Internship Program
Get Hands-on Experience
Students from across the majors participate in Denison Museum’s hands-on paid internships. Over a dozen interns per semester work closely with Museum staff on a wide range of projects tailored to students’ interests and skills.
Museum interns gain practical work experience and transferable skills that are useful in a wide range of careers (especially PR, marketing, communications, and work for educational and nonprofit organizations). Museum staff provide hands-on mentorship in career exploration, often helping them secure internships at other prestigious museums. We offer semester training sessions and field trips to meet professionals in the vast fields of arts, museums, creative industries, and nonprofits.
Gain practical skills
- Collections management and care
- Research and writing
- Exhibition design, installation, and label writing
- Museum marketing and communication (social media and videography)
- Grant preparation research and development
- Public speaking, education, and community outreach
- Data organization and analysis
Further Internship Opportunities
Students who intern at the Denison Museum during the academic year are also very successful in obtaining competitive (and paid!) internships at some of the premier institutions around the country, including the Art Institute of Chicago, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Norton Museum of Art, Supreme Court of the United States archives, and the Toledo Museum of Art.
Graduate School Opportunities
Many of our interns use their experiences at the Denison Museum to prepare and make themselves more competitive for top graduate programs in a variety of related fields, including museum studies, art history, studio art, archaeology, public history, and nonprofit management. Students have gone on to graduate study at New York University, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, McGill University, George Washington University, Bristol (UK), University of Toronto, University of Chicago, University of Minnesota, Pennsylvania State University and more.
Career Building Opportunities
Denison interns learn skills that are both specific to the museum world and transferable to a great many other fields, especially in PR and marketing, social media and communications, and for work with educational and nonprofit organizations. As a result, Denison Museum alumni have been very successful in finding jobs in fields related to their work at the museum regardless of majors or minors.
Hear from our interns
Jaden Richeson '20
Jaden, a former Denison Museum intern, dedicated a year and a half to researching our vast collection of Chinese shadow puppets — uncovering their history, craftsmanship, and cultural significance. His work culminated in curating a special selection for display and bringing these puppets to life through animation and film.
These intricate puppets, donated by Denison alum Daniel Sheets Dye (Class of 1907), hold a rich legacy. Watch the video to explore Jaden’s fascinating research and see these historic artifacts in motion!
Jane Coleman '11
(French & History Major)
Fulbright Scholar
“I was lucky enough to work at the Denison Museum for all four years of my college education. I’ve recently discovered how unusual it is for a student to gain that amount of invaluable museum experience in college…My experience has given me an edge when applying for jobs or assuming leadership roles in various projects.”
Arman Meinecke '21
(Cinema Major)
Arman captured and edited video footage of the Museum’s exhibitions, events, projects, and interviews with artists. His video storytelling, displayed on the Museum website and soical meida platforms, helped visitors learn about the people, objects, and events happening in the Denison Museum. Arman included his work in his professional portfolio. He now works in video production in LA.
Daniel Timmermann '19
(History Major)
Daniel worked at the Museum during all four years of as a collections intern, including a full- time summer internship funded by the Museum for America grant. He learned to write and produce media packets and strategized communications for exhibitions and events. As a senior, Daniel managed the Museum’s social media accounts. After a post-graduate year as an ETS fellow at Denison, Daniel now works as a Technical Communications Specialist at the University of Maine, where he writes and produces technical content, press releases, feature articles, brochures, and social media posts.
