Opportunities for BU Undergraduates
Are you an undergraduate student at BU engaged in our social science curriculum? Take a look at our opportunities to enhance your studies and research.
Check back here for our full roster of opportunities open to undergraduate students.
Rolling Deadlines
Alpha Phi Omega is the gender-inclusive community service fraternity at Boston University. They aim to establish a space for our members to build a diverse community right here on campus and with the city of Boston. APO partners with numerous community partners, such as the American Red Cross Food Pantry, Women’s Lunch Place, and the Boston Bruins Foundation, to help support this city we call home. There’s definitely an opportunity to get involved with any issue or social justice area you’re passionate about. To learn more about APO, click here.
Apply to be a Belonging Ambassador! This role is held by an undergraduate student who is committed to increasing a sense of belonging among the BU community by hosting Belonging Cafés. Belonging Cafés are tabling events held in common spaces in the individual academic colleges. These events share resources with students and offer a chance for simple programming and one-on-one conversations. This is a volunteer position so there are no paid benefits. You will receive training and develop programming and leadership skills that could translate to a paid position. And the Director of Student Outreach & Engagement will help connect you to departments based on your interests. View the application here.
Preservation Society of Newport County Summer Internship An internship at the Preservation Society combines practical experience, collaboration with our professional staff, and exposure to various aspects of general non-profit operations. Interns will gain valuable skill sets, learn about workplace interactions, and gain further insight into their professional interests. Open to current undergraduate juniors and seniors, current graduate students, or recent graduates (within one year) from a bachelor’s or master’s level program. Applications are reviewed and decisions are made on a rolling, first-come, first-considered basis. Applications and resumes are accepted year-round, even if a specified position is not available or advertised. Click here for more information.
The Peabody Essex Museum is currently accepting applications for multiple internship positions for undergraduates. Seeking a creative outlet? Find yourself drawn to creative places and people? Wonder what goes on behind the scenes in museums? Want to work as part of a vibrant, exciting team? If your answer is a resounding “Yes!” an internship at PEM is the perfect fit. PEM offers the chance to work side by side with professionals in diverse fields and make valuable contacts within the museum world. Apply here today.
Center for Career Development (CCD). The Center for Career Development offers resume help on demand and mock interviews to help you prepare for your next step.
Dorothy W. Sanborn Summer Internship. The Rufus Porter Museum of Art and Ingenuity in Bridgton is accepting applications for the Dorothy W. Sanborn Summer Internship Program. The focus of each internship will take into consideration the intern’s interests and educational requirements in conjunction with the needs of the Museum. The intern will create a project of his or her design, with Museum approval, that is aimed at an educational goal. This position offers a hands-on opportunity for an intern to experience working on all aspects of a small museum. To apply, email your resume/CV, cover letter, and three references (at least one academic) to Karla Leandri Rider, Executive Director, at director@rufusportermuseum.org. Learn more here.
Innovation Pathway Support & Funding. The Innovation Pathway (IP) is a self-paced program that fosters and supports all forms of innovation created by current Boston University students from any school and college, as well as BU alumni within one year of graduation. Whether you want to launch a new business or nonprofit, or dream of creating a community event or campus initiative, this self-paced program provides the inspiration, resources, and opportunities needed to develop new ventures or projects. Submit your application before the 25th of each month in order to be considered for the next month’s round of interviews. (Note: the early application deadline is the 20th of each month and is filled on a first come first serve basis). Learn more here!
Institute on Culture, Religion, & World Affairs (CURA). Travel grants of up to $500 are provided to Boston University students who wish to travel outside of Boston for a conference or to conduct research on a subject related to CURA’s mission. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.To Apply: Send an explanation of the purpose of the travel, along with a budget for the trip, your current CV, and an email from a professor approving the plans to Assistant Director Arlene Brennan.
Internships and Fellowships: Library of Congress. The Library of Congress has an abundant page of various internships and fellowships aimed at undergraduate students for the summer of 2022. To browse the opportunities available and apply today, see here. Deadlines vary across different postings.
