Internship and Research Opportunities
Students interested in gaining more experience in museum studies, cultural resource management, archaeological research or working with antiquities are encouraged to pursue internships, research assistantships or volunteer opportunities in these areas. (Indeed most museums will expect students to have spent some time in collections work before applying to any formal position after graduation.) These experiences can be as informal as volunteering for a few hours a week at your local museum to taking on a formal summer or semester-long internship. Opportunities are available both on- and off-campus, and listings change annually.
The list below is a selection of internship opportunities. For a more comprehensive list, visit the aggregated AAMC Internship List.
Note that many opportunities have deadlines in early February, so get started early!
Year-Round Opportunities
Research Assistantships and Internships in Mediterranean Environment, Organic Residue Analysis & Ceramic Typology (Contact Prof. Birney)
Research and teaching in the lab focus on understanding past human-environmental interactions through the analysis of animal and plant remains. We provide opportunities for hands-on student learning in zooarchaeology, archaeological science, experimental archaeology, and collections management (Contact Prof. Brunson)
Wesleyan Archaeology and Anthropology Collections
Employment opportunities working in collections, including collections preservation & care, educational outreach, exhibit development, and object-based research (Contact Dr. Wendi Field Murray)
Jim Dine Curatorial Internship(Davison Art Center at Wesleyan)
The Jim Dine Curatorial Internship enables students to learn about museum work hands-on at the Davison Art Center
Summer Opportunities
Wadsworth Athenaeum (Hartford, CT)
Internships in Conservation, Archiving, Exhibit Design
Smithsonian Museum (Washington DC) - Various due dates, most due early March.
Numerous Types. See Website
Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA) - Deadline for Summer Internship: March 24th
Internships in Curatorial, Museum PR, Information Technology, publications and Education
New England Museum Association Listings (Throughout New England) - Application deadlines vary
Paid, Unpaid and Volunteer Positions
Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internships - Application deadline is February 1, 2023
Paid internships for underrepresented groups at the Getty Center or Getty Villa
National Council for Preservation Education Internships
Closing February 22, 2023
Jobs & Internships Connected to Federal Agencies
There are a number of federal offices that hire archaeologists and oversee archaeological/cultural resource management programs, from the Bureau of Land Management, the Dept. of the Interior, and the National Park Service to state archaeology offices. These are the official job and internship listings of the US Office of Personnel Management, which includes all these agencies.
The US Office of Personnel Management official job & internship site
Regional National Parks Service Archaeological Offices
A number of state/regional NPS archaeological centers will take on interns even when they don’t have formal programs. Check out their websites and contact them directly.
Western Archaeology & Conservation Center
Northeast Archaeology Resource Program
Southeast Archaeological Center
Submerged (Underwater) Resource Center