Summer Internship Program
June 3rd-August 2nd, 2024
Application Deadline Has Passed
Open today 10 am – 5 pm
June 3rd-August 2nd, 2024
The Penn Museum offers nine-week paid summer internship opportunities for undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students from any college or university.
Internships include two parts: a project-based placement in a museum department and the Museum Practice Program, which includes orientation, weekly lectures, collections tours, and field trips to local museums. The internship concludes with final presentations shared by the interns.
For questions please contact the Academic Engagement Department at
Prior to completing the online application form, you should prepare the following
* Please follow these file naming conventions: Last name, First name_document type. Example: “Doe, John_cover letter.pdf”
All Penn Museum summer interns are paid. If you are selected for an internship, you will receive a Penn Museum Intern Stipend or must show that you have received a comparable allocation from an external funder (see below).
Interns are paid $15/hour ($4,500 for 300 hours) to cover the costs of living expenses. Interns receiving this stipend will become employees of the University of Pennsylvania and will need to complete an onboarding process before receiving their first paycheck.
Penn students in the College of Arts and Sciences may be eligible for funding through the Summer Humanities Internship Program, offered by the Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships. Eligible Penn students should complete both the Penn Museum internship application and the SHIP application. Please check the SHIP website for more details. If you are eligible, please select the “I am SHIP eligible” box when filling out your Penn Museum internship application.
Penn and non-Penn students may be eligible for summer work-study through their home institutions. If you have applied for a summer work-study allocation, please select the “I am work-study eligible” box when filling out the Summer Internship Program application.
*Please not that summer work-study is separate from work-study funding received throughout the academic year. You will be asked to provide an award letter from your home institution by May 1.
Applicants are encouraged to explore external funding through their home institutions, professional organizations, and other sources. In particular, there are a number of awards that provide opportunities to students from backgrounds underrepresented in anthropology, archaeology, and museum studies. Combining one of these awards with your Penn Museum internship is a great way to strengthen your resume.
Check with career services or undergraduate research office at your home institution for funding opportunities. For example, Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian women, including gender non-conforming individuals, who are undergraduate or graduate students in the fields of archaeology and museum studies, may be eligible for the SAA’s Bertha Parker Cody Award for Native American Women. Graduate student members of the AIA in the field of archaeology may be eligible for funding through the Elizabeth Bartman Museum Internship scholarship.
Any external funding for your internship must be equal to or greater than $15/hour. If selected for an internship, you must provide an award letter confirming the amount of your award by May 1, or your stipend will be provided by the Penn Museum.
Travel assistance may be available for interns who are not local to Philadelphia. Please fill out the request for additional travel funding on the application if you would like to be considered for funding towards the costs of travel to and from Philadelphia at the start and end of your internship.
The Penn Museum welcomes the opportunity to work cooperatively with schools awarding academic credit for internships. Applicants are encouraged to initiate arrangements for credit with their colleges or universities. The Penn Museum does not grant academic credit.
Yes, we accept applications from international students enrolled in degree-granting programs. Non-Penn international students will need CPT or OPT authorization in order to paid by the University of Pennsylvania.
At the Penn Museum Archives we collect the stories behind the artifacts. The archives include records of the museum’s archaeological expeditions to every inhabited continent, the history of the Penn Museum, and the history of the fields of archaeology and anthropology. In addition to field notes and correspondence, we hold three-quarters of a million images and nearly one thousand reels of motion picture film. Interns assist with the archival care and management of documents (including letters, diaries, field notes, and plans and drawings) and photographs (prints, lantern slides, and glass and film negatives) from the Museum’s historic anthropological and archaeological investigations around the world. Interns work closely with the institution’s archivist on all aspects of archival processing, arrangement, and description, including preparation of finding aids. Interns will also gain experience in basic preservation skills, cataloging, digitization, and assisting with archival reference requests.
