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home > about the mfa > volunteer + intern > internships
MFA Internships
Internship opportunities at the Museum are available seasonally, (fall, spring, and summer), in a broad range of disciplines including, (but not limited to): curatorial, development, public relations, publications, intellectual property, museum education, retail operations, information services, and human resources. All internships are unpaid.

Applications for Spring 2010 internships are being accepted immediately and will be evaluated on a rolling basis. These positions will remain posted until filled. (Summer 2010 opportunities will be posted on or about February 6, 2010; applications for those positions will not be accepted before that time.)
Scroll to the bottom of this page to view current positions.



Application Procedures
(Please read this section carefully as some procedures have recently changed.)

E-mail is the preferred method of applying, with all attachments in Microsoft Word format only. Applications should be emailed to (intern@mfa.org). They may be addressed to Herbert Jones, Volunteer and Intern Programs Coordinator.

To apply for an internship, please submit a single MS Word document, containing:

1. a statement-of-purpose cover letter clearly stating:
  • the internship for which you are applying
  • your academic and career goals
  • your personal interests
  • the skills/experience you possess and their relevancy to the internship in question, and;

    2. a resume or CV

    ***A letter of recommendation from an academic instructor or advisor, or from a current/recent employer may be included in the original cover letter/resume document. If submitted separately, the recommendation must also be in MS Word format, and should be e-mailed directly to
    intern@mfa.org. All recommendations, whether sent by you or a third party, must include the applicant's full name in the subject heading of the e-mail.

    (Note:Documents in formats other than MS Word will not be accepted.)

    Important Information

  • All internships at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, are unpaid positions.

  • Applicants may apply for up to three internships per season.

  • A separate cover letter/resume document is required for each position.

  • Only one letter of recommendation is needed, even when applying for multiple internships.

  • You may include the cover letter and resume in the body of your e-mail, or in a Microsoft Word attachment.

  • In the subject line of the e-mail, include:

    1. your full name
    2. the title of the internship for which you are applying
    3. season of the internship for which you are applying
    (e.g.:Herbert Jones, Art of Europe Internship - Fall 2009)

  • All applications will be acknowledged as received within four business days of receipt. Thereafter, only those applicants selected for interviews will be contacted, usually via telephone.

  • Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

    Materials not submitted via e-mail should be addressed and mailed to:
    Herbert Jones, Volunteer & Intern Coordinator
    Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
    465 Huntington Avenue
    Boston, MA 02115



    Frequently Asked Questions:

    Q. May I do an internship for course credit?
    A. Yes. Please note that intern applicants are responsible for making appropriate arrangements with their schools to receive credit for internships. Hours vary and are flexible; however, a minimum of 12 hours per week is generally expected to receive course credit.

    Q. Who may apply for an internship?
    A. The MFA accepts applications from college-level sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and graduate students or recent graduates.

    Q. Do you accept international students?
    A. We encourage all international students to apply. Please note that all international students are responsible for making the appropriate arrangements with their countries including permits, visas, and housing.

    Q. Is there a deadline for spring internship applications?
    A. While the Museum's internship program operates on a rolling application basis, please note that intern managers may begin conducting interviews between early and mid-December, 2009. Although different departments will interview on different schedules, all prospective candidates are advised to submit applications at their earliest convenience to ensure full consideration. We will continue to accept spring application materials on a rolling basis for each position until it is filled. Please check this page often for updated listings.

    Q. Will I receive a confirmation of receipt of my application materials?
    A. All applicants receive an email acknowledging receipt of materials within four business days of receipt by the MFA.

    Q. How will I know if I am selected for an interview?
    A. Due to the large number of applicants, we follow the following procedure: those applicants selected by the host department for an interview will be contacted initially via email, usually with a follow-up by phone within two days of their selection as a finalist. (Be sure to include your preferred email address and a daytime phone number in your cover letter and/or resume.) Applicants not selected for an interview will be notified thereof via email as soon as possible once the host department makes that decision.

    Q. How do I know if an internship is still available?
    A. Internships remain posted on our website until they are filled. Once an internship is filled, it is immediately removed from the listings. Please visit www.mfa.org often for updated listings.

    Q. Are internships at the MFA paid?
    A. All internships at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, are unpaid positions.

    Q. How many hours per week do I need to commit to an internship?
    A. The minimum hours vary from internship to internship. In general, an average of 10-12 hours per week is expected for spring internships. Please see each internship description for its specific requirement.

    Q. Are interns required to attend an orientation?
    A. All accepted spring interns will be required to attend an orientation on Wednesday, February 3, either at 10:00am or 6:00pm. Please arrange your schedule accordingly.

    Q. When do spring internships start?
    A. In general spring internships begin in late January and continue through late April. Start and end dates for each internship will vary based on department's needs and the selected intern's schedule, and will be confirmed on an individual basis by the host department.

    Q. When may I send in my application materials for summer 2010 internships?
    A. Applications for summer 2010 internships will not be accepted until we have officially posted the listing on www.mfa.org; on or about February 6, 2010. Summer internships will run from late May through mid-August 2010.

    Q. Is there housing for interns?
    A. At this time the Museum does not offer housing to interns.

    •  

    Art of Europe
    Art of Europe Graduate Research Internship - Provenance
    Art of Europe Department Internship
    Art of Europe Graduate Research Internship - Paintings
    Art of Europe Graduate Research Internship - Sculpture

    Art of the Americas
    Art of the Americas Undergraduate Internship

    Contemporary Art & MFA Programs
    Film Program Intern

    Curatorial Division
    Executive Administration Internship

    Development
    Foundations and Government Relations Intern
    Development Research Digitization Project Internship

    Education
    Language and Literacy Graduate Internship
    Online Educators Resource Intern
    Artful Adventures Intern
    School Programs Intern
    Program Evaluation Intern
    Gallery Learning Graduate Intern

    Enterprise
    Enterprise/Retail Operations Internship

    Member & Visitor Services
    Public Programs Internship

    Public Relations
    Public Relations Undergraduate Internship

    Registrar’s Office
    Registrar’s Office Graduate Internship

    School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA)
    Development Intern (SMFA)

    Volunteer and Community Programs
    Community Relations Internship
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