Internships at the National Museum of American History
Are you interested in US history? Do you want to learn more about the inner workings of history museums--either as an introduction or a deeper dive into an aspect of the museum field? The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) offers internships to folks who are excited to engage in professional learning experiences!
In order to be an intern at NMAH, you must have professional learning goals that can be supported through the mentorship of NMAH staff. Specific qualifications and prerequisites vary depending on the individual internship opportunity. All interested applicants, international and legal US residents, are encouraged to apply!
All NMAH internships are expected to be at least 16 hours per week, and most take place during the typical work week schedule. Some exceptions to this are internships in our Production Studio and with the Daily Programs and Visitor Services teams.
To apply for an internship at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, you will need to register for an account with the Smithsonian online academic appointments system (SOLAA) and apply through the National Museum of American History (NMAH) Internship Program, choosing your specific internship as your project choice.
Each internship cycle (spring, summer, and fall) has its own application deadline, date and time. Please note that all required components of an application must be submitted on time for your application to be considered "complete." We do not allow for extensions, so be sure to accommodate enough time to double check your application to ensure that it is correct and complete.
In your application, you will be required to provide specific materials in order to be considered for an internship.
-A current CV or resume
-A learning goals essay. This essay should be between 500-to-1,250 words with a specific paragraph that explains what you hope to learn through the internship. Overall, the essay needs to addressing the following questions: (1) What do you hope to learn through this internship, and how would the internship would relate to your academic and career goals? (2) What about this internship project in particular interests you and made you want to apply for this internship? and (3) How have your past academic history, your present academic endeavors, and/or other relevant experiences outside of academia prepared you for this internship?
Additionally, you may choose to also include these OPTIONAL documents as part of your application as well.
-An unofficial transcript or class list of some kind
-Contact information for 2 references, who will submit their own recommendation letters
For questions regarding these opportunities, please contact: Caroline Fiertz, NMAH's Interns & Fellows Program Manager
NMAHintern@si.edu