Conservation: The Penn Museum’s Conservation Department is tasked with the long-term preservation and conservation of the Museum’s object collections. The Department’s regular duties include review, treatment, and setting exhibition parameters and travel requirements for all objects going on exhibition or out on loan, working with Collections staff to provide the best possible environment for the long-term preservation of collections in storage, and providing conservation consultation for Museum staff, researchers, students, and the general public. The Department is currently working on several major gallery reinstallation projects, including reviewing, documenting, and treating objects for the Ancient Egypt and Nubia Galleries, as well as material for loans and other projects. A summer internship in the Conservation Department will include opportunities to learn more about the education and training that is required to become a conservator and opportunities to contribute to preservation and conservation efforts, including documenting artifacts in the collection.
A successful applicant will have good organizational skills and attention to detail, basic research skills, and the ability to work independently. This is an excellent opportunity to learn and refine skills related to primary source research, synthesis, writing and editing. Interest in and/or knowledge of the conservation field, experience working in museum collections, and/or coursework in fine arts, archaeology, anthropology, chemistry, and other sciences is a plus but not required.
The Academic Engagement department supports Penn faculty and student engagement with the galleries and collections. Internships in this department range from working directly with collections, to research and writing on the Museum's own projects and programs, to marketing and event planning for the Penn student audience. Projects vary based on intern skills and interests, from collections work (object handling, photography, and collections database use), to archival research and writing about museum expeditions and research projects, or even class and event planning for upcoming exhibitions.
The office of the Chief Operating Officer oversees general Museum operations which include the following: Facilities, Security, Building Operations, Finance and Business Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, Museum Shop, Museum Café, Catering Services, Visitor Services, and Venue Sales and Rentals.
These areas of the organization represent visitor facing and revenue generating areas, as well as services that all staff, faculty, and students interact with, from parking and air conditioning, to ensuring the safety of everyone in the building and providing good food at the café and gifts from the shop.
Intern Support Needed.
This past year there has been a renewed focus on data collection throughout the institution. Data is critical to support strategic decision-making for current and future years, positioning programming, and focusing on target audiences. The COO’s office has been working to collect data in a more streamlined and uniform process, to ensure accuracy, consistency, and sustainability in data collection. The data will be represented in a digital dashboard with key performance indicators to help make decisions and identify trends. These KPIs include attendance demographics, membership trends, collections and research data points, regional comparison, and more.
The Museum’s Business Office is responsible for personnel administration as well as the allocation, budgeting, and expenditure of all Museum funds. Specific tasks include depositing funds, preparing purchasing and payroll documents, and general bookkeeping. Budgeting, accounting, and personnel procedures follow policies set by the University of Pennsylvania.
The Museum’s Collections Division consists of the Conservation Department, the Registrar’s Office, and 11 Curatorial Sections. The Collections Division works closely with the Digital Records, Archives, and Publications (DRAP) Department, particularly in relation to the Collections Database, EMu. An intern working with Collections and DRAP will learn about and participate in a variety of collections stewardship activities, such as object handling, processing collections, rehousing collections, and database entry. The goal of this internship includes gaining familiarity and practical experience with Penn Museum collections care practices.
An intern working with three different sections (Asian, Registrar, and DRAP) will learn collections stewardship and registration skills. The intern will have a chance to learn basic collections management skills such as object handling, cataloguing, photography, numbering, rehousing, and using the collections database to support collections research. This type of work supports the care and stewardship of the collections, which is at the core of our mission. These projects are well suited for interns with a high attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work alone or in a pair.
The Penn Cultural Heritage Center is seeking an intern to assist on cultural heritage initiatives in countries such as Afghanistan, Georgia, Syria, and the United States. As an intern, your responsibilities might include transcribing interviews conducted with key figures in the preservation of cultural heritage around the world, collecting bibliographic material, processing data, and analyzing archival documents related to research with Indigenous groups and at-risk heritage sites. Projects may be tailored to the candidates' interests and background.
