Supervised by the Anthropology Museum Director, for-credit semester internships (1-3 credits) are available to undergraduate students interested in anthropology, curation, and museum studies. Enrolled students commit to an on-site schedule equating to 3 hours/week per credit enrolled (ranging from 3-9 hours/week, M-F, between 8am and 4pm) and completion of an end-of-semester report. During the internship, independent projects are completed that expose each student to museum curation and collections management skills, focusing on identified collection priorities and needs. Projects are identified for each student prior to the start of the semester and expectations are finalized based on a combination of current collection task needs and specific student interest. This means students are not guaranteed specific projects or the ability to work with specifically-requested collections.
Students who are interested in learning more about analysis or research techniques beyond this scope should seek directed study opportunities with a faculty member with relevant expertise. For these opportunities, access to collection objects is facilitated by the Museum Director, but supervision and guidance through the course of the project (literature review, technique/skill instruction, and mentoring) is provided by the faculty member.
Internship spots are limited by availability and, due to the time commitment necessary for collections-based training, almost exclusive preference is given to students who have completed ANTHRO 405. This course provides an overview of the broad range of curation skills (including hands-on opportunities) and almost always satisfies the needs of students who have identified an interest in working in museum collections, but who have not yet completed formal instruction or training. Students are encouraged to pursue this option before requesting a collections-based internship.
Most Internships (ANTHRO 696 and ANTHRO 699) are available during the spring semester, with very limited availability in the fall and summer. Interested students should email the Anthropology Museum Director during the fall semester to inquire about position availability and fit.
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