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Rubio Butterfield Internship

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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The Rubio Butterfield Internship Program for College and University Students—Fall and Spring Semesters

About the Internship

The 10-week, part-time Rubio Butterfield Internship Program offers current students and recent graduates the opportunity to learn about museum practice and gain professional skills in a variety of fields through internships at The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters during the academic year.

In addition to developing skills through projects in various departments, the Rubio Butterfield Interns join a community of fellow interns and staff during their time at The Met. All interns participate in a weekly program introducing them to projects, activities, and staff across the Museum. This might include talks in the galleries, presentations by staff, lunches with individual staff members, or behind-the-scenes tours of Museum departments.

Eligibility

Open to:

  • Undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in a degree-granting program in their second year of studies. First-year students in an undergraduate degree-granting program (BA or AA) are NOT eligible to apply. (Example: a first-year student currently in their spring/second semester may apply to intern during the fall of their second/sophomore year.)
  • Recent graduates of an undergraduate or graduate program who have graduated no more than 12-months before the application deadline
  • PhD students within the first two years of their program, provided that they have not yet achieved candidacy. PhD candidates are not eligible for internships. If you are unsure about your PhD student eligibility, contact us at collegeprograms@metmuseum.org.

Current and former Met interns:

  • If you have been an undergraduate or graduate intern at The Met, you are eligible to reapply, provided you have not already completed 12 months or two or more semesters as an intern. Former interns who have completed a one-semester internship are still eligible to apply for The Met's long-term internships for recent graduates.
  • Supervisors may apply to the Education Department to renew the internship of a current intern for the same project or department. Current interns who wish to be considered for an internship in another department must reapply.

International Applicants:

  • Undergraduate and graduate internships at the Museum are open to international applicants. Interns are responsible for ensuring that they have valid legal status under applicable US visa regulations while participating in the Museum's paid internship program. All interns must have valid US work authorization. The Museum does not sponsor visas for interns. If you require a visa, you may be eligible to participate in the Exchange Visitor Program (J-1 visa program) by going through an outside agency that has been authorized by the State Department to sponsor a J-1 trainee visa. These sponsors are responsible for supporting and monitoring foreign nationals during their exchange programs in the United States. Note: The J-1 visa program currently requires that interns work 32 hours per week; for this reason, individuals requiring a J-1 visa should only apply to the full-time MuSe Internship Program, not the part-time internship.
  • We recommend that you consult with the US embassy in your home country to determine which visa will allow you to participate in this internship. Please be aware that obtaining a visa is usually a lengthy process and can cost upwards of US$1,500; it must be completed well in advance of the internship start date. If you are offered an internship but do not have work authorization before the start date of the program, your internship will be canceled.

Preprogram conservation internships: If you are no longer a student or recent graduate and are looking for a preprogram internship in a conservation department in order to apply to a graduate conservation program, contact us at collegeprograms@metmuseum.org to inquire about your eligibility.

Please see the Application Evaluation Rubric for a detailed description of how your application will be evaluated, as well as an explanation of the selection criteria below.

Compensation

  • $26 per hour (less applicable taxes and deductions)
  • 14 hours per week maximum

Important Dates

  • Fall application deadline: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 5 pm (ET)
  • Fall application notification: Second week of August
  • Fall Internship Program dates: Third week of September through the first week of December (with one week off during the week of Thanksgiving)
  • Spring application deadline: Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 5 pm (ET)
  • Spring application notification: Second week of December
  • Spring Internship Program dates: Second week of February through the third week of April