Internships
Are you a college or graduate student interested in gaining work experience? We offer paid internships in a wide array of disciplines.
You'll learn from knowledgeable mentors in a variety of fields, from curatorial research to administration, all in the dynamic atmosphere of Washington, DC. You'll work with distinguished scholars, accomplished professionals, and iconic artifacts in an immersive experience as multifaceted as the Museum itself.
Our interns are required to be high school graduates and must be enrolled in, or recently graduated from, a degree-granting undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited college or university.
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Interns Tyler Hall and Itzel Camacho works on the brake drums for the “Follow Me” Jeep in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.
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An intern talks to a family at a Soar Together family day.
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National Air and Space Museum, Archives Department summer intern, Isaac Middleton, doing his duties at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.
Academic Year Internships
During the academic year, select internships are offered for interns to support key museum functions. Unlike the summer internships, many of these intern opportunities are part time, to allow for the intern to attend school.
Interns will work closely with museum staff & departments on ongoing projects, for which we recruit as they become available. Keep any eye on this site for new opportunities throughout the academic year.
Fast Facts
- Length: 8-12 weeks
- Full time or part time
- Paid
- All internships are onsite at one of our Museum locations
- Email us with questions
Opportunities
This intern will be in the Youth & Teachers Program Team of the education department. This internship experience will provide opportunities to learn about K-12 museum education by supporting Holt Scholars and Museum Labs taking place at the Museum in Washington, DC.
The Holt Scholars Program is an established program that provides field trip opportunities for District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) 5th-8th grade students. Museum Labs are new, approximately 90 minute 3rd-12th grade student experiences that will be in the testing stage during Fall 2026.
The intern will facilitate small student group experience during Holt and Museum Lab programming, in addition to supporting program logistics like set up, clean up, and providing volunteer support. This intern will also support various initiatives potentially including the development of a social narrative for general groups, teachers guides, and/ or learning resources and testing prototypes with the museum’s Teacher Advisory Group (TAG).
Dates: 9/8-12/18
Hours: 24 hours weekly
Location: Museum in Washington, DC
Summer Internships
Our structured summer internship program provides firsthand experience working in a museum. It's a great introduction to museum work or an opportunity to expand on previous experience. Our 10-week program provides unique professional development opportunities and enrichment activities.
Fast Facts
- Length: 10 weeks
- Full time
- Paid, $8,000 stipend
- All internships are onsite at one of our Museum locations
- Email us with questions
- Application deadline: January 31, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions About Summer Internships
All summer internships will be 100% on site at either our Museum in Washington, DC or Chantilly, VA.
The Summer Internship Program typically runs from early-June to early-August each year. In 2026, it will be the first week of June through first week of August.
Interns work full-time, 40 hours per week for 10 weeks.
We are happy to work with you to figure out a start and end date that work with your existing commitments and school schedule. However, a commitment of 10 weeks during the summer is required.
Yes, we provide a stipend to help interns defray expenses. This stipend is administered in intervals throughout the internship period.
To be considered for the Summer Internship Program, you must be a high school graduate and be currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, a degree-granting undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited college or university. You are expected to have a strong academic record. Applicants from outside the US are welcome!
Internships are opportunities to learn and grow your skills. While you don't necessarily need work experience related to the internship you plan to apply for, you are expected to have a base knowledge of or familiarity with the subject (e.g. exhibits design interns will be expected to have familiarity with programs such as Illustrator and Photoshop).
How to Apply for an Internship
These instructions apply to summer and academic year internships.
Applicants must apply through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA). Complete applications must include:
- Resume
- A statement of purpose (500-1,000 words) indicating the type of internship you are interested in and how an internship will contribute to your education and career goals
- Unofficial transcript
- Two letters of recommendation
Using SOLAA
Applications for the internships must be submitted on the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment system (SOLAA). To apply:
- Create an account at https://solaa.si.edu
- Add a new application
- Select “National Air and Space Museum” under Office/Museum/Research Center.
- Fill out the application and submit. You can find tips about the different aspects of the application below.
Program Choices Page of Application
- Be sure to submit your application under the current year.
- The official dates of the internship program can be found on our website. If you are not available for those dates, please propose another 10 week period.
- The Project Choices section of this page will determine who reviews your application. You may select up to three projects, but do not need to choose all three if you are only interested in one or two. You can find the list of this year’s projects on our website.
Application Materials
On the Materials page of the application, please submit your essay, resume, transcript, and letters of recommendation (if you have a copy of the letter(s)).
Letters of Recommendation
If you have a copy of your Letters of Recommendation, you can upload them to your application using the Materials page. If you do not, you can use the References page of the application to send your letter-writer an email they can use to upload the letter of recommendation directly to your application. To do so:
- Click “Add New Reference Details”
- Enter their name and email address and click save
- Click the envelope icon under “Email Referee” to have SOLAA send an email to your referee
- Confirm with the person writing your letter of recommendation that they received the email and were able to upload the letter.
- You are able to submit the application before all letters are received, so if you complete the application before your referees submit their letters, you can go ahead and submit if you would like.
Reference Page of Application
If you are not using the Reference page to collect letters of recommendation, you do not need to add any references on the Reference page.
Technical Difficulties
If you encounter technical difficulties as you complete your application, we recommend trying a new browser. If the problem persists, please email OCIOHelpDesk@si.edu.
The internship program is generously supported by:
Foster and Coco Stanback
DaRin Butz Foundation
Morton and Norma Lee Funger, in memory of William Scott Funger
James M. and Anita K. Guyette
The Brian and Jill Rowe Foundation
Thomas W. Haas Foundation
Joseph R. and JoAnne L. Zinecker
Mary F. Dominiak
Karen and William Dahut