The Director’s Office Intern will work closely with the Deputy Director and Chief of Staff on research and writing relating to the Museum’s new Strategic Plan, and with the Associate Director, Leadership Communications, on stewardship communications. In addition to a significant amount of research and writing, this position will offer opportunities to participate in meetings with Museum staff and stakeholders including University of Pennsylvania partners and community groups and advisory councils. Stewardship writing projects may include annual updates on the upcoming Native American Gallery and Ancient Egypt and Nubia Galleries, and programs in Learning and Community Engagement as well as Academic Engagement. Applicants should have strong research and writing skills and an desire to learn more about Museum leadership and project management.
The Exhibitions department is divided into three sections: interpretive planning, exhibition design, and exhibition preparation. The Exhibitions intern may assist in a variety of ways, including subject matter research, exhibit evaluation/visitor surveys, and preparation of exhibition elements or designs. The intern will closely collaborate with curators, scholars, researchers, designers, and preparators as exhibition ideas become realized. All interns may be involved with gallery maintenance, exhibition installation and de-installations, and aspects of the fabrication process as needed. Applicants should be ready to think creatively and be prepared for a hands-on experience. The internship offers the opportunity to become involved with the day-to-day running of an exhibition department, and to gain a practical working knowledge of creating exhibitions. Duties vary per internship, based on the needs of individual departments and projects. A successful candidate will have excellent written and verbal communication skills with administrative and organizational abilities; solid computer skills with Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Docs, and design program (Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign) experience desirable.
The Group Sales department directly serves the Penn Museum’s mission by creating a vehicle in which to engage our local, national, and global communities through exceptional galleries, exhibitions, programs, and digital content. Group Sales is responsible for soliciting adult, university, domestic and international tourist group visitors, handling their reservation process, and facilitating a quality experience upon the group’s arrival. Strategically growing group visitation allows us to engage diverse audiences and ensure that visitors of various cultural backgrounds, age, and geographic location have the opportunity to visit our collections.
The Marketing and Communications Department builds overall brand awareness while supporting visitation and audience engagement across exhibitions, Learning and Public Engagement programs, research, scholarship, and many other exciting initiatives at the Penn Museum. The department intern will assist in the execution and logistical operations of communications media and marketing campaigns to help grow and diversify the Museum’s various audiences.
Ideal candidates will have excellent communication and project management skills and experience or familiarity with marketing, social media, and public relations. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and social media platforms preferred, and familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and content scheduling tools a plus. This role is an excellent fit for someone who wants to gain experience strategically balancing mission and business-based goals for a nonprofit organization, while strengthening inclusive and accessible communications.
Primary duties include:
The Museum has a long history of fieldwork in the Middle East, beginning with the late 19th century excavations at Nippur (in present-day Iraq). The Near East Section was originally part of the Babylonian Section and maintains close ties with it today. The Near East collections include nearly 90,000 objects divided into four main categories. The Mesopotamian collections range from 5000 BCE to the early Islamic period, with the best-known materials coming from the Royal Cemetery of Ur (circa 2500 BCE) which was excavated on behalf of the Penn Museum and the British Museum by Sir Leonard Woolley from 1922 to 1934. The Museum’s Iranian collections span the prehistoric through the Sassanian and Islamic periods and derive from excavations undertaken both before and after World War II. The Museum’s Syrio-Palestinian collections come from excavations throughout Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, and Lebanon and date largely to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The Museum’s Islamic collections come primarily from Egypt, Turkey, and Iran, and range in date from the 8th to the 19th centuries CE.
The Museum has recently resumed excavations in Iraq -- in the north at Nimrud and Nineveh, and in the south at Lagash and Ur. No artifacts come to the Museum from these modern excavations, but Museum archaeologists are analyzing and publishing the data from these newest seasons, broadening our understanding of life in the ancient Near East.
The Public Engagement team creates diverse programs for various audiences throughout the year. During this internship, will contribute to the planning and execution of these programs under the guidance of the Associate Director of Public Engagement. Your responsibilities will include supporting Garden Jams, which take place every Wednesday in July from 5 to 8 pm. We're looking for applicants with strong customer service skills, who are open to working with visitors of all ages. While the internship hours offer flexibility, availability on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 9 pm is a requirement for successful candidates.
