Internships — old

Information for Prospective Internship Applicants:

Due to the COVID-19 virus, many of our internship positions are still virtual, and some positions are a hybrid (both virtual and on-site). More information will be provided at the time a student is selected for a position.

Two new full-time internships are now available in our Advanced Level Program, 2022-2023.

Students from all cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply;

The Application Deadline for both Internships is extended until June 30, 2022 

Two Internship programs are offered that coincide with the academic calendar: The Advanced-Level Program takes place during the fall and spring semesters; the Summer Program is an eight-week program that begins early to mid-June.

Since 1968, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery have provided instruction and inspiration to over one thousand graduate and undergraduate students, as well as others seeking self-enrichment. Former interns have achieved success in professional positions in the art and museum fields, both nationally and internationally.

There are no fees charged to students for program participation and academic enrollment is not required. Individuals from all academic and cultural backgrounds are welcome to apply. Mentoring relationships between interns and staff are promoted and program alumni are encouraged to maintain contact for networking purposes; an alumni reunion is held yearly during the College Art Association conference.

There is no specific application form for these programs. Candidates applying to either or both internship programs must submit the following:

1. A statement of purpose: explaining personal career interests, the skills the applicant hopes to acquire and why the Smithsonian American Art Museum has been chosen as a possible learning center.
2. A resume: detailing the applicant’s academic coursework and experience, paid or unpaid (a curriculum vitae will also be accepted).
3. Official or unofficial transcripts: from all schools attended above the high school level.
4. Two current letters of recommendation: academic and /or professional.
5. A statement of financial need should be added to the above application materials ONLY if the applicant is requesting consideration for the full-time Kasok Family Internship in Museum Studies.

All application materials (listed above) should be emailed directly to: AmericanArtInternPro@si.edu

Application materials emailed later than the required deadline dates will be wait-listed.

Application deadlines for both programs:

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE ADVANCED LEVEL PROGRAM IS EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE 30, 2022.

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE SUMMER PROGRAM IS FEBRUARY 15 EACH YEAR.

The Intern Program Officer and department supervisors review the applications. Summer Program applicants will receive notice of their application status during late March to early April. Advanced-Level program applicants will receive notice of their status in late June to early July. Applications (resumes and statements) received after the deadline dates above will be wait-listed.

Because our webpage on the Smithsonian On-line Academic Appointment System (SOLAA) is currently still in process. Application materials for both programs should only be sent using the email address given above.

A two-semester graduate-level program (fall and spring semesters), with participation 20 hours weekly, Monday-Friday (with exception of the two full-time internships detailed above).

The Advanced Level Program provides its participants with a comprehensive overview of museum operations by combining hands-on project experience with professional instruction. The program structure is designed specifically to identify, stimulate, and promote the academic and professional goal of each student and to encourage and support their career development. This program is excellent for graduate students, as a supplement to their academic programs or for others interested in developing a career focus prior to attending graduate school. 

Along with selected projects, an introduction to the museum profession is presented by the Smithsonian American Art Museum staff and other field professionals. Students attend over twenty-six workshops and seminars in art history, conservation, registration, administration, budget procedures, development efforts, resume design and writing, career development, and other topics. An extensive bibliography is available to supplement practical experience and workshop presentations. Participants are required to maintain a detailed journal during their final project. Students receive a letter grade and evaluation from their project supervisors after their tenure in each assigned area is completed. Program participants submit a confidential evaluation of their internship experience, for each museum assignment area, to the Intern Program Officer. 

With the exception of the full-time, two-semester Steven and Stephanie Kasok Family Internship for Museum Studies internship position and the full-time, nine month, Kim Igoe Advanced Level Internship in Collections Management position, all other selected students complete the program on a part-time schedule, participating twenty hours weekly for both the fall and spring semesters. Intern assignments in the fall semester are made by the intern Program Officer based on the student's interests and career goals. The spring semester assignment is selected by the intern, in conjunction with the Intern Program Officer.

Qualifications for the Advanced-Level Program

Students should have some previous experience in an art- or history-related organization. Applicants may be graduate students, exceptional college seniors, individuals with a four-year college degree (enrollment in an academic program is not required) or international students. Pre-doctoral candidates, who have had little previous museum experience, will also be considered on an individual basis. 

Stipend Awards for the Advanced Level Program
All internship positions carry stipends. Stipend awards are meant as a supplement to the student’s total living expenses.

The Steven and Stephanie Kasok Museum Studies award provides a $20,000 stipend for one highly qualified individual who wishes to participate in a full-time internship for two-semesters. Students requesting consideration for this stipend should submit a statement of financial need, along with the other required application documents (listed below).

Primarily undergraduates, eight weeks, beginning early to mid-June, ending late July or early August. Participation is 40 hours weekly, Monday - Friday

The Summer Program is an introduction to museum work, designed for students who have little or no previous museum experience. Instead of moving through different museum areas, interns in the Summer Program concentrate on one assigned department or office, compatible with his or her interests or career goals. 

Qualifications for the Summer Program

Students with a four-year college degree and undergraduate college seniors and juniors (students completing their sophomore year at the time of application) may apply. Graduate students will be considered for this program on an individual basis. Please note that an overview of all museum departments is not possible during the short duration of the Summer Program. 

Programs Available to International Students

International students with current visas, who are living in the U.S. at the time of application, are welcome to apply to either the Summer Program or the Advanced-Level program. 

For International students living outside the U.S., insufficient time is available for visa arrangements prior to the beginning of the Summer Program. In addition, the Advanced-Level program is considered the most advantageous for International students because it provides more time for both training and cultural enrichment opportunities. 

Stipend Awards for the Internship Program

Students selected for part-time internships will automatically be considered for funding from endowments established by very generous donors to the Advanced Museum’s internship program: Harry and Beverly Mandil, Jack and Marjorie Rachlin, and Allan J. and Reda Radwan Riley. (Award amounts may vary yearly; no additional paperwork is required for consideration.)

For the Summer Program 2022: all participants will receive a $1,250 stipend.

Students from all universities and colleges are eligible to earn academic credit from their home institution, in contractual arrangement with the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

When an intern requires academic credit or graduation certification for his or her internship, the Smithsonian American Art Museum requires the home college, university or sponsoring organization to provide a facility and instruction fee payment. This payment is in recognition of the highly structured program format, facilities, staff support system, evaluations and other services being provided by the museum. The amount of this fee is a percentage of the tuition amount the student is paying to his or her home institution. If the student is receiving graduate certification as an integral part of the student's academic program, then the fee is determined by the length of the internship. For a semester-long internship, the facility and instruction fee may not be less than $1,000. 

Students who wish to receive academic credit or certification must notify the Intern Program Officer at the time of application. Appropriate information and instructions will be provided. Approval for the Facility and Instruction fee arrangement must be obtained from a supervisory staff person in the student's academic institution prior to the commencement of the internship. Fees paid to the Smithsonian American Art Museum go directly into the Intern Program Fund account, which is used exclusively to support and maintain the high standards of these two exceptional training programs. 

Deans and university faculty who wish to enhance their curricula with one or both of the Museum's two internship programs are invited to contact the Office of Intern Programs, using the contact information provided below. At the institution's request, a detailed program presentation and consultation with a Smithsonian American Art Museum representative may be arranged; the host college or university pays travel and lodging.