Summer Internships for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
About the Internship
The Met offers 10-week internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates, to explore museum careers and gain professional experience.
Full-Time Internships
Full-time interns commit to being fully present and onsite and are not permitted to take courses or hold additional jobs or internships that coincide with their schedule at The Met. Interns participate in The Museum Seminar (MuSe), a series that gives an understanding of the work that occurs at The Met and how Museum professionals collaborate to plan and support the operations of one of the world's largest museums. Through these seminars, interns connect with a community of staff, fellows, and other interns.
Part-Time Internships
The Met offers a limited number of part-time summer internships.These internships are more flexible in terms of scheduling and are ideal for students who are taking summer classes. Part-time interns do not participate in The Museum Seminar (MuSe) Series.
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 12 months of the application deadline
- PhD students who have not yet achieved candidacy
Current and former Met interns: If you have been an undergraduate or graduate intern at The Met, you are eligible to apply for a 10-week internship provided you have not already completed twelve months or three semesters as an intern. Preference will be given to applicants who have not already had an undergraduate or graduate internship experience at The Met.
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 US visa regulations while participating in the Museum's paid internship program. All interns must have valid US 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 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 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.
If you are unsure about your eligibility, contact us at collegeprograms@metmuseum.org.
Full-time
- Availability: 5 days, 35 hours per week
- $24 per hour
- $1,500 toward housing/travel to New York City (less applicable taxes and deductions)
Part-time
- Availability: 14 hours per week
- $24 per hour
Application deadline: January 14, 2026, 5 pm (ET)
Notification deadline: by the end of April 2026
Internship period: June 2–August 7, 2026
Requirements:
- Short essay responses
- An unofficial transcript
- A résumé describing any work or extracurricular experiences. 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.
- 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.
Online application:
- The application will ask you to select the internships that interest you: a part-time internship, a MuSe Program 10-week internship, or a MuSe Program long-term internship. You may apply for any or all of these internships using the same application.
- There is no fee to apply to any of the internships.
- We will not accept any applications, application materials, or recommendations after the deadline. Your recommendation letters must be submitted by the application deadline.
What to Expect After Applying
First, we gather substantial educational projects from supervisors across many Museum departments. We categorize the projects based on their learning outcomes, goals, and department areas. We read the applications and match applicants with projects in their areas of interest. If there is no project available in the department or area you select on your application, we consider your application for all related projects. We select students who above all are enthusiastic and eager to learn. We look for students who demonstrate passion for and commitment to their interests and goals and for whom an internship will be an impactful learning experience.
Once the application deadline passes, the first round of review begins. An Internship Review Committee comprised of staff from across the Museum will consider your application for the two Museum areas you’ve selected. Reviewers evaluate applications using the rubric discussed below and recommend the strongest applicants 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.
Selection Criteria
Please see the Application Evaluation Rubric (PDF) for a detailed description of how your application will be evaluated, as well as an explanation of the selection criteria below.
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 for learning.
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 about your potential for personal, academic, and professional growth.
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.
Life as a Met Intern
Seminar Series
Weekly seminars give interns an understanding of the wide range of work that occurs at The Met, and how Museum professionals collaborate to plan and support the daily operations of one of the world's largest museums.
Public Engagement
Full-time interns complete a two-week MuSe training on museum teaching and public speaking, then design tours or programs that reflect their interests—offering visitors relevant, engaging, and accessible insights into art and The Met from an insider's perspective.
Helpful Links for Internship Applicants
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, and The Soloviev Foundation.