Internships

The Philadelphia Art Museum is an equal access, equal opportunity employer. The Museum Studies Internship Program (MSIP) introduces students to the inner workings of a major metropolitan museum, promoting an awareness of careers in the field through experiences not available in most academic settings. An internship with the Philadelphia Art Museum is an invaluable educational, professional, and personal experience. Through the program, interns develop an understanding of a professional workplace, receive one-on-one mentorship, learn practical skills, and participate in professional development sessions while networking with museum staff and peers.

We welcome and encourage eligible students of all cultural and academic backgrounds to apply. Information about the 2026 program (including the application form) will be posted here in December 2025.

Working together:

• We respect each other as individuals and colleagues.
• We encourage innovation and support one another’s efforts, recognizing that innovation involves risk.
• We expect every employee, department, and division to work collaboratively with all others, inspired by a shared purpose.

The internship, which runs Monday–Friday over eight weeks, is made up of two parts.

Departmental Placement: Following a careful review of their experiences as well as their professional and academic ambitions, interns are placed in specific departments, where they spend four days per week. Placements vary each year; over the MSIP’s 40+-year history, nearly every museum department has hosted an intern. Through this aspect of the program, interns develop an understanding of a professional workplace, learn practical skills, and receive one-on-one mentorship.

Museum Studies Seminar: Roughly one day per week, interns participate in museum studies sessions, which include behind-the-scenes tours of the museum; presentations from professionals from across the institution; discussions of urgent issues confronting the museum field; site visits to cultural institutions in Philadelphia; and professional development workshops.

The Museum Studies Internship Program offers internships to applicants:

• From all cultural and academic backgrounds.
• Who are currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students, or have graduated within a year of the start of the Internship Program.
• Who have completed at least their freshman year of college by the end of the Spring 2026 semester.
• Who are eligible to work in the United States.
• Who are committed to attending all program sessions.