The Department of Art History facilitates many experiential learning and professional development opportunities. These take the form of internships and employment opportunities at the department and the university.
Winter 2025 Internship Placements managed by the Department of Art History are now open!
Details and application instructions can be found on the Art History Internships webpage.
Students interested in pursuing their own internship opportunities may follow the application procedure below.
Internship Course: FAH481H/Y1
Graded on a pass/fail basis, the internship course offers the opportunity for advanced students to receive credit for work in local collections, galleries, museums, or auction houses for a semester or academic session. Appropriate internships might include a contribution to the planning or research for an exhibition, developing curatorial files on collections, assisting with a publication, developing educational materials, or other substantive activities that offer the opportunity for learning more about the practice of art history, cultural work that engages with objects, and publications. Other areas are possible but the project should be discussed with the Director of Undergraduate Studies well beforehand. Most internships will be for one semester only; the maximum amount of credit possible for an internship is one full credit.
Prerequisite: 8 half FAH courses
Application and enrolment procedure:
- Identify and secure a suitable opportunity. Please see below for a sample list of potential internship opportunities.
- Send an email to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, copying your supervisor at the partner institution. The email should include the following information: your weekly hours; a brief description of the project, duties and responsibilities; and a brief description of educational outcomes. Send the email no later than the first day of classes of the semester in which you wish to enrol.
- Upon approval, the Art History Undergraduate Office will enroll you in FAH481 on ACORN.
At the end of the internship: Submit a 3–5 page summary (preferably with images) of your activities and the skills acquired to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The summary must be submitted no later than the last day of classes of the semester in which the internship takes place.
Internship Opportunities
| Opportunity | Description |
|---|---|
| Islamic Art and Material Culture Fellowship Program | The Islamic Art and Material Culture Collaborative Junior Fellows Program matches students with a curator at our partner institutions, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. It is open to fourth-year undergraduate students at the University of Toronto who will obtain course credit for participation as a Junior Fellow for a semester-long course (0.5 FCE). Students who are accepted into the Junior Fellows Program will work with the Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies and the undergraduate coordinator of their respective academic departments to identify the appropriate course for the Fellows program. Courses that qualify for the Junior Fellows Program are FAH481H1 (UTSG) and VST410H5 (UTM). The Institute of Islamic Studies will coordinate with each department to set the workload for each junior fellow. For details on how to apply to the fellowship program, please visit the Institute of Islamic Studies' Art & Material Culture Collective website. |
| Royal Ontario Museum Internships | As part of their mission to inspire curiosity, make discoveries, and support the next generation of museum professionals, the Royal Ontario Museum provides a number of internship opportunities. Interns gain museum work experience, connections, and course credit while furthering their academic pursuits. For a list of current internship opportunities available to undergraduate and graduate students and details regarding the application process, please visit the ROM's website. |
| The Art Museum at the University of Toronto Internships | The Art Museum offers undergraduate and graduate Internships and Special Studies opportunities related to various academic fields. While special emphasis is placed on students enrolled in Graduate Studies, especially in MVS Curatorial Studies, Museum Studies, and Art History, the museum offers also learning opportunities for students enrolled in undergraduate programs in Art History and Arts Management and others. For details and a sample of Art Museum relevant internships, please visit the Art Museum website. |
| Architecture and Heritage Internships | Local arts-based organizations have partnered with the Art History Department to offer internships for students interested in architecture, architectural history, and heritage. Summer 2021 internships are with 401 Richmond, ACO NextGen, The Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, Spacing Magazine, and TO Built. Please see the Canada Constructed website for further information and application instructions. |
Volunteering and Paid Opportunities
Volunteering and paid opportunities can also be a positive first step toward building a professional portfolio. Please see below for a short list and links to volunteer and work opportunities that may be available to you during your post-secondary education.
| Opportunity | Description |
|---|---|
| Art Gallery of Ontario | The Art Gallery of Ontario offers a variety of volunteer roles that will expose you to new ideas and provide opportunities to develop skills in customer service, teamwork and leadership, all while learning about art in one of the largest art museums in North America. |
| Gardiner Museum | The Gardiner Museum is proud to be supported by the Gardiner Volunteer Committee (GVC) with volunteers taking on roles as Archivists, Docents, Family Day Ambassadors, Front Desk Volunteers, Librarians, Information Ambassadors, and Shop Volunteers. |
| U of T Work Study Program | There are two Work Study programs offered each year: Fall/Winter and Summer. Work Study positions are posted via the University of Toronto Career & Co-Curricular Learning Network (CLNx) website. For more information on the Work Study Program, and for a link to job postings, please visit the CLNx website. UTORid login is required to view postings. |