Academic Year Paid Opportunities for Students

The Princeton University Art Museum offers academic year undergraduate research, planning, and graphic design positions for Princeton students and internships for Princeton graduate students. All applicants should apply for a specific project.

2026–27 Projects

American Art

The student will assist with the preparation of a forthcoming exhibition/publication exploring images of the moon, cross-culturally and transhistorically, from an ecocritical perspective, and will also conduct research on the Museum’s collection of Native North American Art.

Art Information

The student will participate in a variety of cataloging and data management projects across the Museum's collections through focused work in our databases. The student will learn about museum cataloging and data integration across systems, as well as participate in related research. Students with a strong interest in cultural heritage, detail oriented, and interested in cataloging, metadata, data standards, and information management preferred.

Art of the Ancient Americas

The student will perform research on objects in the Art of the Ancient Americas collection, including provenance research. Proficiency in Spanish preferred. 

Asian Art

The student will work on a planned forthcoming Chinese painting exhibition; advanced graduate student with knowledge of Chinese art history and exceptional Chinese language skills preferred.

Graphic Design

The student will actively collaborate on print and digital graphic design projects. Working knowledge of InDesign, basic-mid level graphic design principles, and typography skills requested.

Modern and Contemporary Art

The student will contribute to research and writing projects related to the museum’s collection and exhibitions of art after 1945, including assisting with research on potential acquisitions; graduate student preferred.

Photography

The student will assist with projects including collections, acquisition, and exhibitions. Graduate student preferred; exceptional writing skills and demonstrated background in art history and photo history required.

Prints and Drawings

The student will assist with various activities including cataloguing, provenance, research, acquisitions, and gallery installations. Graduate student requested; archival research skills, knowledge of German, French, or Italian, and an interest in a museum career in prints / drawings preferred.

Provenance

The student will assist with provenance research activities across the Museum’s collections, with a focus on increasing digital access to provenance data; graduate student in art history or a related field with knowledge of at least one foreign language and interest in digital humanities and/or law and ethics of cultural heritage preferred.

Eligibility

Academic year internships are generally restricted to Princeton University graduate students, and academic year research, planning, and graphic design positions are generally restricted to Princeton undergraduate students, except in cases where projects require specialized expertise in a field not offered at Princeton. Applicants for all projects should have strong research and writing skills. Graduate students should obtain approval from their graduate supervisors and departmental administrators.

Compensation

Undergraduates generally work up to 10 hours per week during the semester; graduate students are not permitted to exceed 10 hours per week during the semester. Undergraduate students are paid approximately $16 per hour and graduate students are paid approximately $23 per hour.

Deadline and how to apply

By Friday, June 5, 2026, all application materials, including recommendation letters, should be submitted electronically to PUAMacad@princeton.edu

Please include the following materials:

• Cover letter describing your specific interest in the program, the specific project for which you are applying, and how your training and expertise relates to this project.
• A C.V. or resumé.
• At least one letter of academic recommendation. This letter should be from a professor or instructor who is familiar with your academic work. Please note that letters from Art Museum staff cannot be considered as part of your application package due to potential conflicts of interest. Please ask your letter writer to include your name in the subject line of the e-mail.
• A transcript.

Selected applicants will be contacted for interviews. For additional questions, see our FAQs. 

The graduate student academic year internships are made possible by an endowment from the Joseph F. McCrindle Art Internship Fund.