The Jewish Cultural Endowment (JCE) supports Jewish cultural programs across the University, sponsoring lectures, conferences, literary events, curricular enhancement, and artistic performances and exhibitions. Its mission is to foster an appreciation of Jewish culture in all its richness and diversity. The JCE invites grant proposals from individuals (faculty, students, and staff) with access to a BU program administration that will be responsible for planning, promoting and executing the event. JCE funded events must take place on the BU campus and should directly benefit the BU community. There are three submission deadlines each year in February, May and October.
Summer Internship with the Preservation Society of Newport County. An internship at the Preservation Society combines practical experience, collaboration with our professional staff, and exposure to various aspects of general non-profit operations. Interns will gain valuable skill sets, learn about workplace interactions, and gain further insight into their professional interests. Interns will work on various assignments related to department initiatives, ranging from administrative tasks and special projects, to research opportunities. Applications are reviewed and decisions made on a rolling, first-come, first-considered basis. Applications and resumes are accepted year round, even if a specified position is not available or advertised. Internships typically happen in three cycles. Summer: May-September, Fall: September – December, Spring: January – April. Applications should be submitted 3-4 months before desired cycle. To learn more and apply, see here.
Undergraduate Funding for Racial Equity-Focused Internships with Local Governments. Boston University undergraduate students are eligible to apply for up to $4,500 towards an unpaid internship focused on racial equity with a municipal (local) government agency or department. You must complete up to 280 hours between June and August, 2022, and funding will be paid at $16.07/hour. If you have questions about whether your internship is eligible for funding or other questions about the program, please contact IOC Program Manager & Administrator David Gross at davgross@bu.edu. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis throughout the spring semester until funds are exhausted. Learn more here
GBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children’s series. Applications are currently available for Spring 2023.
February 2023 Deadlines
The Campus Climate Lab is an opportunity to use the BU campuses as a living laboratory to advance sustainability practices. The Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS), in collaboration with BU Sustainability and the Office of Research, invites research proposals from student and mentor (faculty or graduate student) teams to generate new knowledge on the impacts, adaptation, and/or mitigation of climate change that can be implemented at BU and beyond. Funding ranges from $1,000 to $10,000, including student stipends. Applications are due Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Visit here for more information.
The IDEA Conference (February 11, 2023), presented by Boston University’s Innovate@BU, is a one-day innovation extravaganza for students and recent grads to connect with fellow movers and shakers and experience entrepreneurship and leadership hands-on. IDEA Con is perfect for you if you’re new to the innovation space, a seasoned founder, or somewhere in the middle. Register today! The deadline to register is February 9th, 2023, for more information click here.
Innovate@BU’s New Venture Competition (NVC) welcomes all Boston University students and class of 2022 alumni to take their idea to the next level. Qualifying teams get access to coaching, feedback on their idea and pitch, founder and team skill-building, media exposure, and more. Plus, all semi-finalists and finalists will receive a piece of the $72,000 prize. While the teams that most often advance are those who have made significant progress on their venture, teams with all levels of experience are welcome to apply! Students of all backgrounds, schools, majors, and education levels are encouraged to participate. The deadline to apply is February 13 at 11:59pm. Visit here for more information.
Enlight Social Impact Incubator & Summer Internships Deadline In this 8-week, fast-paced summer incubator, you’ll be guided through the process of coming up with a social venture or nonprofit while gaining practical business skills through an internship with a local nonprofit or social benefit organization. Please note that the internships must be unpaid by the host organization, though you will be given a $5,500 stipend. The application deadline is February 13, 2023. Learn more and apply here.
The Boston University School of Hospitality Administration’s $50k Poyiadjis Hospitality Innovation Competition offers Boston University students an opportunity to pitch ideas for new ventures within the hospitality industry that embrace innovative ways to solve problems and create value for all stakeholders. The Innovation Competition aims to assist students in thinking innovatively and entrepreneurially about hospitality. The top team will receive a cash prize of $25,000, the team in second place will receive $15,000, and the team in third place will receive $10,000. The deadline for applications is February 20, 2023. Learn more here.
