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Internships

Gain hands-on experience in an extraordinary place.

Follow your passion. If you're considering an internship at the Ransom Center, it's probably because you're deeply curious, humanities-oriented, and an enthusiastic student of literature, film, and/or the visual arts. These internships are available to both graduate and undergraduate students and provide unique opportunities to work behind the scenes with experts at an important cultural institution with worldwide connections.

The Ransom Center recruits potential undergraduate interns directly and through partnerships with academic programs on campus. Undergraduate interns must be able to work 10 hours a week for the full academic year. Graduate interns must be able to work 20 hours a week for the full academic year and may be able to extend the internship for a second year. Graduate interns classified as Graduate Research Assistants are eligible for a stipend.

Discover internship possibilities below and jumpstart your career.

  • Graduate

    The Ransom Center's Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) program provides hands-on experience in the nature and operations of a major humanities research center. This experience will benefit GRAs in advanced graduate studies, academic research, and possible career options.

    This funded two-year position includes tuition assistance and trains graduate students in the public services work of a humanities research center and archive. In the first year of the program, GRAs are trained to support remote and on-site patron research and teaching with the collections. There are two tracks within this program and applicants should indicate which track they are interested in applying to: Instruction or Reference. GRAs in their second year undertake a longer project that aligns with their career goals and supports the broader needs of the Center. For more information, see the position description below and apply via Handshake.

    Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references before April 5, 2024.


  • Undergraduate

    The Ransom Center supports University of Texas at Austin undergraduates through internships designed to provide experiences in the nature and operation of an internationally recognized humanities research library and museum. We recruit potential interns directly and through partnerships with academic programs on campus. Our ideal candidates come from a wide range of experiences, have a desire for learning and mentorship, and a passion for the work done at the Ransom Center.

    We support our intern cohort by coordinating monthly professional development meetings that create a space for professional growth. The experience gained by interns will benefit them in their own research projects, in possible graduate studies, and in future career pathways in such fields as librarianship, museum studies, archival or curatorial work, as well as public affairs, marketing, public programming, and event management.

    For more information, contact:

    Lincoln Howard
    Undergraduate Research Coordinator
    Undergraduate Internships
    lincoln.howard@austin.utexas.edu
    (512) 232-5096


    Available Positions for 2024–2025

    Students can view the available positions listed below, and must apply through Handshake.


    Students are permitted to apply to more than one position, but will submit only one application with a ranking of their preferred positions at the end of their cover letter.


    Application Period

    Friday, January 26 to Friday, March 22

    Students can submit applications via Handshake.

    Interview invitations will be extended directly to candidates after April 5.

    Internships will begin in the Fall 2024 semester and run until the end of the Spring 2025 semester.


    To Apply

    An applicant should provide the following:

    • Résumé - submitted through Handshake.
    • Cover letter - submitted through Handshake.

    *Applicants should state if they belong to the Plan II or Liberal Arts Honors programs. If neither, please state that you are applying for a Law Endowment funded internship.

    **Please indicate in your cover letter the positions you are interested in by ranking your top 3. This will help us to determine your eligibility and interest for positions that are not your first choice. If there are positions you would not like to be considered for, please indicate that as well.

    AND

    • Letter of recommendation from a UT faculty member or someone who knows the candidate's professional qualification pertinent to this internship.

    Letters should be addressed to Lincoln Howard, Undergraduate Research Coordinator, and should be submitted directly via email to lincoln.howard@austin.utexas.edu.

    The deadline for 2024–2025 academic year applications is March 22, 2024.

    The period of work will be September 2, 2024 to April 28, 2025.

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