{"id":13914,"date":"2020-04-08T16:36:53","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T20:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/humanities\/?page_id=13914"},"modified":"2026-05-08T09:39:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T13:39:04","slug":"phd-internships","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/humanities\/opportunities\/graduate-opportunities\/phd-internships\/","title":{"rendered":"PhD Internships in the Humanities"},"content":{"rendered":"

The BU Center for the Humanities is pleased to announce the ninth year of summer internships aimed at introducing PhD students in humanities fields to career opportunities at institutions beyond academia.<\/span><\/p>\n

The PhD Internships in the Humanities program is sponsored by the BU Center for the Humanities, the Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs, and the Senior Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
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2026 Interns<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Jesse Dritz<\/td>\nInstitute of Contemporary Art<\/td>\nAmerican Studies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Colleen Foran<\/td>\nBoston By Foot<\/td>\nHistory of Art & Architecture<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dominic Howell<\/td>\nBoston Symphony Orchestra<\/td>\nHistory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MaryKate Smolenski<\/td>\nBoston Athen\u00e6um<\/td>\nAmerican Studies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Katie Wynn<\/td>\nBoston Public Library<\/td>\nHistory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

More About PhD Internships in the Humanities<\/h3>
<\/p>\n

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 <\/span>eight<\/b> weeks. Interns will serve in their roles for <\/span>twenty hours per week<\/b>.\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

The eight-week internship will be paid as \u201cnon-service\u201d for PhD students in years one through five but will not count against \u201cnon-service\u201d stipend limits<\/strong> (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<\/p>\n

Visit the PhD Internships FAQ page<\/strong><\/a> for more information<\/p>\n

Visit the PhD Interns Reflect page<\/a><\/strong> to view reflections by previous interns<\/p>\n

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2026 Site Descriptions<\/h3>

\nAmerican Ancestors<\/strong>
\nPosition Description<\/a>
\nMission Statement<\/a><\/p>\n

Boston Athen\u00e6um<\/b>
\nPosition Description<\/a>
\nOrganization Website<\/a><\/p>\n

Boston By Foot<\/b>
\nPosition Description<\/a>
\nMission Statement<\/a><\/p>\n

Boston Public Library<\/strong>
\nPosition Description<\/a>
\nOrganization Website<\/a><\/p>\n

Boston Symphony Orchestra Archive<\/strong>
\nPosition Description<\/a>
\nOrganization Website<\/a><\/p>\n

Concord Museum<\/strong>
\nPosition Description<\/a>
\nMission Statement<\/a><\/p>\n

Institute of Contemporary Art<\/strong>
\nPosition Description<\/a>
\nMission Statement<\/a><\/p>\n

Massachusetts Historical Society<\/strong>
\nPosition Description<\/a>
\nMission Statement<\/a><\/p>\n

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GRS Service Requirement & Compensation<\/h3>
<\/p>\n

For interns in the first five years of their PhD program<\/b> (dated from the moment of application), the eight-week internship <\/span>will be paid as \u201cnon-service\u201d but will not count against non-service contractual stipend limits (see FAQ for details). <\/span>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 \u201cservice\u201d opportunity.\u00a0 Recipients should contact their DGS to discuss their options.<\/span><\/p>\n

Students beyond their fifth year<\/b> will receive a stipend of $7,725, equivalent to 8 weeks of labor at 20 hours per week.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Eligibility<\/h3>
<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Intern Expectations<\/h3>
<\/p>\n

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.<\/span>
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Application<\/h3>
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