13 Anthropology Internships for Undergraduates
If you are an undergraduate student interested in anthropology, internships can offer you the opportunity to explore areas such as forensic analysis, museum studies, cultural heritage management, and historical interpretation. By working with professionals in research centers, museums, and national parks, you can develop practical skills in analysis, documentation, public communication, and ethical stewardship of cultural materials. These experiences provide clear evidence of applied training, which can strengthen your resume in a competitive job market. Online internships, in particular, are accessible to all students and help avoid travel and housing costs.
Why should I do an anthropology internship in college?
Through an anthropology internship, you can gain exposure to how anthropological knowledge is used outside the classroom. You can explore specific anthropology subfields, such as forensic anthropology, museum curation, medical anthropology, or collections management, to determine whether they align with your long-term goals. This type of experience will demonstrate to employers and graduate programs that you can handle professional responsibilities, collaborate with staff, and contribute to projects. The mentorship and professional contacts you build can also expand your future job opportunities.
To help you get started, we have listed 13 anthropology internships for undergraduates below.
1. Ladder University Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 10%; 70–100 students per session
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort; Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: Undergraduates and gap year students who can work for 10–20 hours/week for 8–12 weeks
The Ladder University Internship Program is an eight-week virtual experience that places you inside a high-growth startup or nonprofit to work on real-world business needs. You can explore diverse topics, including artificial intelligence, health technology, software engineering, finance, consulting, media, and sustainability. Throughout the program, you will define a project scope, analyze data, draft tangible deliverables, and present your final work to company leaders. A unique feature of this internship is the dual-support system, which pairs you with both a host company manager and a dedicated Ladder coach for weekly guidance. By the end of your session, you will learn practical problem-solving, project management, professional communication, and specialized industry skills. Apply now!
2. Internships at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian
Location: Virtual, hybrid, or in-person at Washington, DC
Stipend: Paid weekly, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; over 100 interns each year
Dates: Year-round, including Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring
Application Deadline: At least six weeks before the internship start; Summer: March 1
Eligibility: All undergraduate students
The Internships at the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage focus on supporting research, documentation, and public programming related to folklore, cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, linguistics, and cultural sustainability initiatives. You may assist with projects tied to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives, and related educational and community programs. Your responsibilities may include curatorial research, archival preservation and digitizing, audiovisual documentation, content development, and assisting with public-facing cultural events. Some placements may involve on-site participation in festival production or marketplace programming, while others emphasize research, media production, or archival work under staff supervision.
3. National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Internship Program
Location: Cultural Resources Center, Suitland, MD, NAMI in Washington, DC, or George Gustav Heye Center in New York, NY
Stipend: $500 – $8,000, depending on the type of internship and the financial needs of the intern Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25% acceptance; typically 20–25 interns per year
Dates: Year-round, including Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring
Application Deadline: November 15 (Winter and Spring); March 15 (Summer); July 15 (Fall)
Eligibility: Undergraduate students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or its equivalent
In this program, you will spend the term working in a specific department, gaining hands-on experience in areas such as archaeological collections research, archival processing, repatriation research, collections care, education, public programs, and community outreach. Anthropology-focused roles may involve documenting and examining Native American archaeological collections, conducting provenance research, consulting with Indigenous communities, processing manuscript and audiovisual archives, or supporting repatriation initiatives. Depending on placement, you may assist with exhibition research, develop educational materials aligned with Native Knowledge 360° curriculum, or contribute to public programming that engages Native artists and cultural practitioners.
4. American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Anthropology Internship Program
Location: AMNH, New York, NY
Stipend: Both paid and unpaid options available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size varies based on available staff projects
Dates: Year-round, including Summer, Fall, and Spring
Application Deadline: Other internships: April 15 (Summer Session); July 15 (Fall Session); and November 15 (Spring Session) | North American Archaeology internships: March 1 (Summer Session); July 10 (Fall Session); and November 10 (Spring Session)
Eligibility: All undergraduate students
In this internship, you will work on projects connected to the museum’s collections or to the ongoing research interests of curatorial staff, with placements available in areas such as African, Asian, North American, and Pacific Ethnology; Biological Anthropology; Collections Management, and Archives; Mexican/Central American and South American Archaeology and Ethnology; and North American Archaeology. Your responsibilities may include collections-based research, cataloging, archival support, or assisting with field or museum-centered research initiatives under professional supervision. The program is competitive, and placements are determined by current staff projects, giving you structured experience working directly under museum professionals.
