We Are Committed to an Inclusive Workplace
At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, we actively seek to employ a diverse group of people who embody our organizational values. We welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply, especially those from marginalized and underrepresented groups in the museum field, who are inspired by our shared purpose and enjoy working collaboratively with others.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected status.

What We Do
We are Philadelphia's art museum, a landmark building, a world-renowned collection. A place that welcomes everyone. We bring the arts to life, inspiring visitors—through scholarly study or creative play—to discover the creative spirit that lies within each of us. We connect people with the arts in rich and varied ways, making the experience of the Museum surprising, lively, and always memorable.

Who We Are
Our values define who we are. They drive the way we do things and the decisions we make. We are open – we welcome everyone, opening eyes and minds to the expressive power of the arts. We are connected – we sustain and strengthen the communities we serve, bringing together diverse audiences. We are vital – we bring the arts to life, engaging visitors from Philadelphia and around the world. We are provocative – we believe that the arts can change the way we understand ourselves and how we see the world.

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

What We Offer
Our employees are at the center of the museum. As an employee, you will have access to numerous museum perks including, but not limited to:

Free general admission to the museum for you and your immediate family
Discounted guest tickets for admission
Discounts on gift memberships
Special staff tours and presentations from our curatorial and conservation teams
Discounts at the museum restaurant, museum cafés, and museum retail and online stores

We offer a comprehensive benefits package for employees* including:

Medical, dental, and vision benefits
Fully paid short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, and life insurance
Health savings or flexible spending account program
Retirement savings program with museum match
Paid vacation, personal days, sick days, and holidays

*Eligibility for certain benefits is based on a variety of factors including the employee’s regular schedule and tenure.

Museum Studies Internship Program

Philadelphia, PA

Internship

Student (College)

Museum Studies Internship Program: June 8 – July 31, 2026

Application deadline: Monday, February 9, 2026

The Museum Studies Internship Program 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 internship 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 individuals of all cultural and academic backgrounds to apply. Ten students will be selected for the summer program taking place over eight weeks, from June 8 to July 31, 2026. Interns receive a stipend of $4,000 for living expenses.

Internship Format

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 and 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.

Eligibility Requirements

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 after the Fall 2025 semester
Who have completed at least their freshman year of college by the end of the Spring 2025 semester
Who are eligible to work in the United States
Who are committed to attending all program sessions

How to Apply

To be considered for the internship, submit your online application and PDFs of all required materials here by Monday, February 9, 2026. Applications must consist of each of the elements below. Additional materials will not be considered.

Required Application Materials

Application Form
Be sure to identify four areas of interest for internship placement (see the “Description of Past Intern Placements” section above for placement descriptions).

Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
Please be sure to include relevant academic, employment, and volunteer experiences as well as computer and language skills.

Statement of interest
Please limit the essay to no more than 750 words and be sure to address the following:

Explain your interest in the museum field and what led you to apply for the Philadelphia Art Museum’s Museum Studies Internship Program. Describe, too, how the experience might contribute to your professional and intellectual growth.

Describe how your specific interests, skill sets, and professional and/or academic experiences might relate to the departments(s) you have selected on the application form and explain how you will contribute to the Museum Studies Internship Program cohort.

Autobiographical Statement
The museum and the communities it serves comprise many different people and perspectives. In 300 words or less, describe how your background and personal experiences might inform an internship at PhAM.

Unofficial Transcript(s)
A current record of your academic history should be submitted as a PDF. Graduate students should submit transcripts from each post-secondary institution they have attended.

Letter of Recommendation
Applicants must have one confidential letter of recommendation submitted by past or current professors or academic advisors or a past or current employer who is familiar with your skills and abilities. Please submit contact information (name, email, and phone number) for one individual who will provide a letter on your behalf. The letters of recommendation must be submitted via email to [email protected] by the application deadline. The recommendation emails should clearly indicate the applicant’s name in the subject line and must come directly from the recommender’s email.

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First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone*

Address*

Resume*

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College or University*

Date (or expected date) of graduation (month, year)*

Applicants must have one confidential letter of recommendation submitted by past or current professors or academic advisors or a past or current employer who is familiar with your skills and abilities. Letters of recommendation must be submitted via email to [email protected] by the application
deadline. The recommendation emails should clearly indicate the applicant’s name in the subject line and must come directly from the recommender’s email. Please enter the name and e-mail address of whomever will be submitting a recommendation on your behalf*

Please indicate up to four areas of interest. Visit the internships page of the museum's website for short descriptions for each department.

• Advancement
• Collections information
• Conservation
• Curatorial (note your area of interest/area of specialization)
• Executive Office
• External Affairs
• Exhibitions
• Facilities & Operations
• Finance
• Growth & Brand
• Human Resources
• Learning & Engagement
• Library & Archives
• Membership & Audience Strategy
• Photography Studio
• Publishing
• Registrar
• Special Events
• Visitor Services*

I am interested in a wide variety of museum functions and would consider any placement that matches my skills*

How did you hear about this position?*

If you selected "other" or "employee referral," please be specific about where or which employee

Have you worked or volunteered for the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the past?*

Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?*

What name do you want others to use for you?

What pronouns do you want others to use for you? Examples: she/her/hers,
he/him/his, they/them/their, ze/zi/zier, per/pers*

Statement of Interest: Please limit the essay to no more than 750 words and be sure to address the following:
• Explain your interest in the museum field and what led you to apply for the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Museum Studies Internship Program
• Describe how your specific interest, skill sets, and experience might relate to the departments(s) you have selected on the application form and explain how you will contribute to the Museum studies Internship Program cohort.*

Autobiographical Statement: The museum and the communities it serves comprise many different people and perspectives. In 300 words or less, describe how your background and personal experiences might inform an internship at PhAM.*

Unofficial Transcript: A current record of your academic history should be
submitted as a PDF. Graduate students should combine transcripts from each postsecondary institution they have attended into one PDF*

Voluntary Demographic Data Collection

How do you self-describe your race and ethnicity? If you have additional identities related to your race or ethnicity, please use the space below to specify how you would like your race and ethnicity to be understood. Helpful responses could be country of origin, or a more specific ethnic, cultural, geographic, or indigenous group. Choose
all that apply.

Which term best describes your gender(s)? Choose all that apply.

Which term best describes your sexual orientation? Choose all that apply.

Do you identify as someone with a disability?
A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever
had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Some examples of disabilities include:
Cancer, Diabetes, Post-traumatic stress disorder, HIV, Autism, Cerebral palsy, Deafness or hearing loss, Blindness or
low vision, Epilepsy, Mobility disabilities such as those requiring the use of a wheelchair, walker, or cane, Intellectual
disabilities, Major depressive disorder, Traumatic brain injury

. Are you a protected veteran?
You are a protected veteran if you answer yes to one or more of the following questions:
• Are you serving, or have you served, on active duty during a war, campaign, or expedition for which you’ve received
a campaign badge?
• Have you ever received an Armed Forces Service Medal?
• Are you a disabled veteran?
• Have you recently separated (been released or discharged — dishonorable discharges are not eligible) from the
military (within the past three years)?
If you were dishonorably discharged from the military, you are not protected under VEVRAA and, therefore, do not qualify as
a protected veteran.

The following questions are entirely optional.

To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Invitation for Job Applicants to Self-Identify as a U.S. Veteran

A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
- a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
- a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Veteran status

I IDENTIFY AS ONE OR MORE OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF PROTECTED VETERAN LISTED ABOVE
I AM NOT A PROTECTED VETERAN
I DON’T WISH TO ANSWER

Human Check*

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