will receive a confirmation email once your online application has been successfully submitted.
Is it possible to have a telephone interview?
No. In order to be considered, all applicants who are invited for an interview must come to The Cloisters during late February or March for an in-person interview.
If I am invited for an interview, will the Museum pay my transportation costs?
No. The Museum is unable to pay transportation costs.
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Letters of Recommendation and Transcripts
Can my professors fax their recommendations?
No. Professors must scan signed letters, preferably on their institutions' letterhead, and email them to cloistersinterns@metmuseum.org.
May I submit a work recommendation instead of an academic recommendation?
No. You must submit two academic recommendations. A recommendation from a supervisor at a job or internship that is directly related to the duties and projects of The Cloisters Summer Internship may be submitted as a third, supplemental recommendation.
If I transferred from one college to another, do I need to submit transcripts from both schools?
Yes. Please submit official transcripts from both colleges.
Do I need to send my high school transcript?
We require both high school and college transcripts for applicants currently in the first or second year of college; we require only college transcripts for applicants whose college transcripts currently record two or more full years of course grades.
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Contact Information
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions thoroughly before calling or submitting an email inquiry. Thank you.
For fee waiver requests and all other questions regarding The Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students, please email cloistersinterns@metmuseum.org.
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