Internships

Internship Courses are designed to provide students in the ANU Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies and School of Archaeology and Anthropology with a practical and customised opportunities to experience how collecting institutions and cultural and scientific agencies work by undertaking workplace placement at an agreed institution or with an agreed host supervisor. Students will be supported by the CHMS Internship Co-ordinator, but will be under the day-to-day direction of a workplace supervisor nominated by the host institution. The ANU provides insurance for internship students in the workplace when approved and enrolled in the Internship course.

Students will generally be given opportunities to experience the breadth and variety of the host institution’s roles. However, in consultation with the CHMS Internship Co-ordinator and the host institution’s supervisor, the internship may also be designed to allow a student to work within a more confined context on a specific project.

See MUSC8004 Internship 1 and MUSC8005 Internship 2 for course details.

Workload and attendance requirements

In this course, the internship will generally require the equivalent of 20 full working days in the host institution plus additional time as required by the individual student for completion of assignments. Students are required to attend the host institution on the dates and times agreed at the beginning of the internship, and to fulfil all normal workplace expectations. Unless indicated by the supervisor, it is expected that the students will attend from 9am - 5pm. To maximise flexibility, students may negotiate their intended pattern of attendance with the Internship Co- ordinator and host institution. Two common patterns are the semester pattern (1.5 days per week for the duration of the academic semester) and the intensive pattern (a block of four weeks). Students are also expected to be in regular contact online with the Internship Co-ordinator, and (for students in Canberra) attend any on-campus functions for internship students.

For students

Securing a placement involves a few steps:

Identify the kind of placement you are looking for and when you want to do your placement. Get in touch with the CHMS Internships Coordinator with this information to find out if there are any specific opportunities that might be a good fit for you. See below for previous host organisations, and be aware that we can also arrange placements in organisations not listed below.
Prepare a CV and Expression of Interest Letter for the organisations you are interested in interning with. Please review the How to Prepare a CV and How to Prepare an Expression of Interest Letter documents at the bottom of this page for tips. Send drafts of your CV and EOI letters to the CHMS Internship Coordinator for feedback and they will guide you in making contact with potential hosts. Please note: if the potential host organisation has an existing process for applying for internships talk to the ANU Internship Coordinator before you apply or you may not be able to get credit for your placement.
Once you have confirmation from your host of a placement, you will need to enrol in the relevant course (you will need a permission code) and fill in an ANU Student Placement Insurance Form. To fill in this form you will need to know the start and end dates of your placement, the name and contact details of your host supervisor and the location in which you will be working. Return the completed form to CHMS Internship Coordinator for approval and processing.
Undertake your placement and complete assessment tasks. Make sure you send a copy of the Workplace Supervisor Report Proforma, found at the bottom of this page, to your internship host so they can contribute to assessment of your placement.

The ACT Branch of the Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) will award a prize to a high performing intern in the 2024 program. The prize will consist of a one year membership to AMaGA and a $100 gift voucher. The winner will also feature in an article in the AMaGA ACT Newsletter and on the AMaGA website, which will be seen by museum and gallery professionals Australia-wide.

AMaGA is the national association and peak advocacy body representing museums and galleries. The ACT Branch offers a range of professional development and networking activities to members. Further information on joining AMaGA can be found on their website: https://www.amaga.org.au/join-amaga

For host organisations

Are you interested in hosting an intern from one of our Masters programs? Please contact CHMS Internships Coordinator to discuss options. It is useful if potential hosts make a short document introducing their organisation's goals and focus, and identify potential projects or sections in which interns might work.

Past institutions that have hosted our students include:

International institutions and organisations:

Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand; Colonial Williamsburg Foundation US; University of California, Berkeley US; UNESCO offices in Samoa, Vietnam, Cambodia; Beijing Ethnology Museum; The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative; UK Open Palaces Program; International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICHCAP) Korea.

National institutions and agencies:

National Museum of Australia, National Archives of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Australia, Australian War Memorial, National Portrait Gallery, National Film and Sound Archives, Museum of Australian Democracy at Parliament House, Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), CSIRO Wildlife Collection, Australian National University Heritage Office, ANU Carto GIS Maps Collection

State Institutions:

QLD Museum, South Bank, Museum Victoria (Melbourne Museum), Migration Museum of South Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Old Parliament House, West Australian Museum, South Australia Museum, Macleay Museum, University of Sydney, Museum of Australia, The Victorian Police Museum, Canberra Museum and Art Gallery, Kenmore Hospital Museum, Goulburn, National Parks and Wildlife NSW, Heide Museum of Modern Art, B’ula B’ula Arts Centre, NT, Powerhouse Museum, City of Sydney Archives, Art Gallery of NSW, Children’s Discovery Centre (Wollongong), Museum of Economic Botany (Adelaide), Sydney Living Museums, Northern Territory Parks and Services, Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (Tasmania), Immigration Museum Victoria, Melbourne Museum ScienceWorks.

Local ACT institutions:

Canberra Museum and Art Gallery (CMAG); ACT Historic Places; Blundell’s Cottage (ACT Facilities and Services); Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre; Canberra Contemporary Art Space