The Office of Learning and Community Engagement intern assists with school offerings, which include tours, workshops, and hands-on activities. We are seeking a creative and proactive intern to help our Learning and Community Engagement team develop a suite of fun and engaging activities for visitors to utilize within the galleries, including scavenger hunts, gallery games, and more, which encourage close looking and personal connections with objects.
Candidates should be able to both create the content for these materials and design them to be engaging for visitors of all ages. These materials will be provided to private groups, the general public, and community visitors.
Candidates with the ability to translate these materials into other languages is not required but would be a plus.
The Family Programs team at Penn Museum produces a wide variety of programs such as Summer Wonder, Up Late with the Sphinx, Winter Break, Scout Programs, and Cartifacts. During summer 2024, Family Programs will be prototyping a brand-new family space in one of the museum galleries. Reporting to the Assistant Director, Family & Camp Programs, the Family Programs intern will help assist with summer program facilitation and will help foster a fun and positive learning environment by leading art making activities in museum galleries. They will administer and collect visitor surveys to help us understand how families are using this space. The Family Program Intern will work with the Assistant Director, Family & Camp Programs to develop a hands-on, self-guided activity for use in the new family space.
An ideal candidate has enthusiasm and experience working with children, preferably in an educational setting; excellent communication, leadership, and teamwork skills; and competence in teaching and administrative work. Patience, creativity, initiative, and flexibility is a must. Interns must complete a three-point background check in order to participate: PA Criminal Record Check; PA Child Abuse Clearance; and FBI Clearance. Interns will be reimbursed for these clearances.
Penn Museum Anthropology Camp is a summer day camp designed for children ages 6-13, and has been in operation for over 20 years. Using the full scope of the Museum’s international collections, campers delight in topics such as mythology, dance, music, art, and customs from both ancient and modern civilizations and cultures. Through gallery tours, art activities, games, and special guest performances, campers learn about the diversity of humankind from the past and to the present. The Summer Camp Intern fosters a fun and positive learning environment by facilitating friendships and teamwork among campers. Reporting to the Assistant Director, Family & Camp Programs, the Summer Camp Intern assists with summer camp activities, including outdoor recreation time and weekly workshops. The Intern will research and lead art-making activities and act as a mentor to camp participants. They will communicate with parents and enforce camper pickup protocol at the camp’s sign-out station. Additionally, the Summer Camp Intern will assist with summer family programming as needed. This includes facilitated art-making activities in museum galleries, cart experiences, and Daily Digs.
An ideal candidate has enthusiasm and experience working with children, preferably in an educational setting; excellent communication, leadership, and teamwork skills; and competence in teaching and administrative work. Patience, creativity, initiative, and flexibility is a must. Interns must complete a three-point background check in order to participate: PA Criminal Record Check; PA Child Abuse Clearance; and FBI Clearance. Interns will be reimbursed for these clearances. Camp will run from June 24-August 16, 2024. Camp staff training week will be June 17-21, 2024. (Holiday: 6/19)
The Penn Museum's Visitor Services Department strives to create a welcoming atmosphere and an enjoyable experience for all visitors coming to the Museum. The Department works to provide our guests with the information, resources and services necessary for them to gain the most from their time in the building. Visitor Services supervises the welcome desk operations, Museum admissions, Museum parking, and continuously seeks new and inventive ways to provide the best visitor experience possible. Interns in Visitor Services will gain a thorough knowledge of what it takes to provide an outstanding guest experience. In addition to working directly with the Museum's guests, interns will assist with the collection, processing and analysis of visitor data, and create drafts of the Museum gardens’ self-guided brochures. Interns whose first language is not English may also assist with the creation of a foreign language Museum Map. Ideal candidates will be comfortable in engaging and working with a wide variety of people. Successful interns will have excellent organizational and communication skills and the ability to work independently, as well as in team settings. Applicants must be available to work weekend days during the internship time.
Click to read more about 2023 cohort's experience:
