PhD Internships in the Humanities

Interns will bring to their roles the array of skills developed during their PhD training, including research and writing and area-based expertise. Internships run for eight weeks. Interns will serve in their roles for twenty hours per week.  All internships will have a significant in-person component. Partner institutions will provide the intern with career-relevant experience outside academia and ensure that interns receive appropriate mentoring and supervision; challenging tasks; and a productive work environment. Interns will also receive a written evaluation from their mentor at their host institution.

The eight-week internship will be paid as “non-service” for PhD students in years one through five but will not count against “non-service” stipend limits (see FAQ below for details). Recipients should consult their department director of graduate studies regarding other service or non-service stipend options for the remainder of the summer. Students beyond the fifth year receive a stipend

Visit the PhD Internships FAQ page for more information
Visit the PhD Interns Reflect page to view reflections by previous interns

Boston Athenæum
Position Description
Organization Website

Boston By Foot
Position Description
Mission Statement

Boston Public Library
Position Description
Organization Website

Boston Symphony Orchestra Archive
Position Description
Organization Website

Concord Museum
Position Description
Mission Statement

Institute of Contemporary Art
Position Description
Mission Statement

Massachusetts Historical Society
Position Description
Mission Statement

For interns in the first five years of their PhD program (dated from the moment of application), the eight-week internship will be paid as “non-service” but will not count against non-service contractual stipend limits (see FAQ for details). In order to receive their stipend payments for the balance of the summer, students can utilize some of the rest of their non-service stipend or arrange a “service” opportunity.  Recipients should contact their DGS to discuss their options.

Students beyond their fifth year will receive a stipend of $7,725, equivalent to 8 weeks of labor at 20 hours per week.

BU PhD humanities students in any year of their program are eligible to apply. Please write to the Center staff at buch@bu.edu with questions regarding eligibility.

Interns are required to furnish a final report and give a public presentation about their experience. Reports will be published to the BUCH website. In addition there may be scheduled suggested separate group activities for all the interns to further develop their organizational and professional skills and to prepare for a public presentation in September.

• CV
• A personal statement explaining how the skills and knowledge the applicant is developing in their humanities PhD programs relate both to their interest in this internship and to possible careers outside academia
• One letter of recommendation that foregrounds the applicant’s writing, research, analytical, speaking, and organizational skills; note the applicant’s ability to communicate ideas and arguments without jargon; and, importantly, highlight the student’s interest in exploring career opportunities outside of higher education.
• Please note that in the application you will identify your first through fourth choice internship institutions. You will be asked to explain all choices and identify any site(s) at which you are unwilling to work. Be aware that the application review committee may consider you for any of the eight sites unless you indicate otherwise

Additional Information
All materials are processed through the InfoReady Review portal. Applicants should request the recommendation through the InfoReady portal; please allow adequate time for your recommender.

Applicants will be evaluated in terms of their academic accomplishments (including degree progress) and the appropriateness of their professional goals for this program.

Recipients are announced by early April.