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Archival Scanning Undergraduate Intern

Museum of Fine Arts Boston
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Archival Scanning Undergraduate Intern – Fall 2025

The Department of Art of Ancient Egypt, Nubia, and the Near East at the Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest and most encyclopedic collections of its kind in the world, containing approximately 70,000 objects.

The department is seeking an intern to work under the direction of the Egyptian department’s curatorial staff to assist with scanning archival expedition records, data entry, and maintaining a database of scanned images. This internship presents an opportunity for an intern to learn about early archaeological practice and recording methods, focusing on the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition. The intern will gain experience with modern systems of access and preservation of archaeological records, with the objective of documenting this expedition’s archival material for preservation and research purposes.

*As the Archival Scanning intern will be working closely with fragile archival materials with staff, this position is fully onsite.

The intern must commit to work onsite 14 hours per week within Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm parameters, from September 12 through December 12, 2025, including attendance at the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course from 12:30-2:30pm on the following Fridays: Sept 19, Sept 26, Oct 3, Oct 10, Oct 17, Oct 24, Oct 31, Nov 7, Nov 14, Nov 21, and Dec 5. There is also a mandatory orientation on Fri, Sept 12, 2025, from 10am to 3:30pm.

The selected intern will be paid at a rate of $ 16.80 per hour and receive a $90 per month transportation subsidy. (The subsidy is subject to taxes.)

As we amplify our efforts toward becoming a truly inclusive institution, ensuring that diversity, equity, and access are lived values, we actively encourage candidates from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to apply to the program.

Essential Functions:

  • Scan, edit in Photoshop, and transcribe archival records, such as handwritten tomb cards and notebooks
  • Maintain a database of the scanned documents
  • Verify information relating to the collection, as appropriate 
  • Assist with other curatorial activities, on request
  • *Prepare and offer a 3-5 minute final synoptic presentation of the internship on Fri, Dec 5, as part of the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course 

Qualifications:

  • Enrolled an undergraduate program in a relevant field of study (e.g., Art History, Classics, History, Archaeology, etc.) concurrent with the internship period
  • Training or experience in archaeology (preferably of Egypt) or historical archives
  • Familiarity with Photoshop and Excel
  • Familiarity with handling fragile documents
  • Ability to read cursive
  • Demonstrated careful attention to detail
  • Ability to commit to work onsite 14 hours per week (within Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm parameters), from Sept 12 through Dec 12, 2025, including attendance at the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course from 12:30-2:30pm on the following Fridays: Sept 19, Sept 26, Oct 3, Oct 10, Oct 17, Oct 24, Oct 31, Nov 7, Nov 14, Nov 21, and Dec 5.  
  • Ability to attend orientation on Fri, Sept 12, 2025, 10am to 3:30pm. 

How to Apply 

  • DO NOT INCLUDE any document, (e.g., transcripts, writing samples, or even recommendations), that is not specifically requested within this description.
  1. Combine your cover letter and resume into a single document, (Word or PDF). The cover letter must include all of the following: 
    1. the title of the internship for which you are applying (one internship per application)
    2. how the named internship fits into your academic and/or career goals
    3. why your specific skills/experience/interests qualify you for the internship
    4. any periods when you are not available for an in-person interview 
    5. your contact information including e-mail and daytime phone 
  2. Save your document file as (LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_POSITIONTITLE_Fall2025)
  3. Candidates may apply for no more than two internships per season, and must submit a separate cover letter/resume document for each position.  
  4. **Direct any/all questions to: intern@mfa.org before submitting your application. Applications not conforming to these guidelines may be deemed ineligible.   
  5. Upload the single document as your resume via the ADP portal Internships | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ASAP before August 11, 2025.