Volunteer Internships and Research Assistantships

Internships: Graduate | Summer | Volunteer

Fellowships: CASVA | Conservation | Curatorial

Volunteer: Docents | Art Information | Library | High School | Copyist | Horticulture

Employment: Current Job Announcements

Since 1964 the National Gallery of Art has offered professional museum training to candidates from all backgrounds through a variety of internship and volunteer programs. In addition to the Gallery's paid internships and fellowships, a number of volunteer internships and research assistantships are available. Volunteers work in various Gallery departments, supervised by a curator or other department head. Interns contribute to ongoing Gallery projects and programs and are invited to participate in the weekly seminar that introduces the staff, departments, programs, and functions of the Gallery. Research assistants concentrate on specific projects and do not attend the weekly seminar.

Eligibility
Positions are open to graduate students currently enrolled in a degree program and to recent recipients of a relevant advanced degree. Preference will be given to graduate students with an award from a granting institution other than their home institution. For postgraduate participants with a master's degree, the degree must have been conferred within one year of the proposed start date; for PhD recipients, the degree must have been conferred within two years of the proposed start date.

Terms
Eligible applicants may request participation for a period between 3 and 11 months. Both full-time and part-time opportunities are available. Part-time hours vary, but a commitment of 24 hours per week is expected from volunteer research assistants. For volunteer interns, 28 hours per week is expected. All volunteers will begin their appointments on one of the following dates: Winter—January 11, 2012; Spring—March 12, 2012; Summer—June 11, 2012; Fall—September 17, 2012; full academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring)—September 17, 2012. Please note the number of hours per week you are willing to work in your application.

Deadlines for applications (PDF 28k) (Download Acrobat Reader)
Winter: November 18, 2011
Spring: January 13, 2012
Summer: March 16, 2012
Fall: May 11, 2012

Complete application packets must be received by the deadlines listed above, which apply only to that term. Late applications will not be considered.

Application Materials
Application form (PDF 64k)
(Download Acrobat Reader)

Complete application packets must include:

1. Six copies of completed application form.
2. Six copies of full résumé or CV.
3. Six copies of a writing sample. The sample should be approximately 20 pages, including footnotes, endnotes, bibliography, and images. If the sample is an excerpt from a longer paper, please include a short paragraph indicating what portion you are submitting and what the paper goes on to address.
4. Three letters of recommendation; one must be from the chair or dean of your department, one from your advisor, and one is of your choosing. Letters must be in sealed envelopes with the signature of your reference across the seal.
5. Transcripts (for applicants at institutions that issue transcripts): send us six copies of transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution you have attended.
   This can be done in one of the following ways:
   
   1. open a copy of an official transcript and make five copies of the original and send all six to the mailing address below;
      
   or
   2. make six copies of unofficial transcripts and send all six to the mailing address below.
      

   Note: If you choose the second option and are accepted into the program, you will need to provide us with one official transcript from each institution you have attended. Should you have difficulty in securing transcripts, a third option is to request that the records officer or registrar from each institution send the transcripts directly to the National Gallery via fax or e-mail. The fax number is (202) 842-6935, attn: Department of Academic Programs; the e-mail address is intern@nga.gov.

   For applicants at institutions that do not issue transcripts: send us six copies of comparable documents. If you have a question about what might be considered a comparable document, please contact intern@nga.gov.

Review Process
All applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of National Gallery of Art staff and outside specialists.

Please note that materials submitted in your application packet will not be returned.

Mailing Address
Department of Academic Programs
Division of Education
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785

Inquiries
For additional information about National Gallery of Art internships and curatorial fellowships, please contact the Department of Academic Programs by telephone, (202) 842-6257, or e-mail, intern@nga.gov. Please do not contact Gallery curators or other department heads directly regarding possible placement or projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

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The present announcement supersedes all previous information about the Volunteer Internships, Research Assistantships, and Apprenticeships.