Internships and Fellowships

 

Students interested in experiential learning and insight into museum professions can consider applying for an internship or fellowship at the Ackland.

We offer opportunities for undergraduates and graduate students from UNC-Chapel Hill and other colleges and universities.

Ackland internships and fellowships are one to two academic terms in duration (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Students typically work in one of the Museum’s departments, focusing principally on a project designed to join Museum priorities with students’ interests. Students also participate in smaller-scale projects and routine aspects of museum work, as well as a series of special sessions just for interns and fellows that introduce them to current projects at the Ackland.

Contact us for more information about our internship and fellowship program, or about specific positions listed below.

Please note that we do not currently offer internship positions for high school students.

For Graduate Students

Paid Internships and Fellowships

Information about paid internships for graduate students, in art history and in other disciplines, is posted at the end of every Fall semester.

Field Experiences

Graduate students in the School of Information and Library Science may arrange to work with Ackland staff members on projects that fulfill their field experience requirements.

For Undergraduate Students

 

Fall, Spring, and Summer Internships

Each semester, the Museum invites undergraduate students – from Carolina and from other colleges and universities – to apply for internships, either as volunteers or for academic credit. Undergraduate interns work between 7 and 20 hours per week in one of several Museum departments. Application deadlines are typically in February for summer internships, March for fall internships, and October for spring internships.

The Ackland has two opportunities for undergraduate internships, both listed below. Currently enrolled students at UNC-Chapel Hill who will also be enrolled during 2024-2025 are eligible to apply. Applications should include:

  • 1-2 page letter of interest
  • CV or Resume
  • Most recent transcript (unofficial copies are OK)
  • Names of two references

Submit all application materials by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 28. Submit applications to acklandlearn@unc.edu.

Selected applicants will be contacted to schedule interviews. Recipients will be notified by Friday, April 26.

Curatorial Internship: Assist with documentation projects related to objects in the Ackland’s permanent collection. Applicants should have completed at least two years of their undergraduate coursework, which should include courses in art history. Applicants who can work during both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semester are preferred.

Thanks to a generous gift from a private donor, the Curatorial Internship includes payment of $1,250 for each semester.

Public Programs Internship: Assist with planning and execution of the Ackland’s public programs for children and family audiences, including Art Adventures and Ackland F.A.M. (Families at the Museum) programs and resources. Applicants should have experience working with children and the ability to work occasional weekends when programs occur. Applicants who can work during both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semester are preferred.

Note that the Public Programs Internship is a volunteer internship. The recipient can apply to their major departments to arrange academic credit for the internship.