Undergraduate Urban Studies Minor Students Class of 2023: Apply for the Initiative on Cities Student Prize The Initiative on Cities Student Prize is awarded annually to an outstanding undergraduate urban scholar. The $1,000 prize will be presented to one BU senior graduating with a minor in Urban Studies. Applications Due: Sunday, February 26, 2023 by 11:59 PM ET. Apply here.
Boston Equity & Inclusion Cabinet Summer Internship The Boston University Initiative on Cities and the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground seek an outstanding undergraduate student for a summer internship with the City of Boston’s Equity and Inclusion Cabinet. The Intern will work directly with the Senior Advisor on Racial Justice, Ms. Lori Nelson, and the team to support activities overseen by her office. The intern will be paid approximately $4,500 for a full-time internship (35 hours per week), which will run for 8 weeks between June and August 2023. Lori Nelson and her team will determine the exact start date as the summer approaches. The deadline to apply is February 26, 2023. Read more here.
The Peter A. Krueger Summer Internship Program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to gain professional skills and learn about museum practices at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States that is exclusively devoted to historic and contemporary design. Interns will acquire in-depth knowledge and develop an enriched understanding of how the museum fulfills its mission to educate, inspire, and empower people through design. All Peter A. Krueger Internships will be hybrid in 2023. Interns will be required to work onsite at Cooper Hewitt located in New York City a minimum of three (3) days a week. ($5,000 stipend). The deadline to apply is February 28, 2023. Click here for more.
March 2023 Deadlines
The Minority Access National Internship Program is designed to allow talented undergraduate and graduate students experience the diversity and scope of career opportunities available in the federal, state and local government and participating private business entities. The program allows students to merge academic theory with the experience they are learning in the workplace. Minority Access interns receive pre-employment training, financial management and professional development, and recognition for fulfilling the program’s requirements. The deadline for summer applications is March 1, 2023. Click here for more information.
The Concord Museum, in partnership with The Robbins House, invites applications to the Thomas Dugan Internship in Public History for the summer of 2023. This two-month internship will be administered by both the Concord Museum and The Robbins House and is designed for an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a career in museums, libraries, or public history. The internship program, which began in 2020, is designed to provide students of color with valuable experience in the museum and public history field to further advance diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in museums, their collections, and their exhibitions. We currently offer one two-month summer internship with a $6,000 stipend. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through March 1, 2023. For more information, visit here.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) will soon be accepting applications for Summer 2023! There are many different types of funding for which students may apply. Please visit www.bu.edu/urop to learn more about UROP and the application process. We strongly recommend that faculty and students review the eligibility requirements and funding descriptions before applying. The application deadline is 12:00 PM on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
Peer Mentors are an integral part of FY 101, a 1-credit course offered to first-year students during the fall semester. Peer Mentors are responsible for helping plan syllabi and course activities, facilitating discussion, and promoting student engagement both in and outside of the classroom. Serving both as role models and valuable resources to first-year students, Peer Mentors assist in making connections with a range of campus departments, student organizations, and the vast array of opportunities that exist at Boston University and in the great city of Boston. The application to serve as a Fall 2023 FY101 Peer Mentor is due by Sunday, March 12, 2023. Learn more about the application process here.
April 2023 Deadlines
Aspire Leaders Program Have you ever imagined an opportunity to interact with first-generation college students from over 150 countries through a fully funded program? Join Aspire Institute staff and Aspire Leaders Program participants and alumni from BU to learn more about this online, multistage program. With access to world-class educators, leadership development, professional development, mentorship, and opportunities for grants and seed funding for social impact projects, the Aspire Leaders Program welcomes you to join their global community with a short application. The Early Action Deadline is March 22, 2023 and Final Application Deadlines is April 19, 2023. Learn more here.
Academic Supports
Sociology Undergraduate Mentoring Program. Are you a sociology graduate student looking for a mentor? Or a graduate student hoping to become a mentee? The BU Sociology department is launching a mentoring pilot program in January 2022. Learn more here.

Sociology Peer Writing Support program. Writing a paper in Sociology? Work with Sociology Peer Writing Support to talk through your writing assignment, to work on your thesis, evidence or organization, or simply to get another set of eyes on your paper! From brainstorming to making those final edits, our tutors are available to help. Make an appointment here.
