Internships: Opportunities: Internships Elsewhere in the US
Updated 11/6/24 by S. Smutny
College Juniors May Apply
DEADLINE: February 3, 2025
The program welcomes applications from college juniors (class of 2026) and seniors who expect to graduate in 2025 to its nine-week, tuition-free Summer Fellowship Program in History and Material Culture. Located in the scenic Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts, Historic Deerfield is the perfect place to explore New England and regional history, material culture, and museum studies.
The Summer Fellowship Program is nine weeks long. The 2025 program will run from June 2–August 4, 2025. This year’s three-day break will be July 3–5; the program will reconvene Saturday, July 6.
Summer Fellows:
- Live in the historic village.
- Explore history and material culture studies in hands-on classroom seminars, walking tours, and room studies with Historic Deerfield staff and visiting lecturers.
- Learn to guide and interpret in Historic Deerfield’s furnished museum houses.
- Conduct original research on New England history and material culture using museum and library collections.
- Go on behind-the-scenes visits to museums and historic sites, including a week-long road trip at the conclusion of the program.
- Pay no tuition or program fees; students with summer work requirements are encouraged to apply for financial assistance. Applicants interested in financial aid should submit the financial aid authorization form as part of their application.
Fellows participate in classroom seminars, walking tours, and study-sessions in museum houses led by Historic Deerfield’s staff and visiting lecturers. Topics include: early New England architecture; early American daily life as revealed in furniture, ceramics, textiles and other decorative arts, as well as primary documents such as probate inventories and account books; the art and craft of gravestone carving; Native Americans and African Americans in the Connecticut River Valley; the archaeological heritage of Deerfield; the Colonial Revival in New England; the advantages and challenges of teaching early American history through objects; and the complex interrelationship between heritage and history.
Summer Fellows reside in the Champney House on Deerfield’s Old Main Street that runs through the historic village, aka “The Street.” Champney has a full kitchen, two shared bathrooms, and air-conditioned dorm-style bedrooms (singles) furnished with bed, desk, chair, lamp, and shelving. Wi-Fi internet access is available. All fellows have their own room.
Click here for more information about SFP faculty | Click here for past Research Topics and Object Studies | Click here for Research Paper Abstracts
All fellows are required to lead tours and interact with visitors, including guiding in one of Historic Deerfield’s museum houses. Fellows train with the Director of Museum Education and Interpretation, museum guides, and other staff as they prepare for this experience.
We encourage candidates from all backgrounds, beliefs, cultures, and identities to apply. Historic Deerfield’s mission is to open doors to new perspectives that inspire people to seek a deeper understanding of themselves, their communities, and the world.
Library Company of Philadelphia
1314 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
TEL (215) 546-3181
This is a Central Smithsonian-Wide Internship Opportunity:
Washington, DC, Virtual, and Hybrid
Application opens: January 6, 2025
Deadline to apply: March 14, 2025 at 11:59PM (EST)
Number of Weeks: 10 weeks
Start Date: 6/9/25
End Date: 8/15/25
This is a cohort internship so all interns should be able to start and end on these dates and be actively engaged in the internship at least 36 hours/week
Stipend Amount: $5000 ($500/week)
Background & Purpose
The Katzenberger Foundation Art History Internship Program is a need-based program supporting internships for undergraduates in research and collections projects related to art history at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The program is generously funded by the Katzenberger Foundation and administered by the Office Academic Appointments and Internships. Internships are offered each summer and are all located in Washington, DC, at the Smithsonian’s art museums and archives.
Eligibility
- U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status.
- Must be formally enrolled in an undergraduate program of study with academic standing as a junior or senior or have completed their degree within the past six months.
- Must be declared as an art history major, concentration, or related discipline.
- Students are generally expected to have an overall G.P.A. of 3.0 or its equivalent.
- Qualify for financial need. The aim of this program is to provide an opportunity for high achieving students with financial challenges to participate in a significant internship experience. Applicants must be eligible to receive federal student aid (i.e. Pell Grant, Stafford Loan, Perkins Loan, etc.).
How to Apply
Use the SOLAA System to Apply Online: https://solaa.si.edu(link is external)
- Register for SOLAA
- Select “Internship”
- Select “Office of Academic Appointments and Internships”
- Select “Smithsonian Katzenberger Art History Internship Program”\
- Apply for the year you want to intern
Files you will need to upload:
Essay
Please address the following:
1) Your past and present academic history and other experiences which you feel have prepared you for an internship
2) What you hope to learn through an internship, and how it would relate to your academic and career goals
3) What about the Smithsonian in particular interests you and leads you to apply for an internship
Transcripts (or other materials when transcripts are not issued) from all appropriate institutions are required. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If transcripts or other materials are not in English the applicant should provide translations.
- Names and email addresses of two academic references
- All reference letters are considered confidential unless confidentiality has been waived by the reference
- Through SOLAA you will send an email to these referees so they can provide references through the web
- Have the reference submit in sufficient time to meet the application deadline
Resume
References
- Names and email addresses of two academic references
- All reference letters are considered confidential unless confidentiality has been waived by the reference
- Through SOLAA you will send an email to these referees so they can provide references through the web
- Have the reference submit in sufficient time to meet the application deadline
Selection Criteria
- Substantial course work in Art History or related museum disciplines.
- Demonstrated interest or experiences in museums, galleries, libraries, or archives.
- Demonstrated research and writing skills, attention to detail, and knowledge of computer programs.
- The relevance of an internship at the Smithsonian to the student’s academic and career goals will be an important part of the evaluation of an applicant.
- Applicants should note that it is not possible for the Office of Fellowships and Internships to arrange an internship project or award a stipend to all qualified candidates.
- The Smithsonian does not discriminate on grounds of race, creed, sex, age, marital status, condition of handicap, or national origin of any applicant.
The Smithsonian is committed to ensuring that all employees and affiliated persons (including interns) are treated equitably in an environment that is free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, gender stereotyping, pregnancy, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, parental status or marital status. All personnel practices, including the selection of interns, must comply with this policy.
Internship Availability:
Summer 2025
Please check back in January 2025 for Available Internships information:
https://npg.si.edu/get-involved/internships
