Internship Program

The Anthropology Internship Program offers academic credit, unpaid and paid internships for undergraduate and graduate students interested in careers in anthropology, museums or related fields. Anthropology interns work on projects relating to the collections or to the ongoing research interests of the curatorial staff in the museum or in the field. The department's collections and research are focused on North American, Mexican/Central American and South American archaeology and ethnology; Asian, African and Pacific ethnology; and Biological Anthropology. In addition, internships are awarded in collections management, archives and conservation. Applicants should be enrolled in or have recently graduated from an academic institution. Acceptance to the internship program is competitive. The number of interns accepted in any given session varies and is based on staff projects. Internships are limited to a maximum of two sessions of work.

In order to maximize your learning experience at the museum, applicants need to write a brief summary (one page or less) specifying your area of interest within anthropology and how an internship will help you achieve your educational goals. If you are applying for credit, you must attach a copy of your transcript. In all cases, please attach a resume and include the name of an academic adviser or professor who can be contacted to provide a reference.

Internship application deadlines:

• Summer session (July to September), submit January 1 - March 1

• Fall session (September to December), submit June 4 - August 4

• Spring session (February-May), submit October 1 - December 1

Please submit applications by 3:00pm.

For academic credit and unpaid internships in Mexican/Central American and South American Archaeology and Ethnology; African, Asian, North American and Pacific Ethnology; Biological Anthropology*; Collections Management, Archives and Conservation:

please fill out the application in MSWord or PDF formats and email to anita@amnh.org.

For paid internships: please apply through the museum employment application system.

For North American Archaeology internships: The North American Archaeology Department offers Lab Researcher Internship positions for undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students three times per year. Please refer to this document for further details and how to apply.

*Biological Anthropology interns must possess knowledge of human osteology, preferably in the form of, at least one, college-level human osteology/skeletal biology course. In your application, please indicate your appropriate prior experience.

Please do not drop off applications at the Museum. 

The American Museum of Natural History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The Museum does not discriminate with respect to employment, or admission or access to Museum facilities, programs or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, current or former participation in the uniformed services, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin, or on account of any other basis prohibited by applicable City, State, or Federal law. Additional protections are afforded in employment based on arrest or conviction record, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, unemployment status, and credit history, in each case to the extent provided by law.

If special accommodations are needed in applying for a position, please call the Office of Human Resources. Inquiries or complaints regarding any form of harassment, discrimination or retaliation may be directed to Dan Scheiner, vice president of human resources, Title IX Coordinator, and EEO Coordinator at dscheiner@amnh.org or 212-769-5109, or Kala Harinarayanan, senior director of human resources, Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Deputy EEO Coordinator at kala@amnh.org or (212)769-5226. Individuals may also file complaints, as applicable, with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, which has its regional enforcement office at Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 32 Old Slip, 26th floor, New York, NY 10005-2500, 646-428-3900, or OCR.NewYork@ed.gov and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, located at 33 Whitehall Street, 5th floor, New York, NY 10004, 800-669-4000.