Unlocking Opportunities: A Guide to Whitney Museum Internships
The Whitney Museum of American Art, a leading institution dedicated to modern and contemporary American art, offers a range of internship programs designed to provide aspiring professionals with invaluable experience in the museum world. These internships offer hands-on experience, direct work experience, and exposure to the strategic goals of a major cultural institution. If you're a college student interested in learning more about how museums work or are considering a museum career, the Whitney's internship program is an excellent opportunity to gain practical skills and knowledge. The Whitney’s internship program seeks talented people of all backgrounds.
Whitney Museum: A Legacy of American Art
Founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the Whitney Museum of American Art houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for many years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. The museum is renowned for its sustained commitment to living artists and its extensive permanent collection of 20th- and 21st-century American art. The Whitney is particularly known for the Whitney Biennial, a flagship exhibition that surveys emerging trends and critical developments in contemporary American art.
Internship Program Overview
The Whitney’s Internship Program offers a professional immersion into the daily operations of a world-class art museum. Interns are placed within specific museum departments where they assist staff, conduct research, and participate in a robust professional development curriculum. Interns work closely with Whitney professionals and may observe broader Museum activities for educational purposes.
Types of Internships Offered
The Whitney Museum offers two primary internship programs: the Hearst Summer Internship and the Ostrover Family Academic Year Internship.
Hearst Summer Internship
The Whitney’s summer internship is a full-time, paid, nine-week session primarily for undergraduate students. The program includes training, direct work experience, professional development, and a weekly speaker series. Financial Stipend: Summer interns receive a generous stipend for full participation. The internship takes place at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, USA.
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Program Details:
- Full-time, nine-week program
- Primarily for undergraduate students
- Includes training, direct work experience, and professional development
- Features a weekly speaker series
- Hybrid model, with onsite work for at least three days per week
For example, the 2026 internship will be hybrid, meaning interns will work onsite at least three days per week. The program will begin on Monday, June 1st, and end on Friday, July 31st. Participants must be available Monday through Friday for nine consecutive weeks, five days per week, seven hours a day.
Application Requirements:
- Resume
- Essay
- One recommendation letter (educational or professional reference only)
- Portfolio (candidates applying for Exhibition Design and Graphic Design internships must submit a link to their portfolio)
Ostrover Family Academic Year Internship
The Whitney’s Academic Year Internship program offers a semester-long paid internship for undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in an accredited academic program. The internship is hybrid, with some onsite work. For Fall 2025, interns commit between 16-21 hours per week over 10-12 weeks for a total of 200 hours. Interns are assigned to a specific department at the Museum for the duration of the internship.
Program Details:
- Semester-long paid internship
- Open to undergraduate (excluding freshmen) and graduate students
- Hybrid format (in-person and remote work)
- Commitment of 16-21 hours per week over 10-12 weeks (200 hours total)
- Placement in a specific museum department
- Eligibility for course credit
- Monthly speaker series featuring museum professionals from across the Whitney
- $3,000 stipend (200-hour requirement for the semester)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Undergraduates and students pursuing advanced degrees currently enrolled in accredited academic programs are eligible.
- Applicants must have completed a minimum of two years’ worth of academic coursework.
- For the academic year internship, interns must be enrolled in an accredited program of study and be enrolled in classes by the time the internship term begins. Our interns must also be in good academic standing. For the summer internship, we will consider graduating undergraduate seniors. Students must have completed two years or equivalent (i.e. four semesters) worth of academic coursework by the internship start date for the academic year program. Academic year internships welcome graduate students. Summer internships are geared toward undergraduate students, and as such, we generally will not consider candidates pursuing advanced degrees. Research Resources will only consider MLIS/equivalent degree candidates. Academic year interns must be enrolled in a degree program at the time of application and for the duration of the internship.
Application Requirements:
- Resume
- Essay
- Portfolio (candidates applying for Exhibition Design and Graphic Design internships must submit a link to their portfolio)
Application Process and Important Considerations
Application Materials
When applying for a Whitney Museum internship, you will typically need to submit the following materials:
- Resume: Highlight your relevant experience, skills, and education.
- Essay: This is your opportunity to articulate your interest in the internship, your qualifications, and what you hope to gain from the experience.
- Portfolio: Required for candidates applying for Exhibition Design and Graphic Design internships, showcasing your design skills and creative work.
- Recommendation Letter: A letter from an educational or professional reference who can attest to your abilities and character.
Key Dates and Deadlines
It is crucial to pay close attention to application deadlines. For example, the deadline for the Fall 2025 Academic Year Internship is August 15, 2025. Submissions received beyond this timeframe will not be considered, and corresponding applications will be marked incomplete.
Hybrid Work Model
Both the Academic Year and Summer internships utilize a hybrid model, constituting in-person and remote work. The Whitney uses a hybrid model, constituting in-person and remote work.
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Eligibility and Qualifications
The Whitney welcomes candidates with diverse academic and professional backgrounds. Ideal applicants demonstrate curiosity about museum operations and nonprofit arts organizations. Candidates are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet 100% of the qualifications, as Whitney is dedicated to considering a broad array of backgrounds.
Applying to Multiple Internships
Yes, candidates are welcome to apply to multiple internship openings. Please be sure to review eligibility requirements. Submit separate applications for each role.
Work Authorization
Applicants must have the legal right to work authorization to intern at the Museum. The Whitney cannot sponsor visas or act as a host organization for any of its internship programs, and as such, we cannot consider J-1 visa holders. Kindly contact your school’s career services for additional guidance.
Additional Materials
The Whitney will not consider any additional materials not required in the application. Any supplemental materials that are not otherwise required in the application will be disregarded.
Interviews
A member of the hiring team will contact selected candidates for interviews. Due to the high volume of applications received, the Whitney cannot provide individual updates. All interviews are conducted remotely via video conference.
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Internship Extensions and Crossover
Whitney interns who participate in the academic year program can intern for no more than two semesters and will need to reapply to be considered for an extension. Participants of the summer internship can intern for that single term only. There is no crossover between the two programs, meaning that academic year interns cannot intern in the summer, and vice versa.
Stipends
Yes. Both academic year and summer internships include stipends. Fall and spring semester interns receive a stipend for completing two hundred hours.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, pregnancy, partnership status, caregiver status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, predisposition, or carrier status, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law, credit history, domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking victim status, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels.
Values and Work Environment
The Whitney is committed to creating a work environment where staff, interns, and volunteers of different races, ethnicities, ages, gender identities, sexual orientation, socioeconomic backgrounds, immigration status, and disability status feel not just welcome, but fully included and able to bring their own experiences and aspirations to their work.
Departments and Opportunities
Interns are placed in departments across the Museum where they assist professional staff, interact with the public, conduct research, provide administrative support, and learn about modern and contemporary American art. Opportunities at the Whitney Whitney staff possess a wide range of skills, knowledge, and interests, and come from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds. Full- and part-time opportunities include roles related to exhibitions and programs, administration, visitor services, and much more.
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