Internship opportunities are available on a limited basis to students who will receive credit through their colleges or universities, or students who have graduated no more than twelve months before the application deadline. High School students may be eligible for an internship through their school's Senior Experience Program or the Summer Youth Employment Program. 

Interns are selected based on the availability of projects and staff supervisors. If your interests and experience meet current needs within the Office of Historic Alexandria, we will reach out to you for an in-person or virtual interview. With programs in collections, education, research, marketing, archives, archaeology, and oral history, there are a wide number opportunities for students and recent graduates interested in gaining experience in a professional environment.  

Please note that it is the responsibility of applicants to make the necessary arrangements with their school to receive this credit. For unpaid internships, priority will be given to students seeking credit. Paid internships are limited and will be listed separately below when available.

Thanks to generous donations and grants, we are able to offer a select number of paid internships throughout the year. Please note that every semester offers unpaid internships beyond the paid internships listed below that vary based on applicant's interests and departmental projects.

All listed paid internships come with a $2000 stipend. If applying for a paid internship, please specify in your application.

Every Semester:
Archives Internship
This internship will assist the Alexandria Archives and Records Center in processing its historical government records. The intern will process at least one collection by creating a finding aid and rehousing historical materials in archival-quality enclosures. This position will also assist with digitizing records, helping researchers, and other preservation projects as time allows. Applicants must be able to work approximately 16 hours per week onsite, two days a week, M-F. Applications are available to undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates. Ideal for candidates seeking to gain hands-on experience preserving and providing access to historical records. 

Education Internship
This internship works within the Education and Museum Operations team on various projects. Responsibilities will vary by semester but could include assisting with ongoing accessibility work, from completing museum assessments and recommendations to creating materials for testing; developing family-friendly exhibition additions; and assisting with public programs. Applicants must be available to work approximately 15 hours per week onsite M-F. Applications are open to recent graduates and graduate students.  

Spring Semester:
Community History Initiatives Internship
This internship will support the Frederick Douglass Memorial Cemetery Community History Initiative. The Douglass Memorial Cemetery, located at 1421 Wilkes Street, was established in 1895 as a segregated, nondenominational African American cemetery, and has over 2000 burials. Since 2021, the City of Alexandria has been completing the physical preservation of the cemetery and working on a number of public history projects. This internship will assist City staff in completing short biographies of those buried at the cemetery. Additionally, this internship will assist City staff in completing a research study about the cemetery. Applicants must be able to work a hybrid work schedule approximately 15 hours per week, onsite a minimum of once a week, M-F between February and May 2027 (150 hours total). Applications are available to undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates. 

Summer Semester: 
Archaeology Internship
Assist the Archaeology Education Coordinator with summer events and programming, including the Alexandria Archaeology Summer Camp. The internship requires working from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., M-F, during the week of summer camp in June. All other weeks require a regular schedule of between 10-15 hours per week. Preference will be given to candidates who have prior experience with middle and high school students or have prior fieldwork experience. This is an opportunity to gain experience in public archaeology and program development. This internship comes with a $2000 stipend, courtesy of the Friends of Alexandria Archaeology. 

Undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent graduates should submit an application. If interested in one of the listed paid internships, please note in the application. Please note that applications require a resume and writing sample. Writing samples can be excerpts from school papers, but even better if is a short writing sample (one paragraph or less). The more information provided about career goals and past experience, the better we can match applicants with available projects.  

Apply Here

Deadlines for applications are: 

Fall Internships
Application deadline: June 15
Decision notification: July 31 

Spring Internships
Application deadline: November 15
Decision notification: December 15

Summer Internships
Application deadline: March 15
Decision notification: April 15

If you have questions, please contact the Office of Historic Alexandria through Alex 311

High School Seniors are welcome to contact the Office of Historic Alexandria through Alex 311 if interested in pursuing their senior experience internship placement with the department. Senior Experience is typically a two-week placement in May and often requires paperwork from the school. Students will need to work with their school counselor prior to contacting Historic Alexandria.

During Senior Placement, students visit many of the museums operated by Historic Alexandria, receive behind-the-scenes tours of collection spaces, participate in program creation, and interview staff to learn about the variety of job opportunities within museums, history, and archaeology. Students complete a short project that is presented on the last day. This brief placement provides experience in the museum field while exploring the breadth of opportunities within the field.