Duke Student Internships

Descriptions posted: March 24, 2026
Application period: March 24 – April 24, 2026*

ARTHIST 310 and ARTHIST 311 are internship practicums held at the Nasher Museum designed to provide Duke students professional museum experience and the opportunity to explore the  museum and its operations from a variety of viewpoints.

For ARTHIST 310, Duke students must be available for a total commitment of 6 hours per week: a weekly one-hour seminar and 5 hours in their assigned department (individual intern schedule to be arranged between the student and supervising staff). Students are evaluated on their completing of tasks as assigned by their internships department, participation in the weekly seminar, contribution to the group project and completion of final reflection. Grades are assigned by the supervising staff in consultation with the seminar instructor.

For ARTHIST 311 (prerequisite, ARTHIST 310: Museum Practicum I), Duke students must be available for a total commitment of 8 hours per week. There is no weekly class meeting; students work all eight hours within their assigned department (individual intern schedule to be arranged between the student and supervising staff). Students are evaluated solely on their completing of tasks as assigned by their internship department. Therefore, grades are assigned solely by the supervising staff.

*Applications are reviewed and interviews are scheduled and conducted throughout the application period (i.e., on a rolling basis) so early submissions are strong encouraged. Positions are removed once they are filled.

Before applying, please decide which museum departments best fit your interests and qualifications from the descriptions below; expect that the internship projects assigned will support the responsibilities outlined for each department.

Questions? Please send inquiries to ellen.raimond@duke.edu.

Academic Initiatives – bridges the museum with the university community, utilizing collections and exhibitions for teaching, research, and scholarly engagement. Fosters, curates, and manages partnerships with faculty, students, and researchers to support experiential learning at the museum.

Communications & Marketing – manages digital content (websites, social media), public relations (press releases, media relations), and advertising to foster community engagement, keep audiences informed, and ensure consistent, engaging brand voice.

Community Initiatives – drives social impact of exhibitions and museum’s collection  by fostering engagement, accessibility, and collaboration through outreach programs and partnerships with local groups. Intern will assist in outreach, as well as work with the museum’s program for local high school students. Intern must be available on Thursday evenings, 5:30 – 7:30 PM.

Curatorial – oversees the research, acquisition, and interpretation of artwork; develops and organizes museum exhibitions. Essential that student have an interest and/or experience in historical art and demonstrate strong research and writing skills.

Education – develops tours, public programming, workshops, and resources that foster meaningful engagement between specific audiences, ranging from pre-school age to adult, and the museum’s collection.

Programming & Events – ideates, organizes, and executes public programs such as lectures, talks, and performances to encourage audiences’ deeper engagement with the museum’s collection. Intern must be available on Thursday evenings, 5:30 – 7:30 PM.

Registrar – manages the care of objects in the museum’s collection by creating and maintaining detailed records (object files, databases) for every item, overseeing logistics related to object’s movement, and coordinating the safety of artwork on display.