5. NSF REU Site: Interdisciplinary Study of the Politics of Place (University of Mississippi)
Location: University of Mississippi (Oxford, Mississippi)
Stipend: $6,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; typically 8–12 students
Dates: 10 weeks (Typically late May to late July)
Application Deadline: Typically early December
Eligibility: Undergraduates from any major; U.S. citizens or permanent residents; at least one semester of coursework remaining
This 10-week summer program immerses you in the interdisciplinary study of race, power, and the politics of place within the American South. You will explore how these complex concepts intersect by studying topics like immigrant incorporation, the health of underrepresented individuals, placemaking through food culture, criminal justice inequalities, and shifting racial hierarchies. Throughout the summer, you will conduct social scientific research alongside faculty, participate in one-on-one mentoring, engage in cohort-building activities, and gather and analyze field data for specific projects. As the only program of its kind in the nation, its unique feature is its exclusive focus on the relationship between power and placemaking in the U.S. South.
6. American Anthropological Association (AAA)’s Louise Lamphere Internship Program
Location: AAA offices in Arlington, VA, and at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Washington, DC, or with the Alexandria Archaeology Museum in Alexandria, VA
Stipend: Paid, amount not publicly disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; only 2 available spots
Dates: June 8 – July 17
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Current junior and senior undergraduate students
In this program, you will spend part of your time at AAA offices in Arlington, where you support organizational operations by researching membership trends, drafting content for Anthropology News, and other communication or administrative assignments. The remainder of your internship takes place with partner institutions such as the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage or the Alexandria Archaeology Museum, where responsibilities may include festival production assistance, archival processing, marketing, or offering support for public archaeology programs. Some assignments may involve field or lab work at the Shuter’s Hill Archaeological Site, as well as project-based tasks such as historical transcription, metadata creation, or exhibit development.
7. California Academy of Sciences' Summer Systematics Institute (SSI)
Location: California Academy of Sciences research facility and museum in San Francisco, CA
Stipend: $6,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 8–12 students
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents; must not have previously accepted an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
In this internship, you will conduct independent research under the supervision of one or more advisors in areas such as Botany, Zoology, Geology, and Anthropology. Responsibilities may include working with natural history collections, managing specimen data, conducting morphometric or phylogenetic analyses, using microscopy and imaging techniques, and incorporating anthropological records and Traditional Ecological Knowledge into research on plant-human relationships over time. You will also participate in structured workshops and lectures on phylogenetics, data analysis, molecular techniques, science communication, collections curation, and professional development, along with field-based and natural history research methodologies.
8. Internships at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian
Location: Online, hybrid, or in-person at The National Museum of African American History and Culture or other Smithsonian facilities in Washington, DC
Stipend: Up to $450/week for part-time interns and up to $850/week for full-time interns
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 20–30 interns per major cycle (Summer)
Dates: Year-round, including Spring, Summer, and Fall
Application Deadline: February 15 (Summer Internships); October 15 (Spring Internships); June 15 (Fall Internships)
Eligibility: Undergraduate students who have completed at least one year of undergraduate study; individuals who have had prior internships or fellowships with The National Museum of African American History and Culture are ineligible
In this program, you may work with staff mentors across offices such as Curatorial Affairs, Collections and Archives, Digital Strategy and Engagement, Public Programs, and Exhibition Design, depending on your placement. Anthropology-related roles may include collections management, archival processing, oral history research, interpretive research, exhibition development, and community archives initiatives such as the Save Our African Treasures program. Your responsibilities may involve research, documentation, digitization, program support, or content development for ongoing museum projects. Through mentorship and participation in active museum initiatives, you will gain practical experience in cultural documentation, public history, and museum practice at a national institution.
9. Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE)
Location: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC
Stipend: $8,250 + up to $800 in travel support to and from Washington, DC + $1,500 in conference participation support upon completion of NHRE program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 15–18 students
Dates: May 26 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 16
Eligibility: Undergraduate rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are US citizens, nationals, or permanent residents
NHRE is a 10-week, NSF-funded summer internship hosted at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. You will be paired with a museum scientist and complete an independent research project in areas such as anthropology, paleobiology, or other related natural history disciplines. Past research projects have centered around collections-based analysis, archaeological or archival research, taxonomy, or research at the intersection of indigenous knowledge and natural sciences. Most of your time will be dedicated to hands-on research using the museum’s scientific collections, with additional lectures, collections tours, and professional development activities built into the program.
10. Penn Museum Summer Internship Program
Location: Penn Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Stipend: $17/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; typically 15 interns per summer
Dates: June 1 – July 30
Application Deadline: February 8
Eligibility: Current undergraduate students
In this program, you may work closely with curators, collections managers, educators, archivists, and research staff on projects tied to archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural heritage, and museum practice. Depending on your placement, you may assist with collections management and object rehousing, archival processing, provenance research, exhibition development, archaeological data analysis, or bibliographic research about cultural rights, human security, and migration. Some roles may involve hands-on work with collections or archival materials, while others focus on research, database management, digitization, educational outreach, or marketing and communication. Throughout the internship, you will gain structured mentorship within a museum setting and may contribute to active projects.
11. Summer Research Internship in Historical Archaeology (Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest)
Location: Lynchburg, Virginia
Stipend: $3,850
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 1 intern
Dates: May 26 – July 17
Application Deadline: April 6
Eligibility: Advanced undergraduates or early-phase graduate students with previous field training, knowledge of historical material culture, and good physical health
This eight-week research program immerses you in historical archaeology at Thomas Jefferson's former retreat home and working plantation. You will explore topics surrounding eighteenth and nineteenth-century plantation life, focusing specifically on the enslaved community and their living spaces. During your time, you will assist with active field excavations, supervise field school students, interact with site visitors to explain the archaeological process, and help write a formal report on the summer's findings. The internship gives you direct access to a collection of nearly half a million artifacts and over 3,000 historical documents to support your own independent research.
12. The Latino Museum Futures Internship (LMFI)
Location: Placements are at a Smithsonian museum or the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC
Stipend: $550/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; typically 12 interns per cycle
Dates: August 31 – November 20
Application Deadline: April 20
Eligibility: Undergraduate students enrolled in an accredited U.S. college or university and pursuing an associate’s, bachelor’s, or terminal master’s degree at the time of application; must have U.S. work authorization
In this program, you will spend the semester working in a Smithsonian museum or at the National Gallery of Art, where your assignments may connect to areas such as museum curation, collections management, conservation, education, digital culture, exhibition design, or interpretation. Depending on your placement, you may assist with collections care, support exhibition development, contribute to interpretive research, or participate in fabrication and production tasks tied to museum projects. In addition, you will also take part in a structured museum studies seminar series that includes interactive walkthroughs of museum spaces, skill-building workshops, and discussions on museum ethics, accessibility, and visitor experience.
13. FACTS Summer Scholar Program
Location: Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 2–4 scholars
Dates: May 26 – June 12
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Undergraduate students enrolled in anthropology or a related field
In this program, you will participate in a series of intensive workshops, including a 3-Day Human Osteology Intensive, an Outdoor Human Remains Recovery Course, and a Forensic Identification Workshop. During this period, your primary responsibility is active engagement in hands-on training focused on forensic anthropology topics and techniques. If you choose to extend your appointment, you may also get to assist with daily center operations, process skeletal remains, and contribute to curation efforts for the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection, and support data management or donation program-related tasks.
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