Boone Scholars Internship Program in East Asian Studies

The Field Museum is pleased to announce the 2026 Boone Scholars Internship Program in East Asian Studies. This internship aims at providing the intern with an educational experience. While their work will benefit the museum, the internship is designed primarily to benefit the intern.

Boone interns will be onsite and will assist Field Museum research and collections staff with projects related to the study and long-term care of the extensive East Asian collections. The length of the paid internship will depend on the schedules of the intern and staff but may be up to twelve weeks if full-time. The intern will be required to work a minimum of three days per week at the museum.

This year we are seeking one highly qualified advanced undergraduate or recent graduate (graduation in December 2025 or later) from an academic institution in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, or Ohio with at least a 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) to assist with our East Asian collections. Projects may include:

• housing collections from East Asia, in particular several textile collections;
• photographing aspects of the East Asian collections;
• scanning and transcribing catalog cards for the East Asian collections;
• processing and databasing digital images of the collections;
• assisting researchers with requests and inquiries;
• providing support to academic conferences;
• as well as researching and developing illustrated web guides about certain aspects of collections from East Asia.

Qualifications
Internship will be awarded to an individual currently studying anthropology, art history, museum studies, or a related field with a demonstrated, strong interest in East Asian studies. Knowledge of an East Asian language is a plus. The successful candidate will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, some knowledge of cultural collections care, strong organizational skills and attention to detail, ability to focus on tasks, a willingness to follow directions and procedures, the ability to work effectively as members of a team on a variety of tasks, and experiences with processing digital information. Prior collections and/or registration experience is helpful but not required.

Application Instructions
Interested candidates should submit the following documents with their resume:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Transcript (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)

Internship may start on a designated Monday sometime between late May and June 2026, with term date 12 weeks from start date. Hourly wage is $18.50 for recent graduates and graduate students and $17.75 for undergraduate students.

Applications must be received by March 13, 2026.
Applicants selected for interview will be contacted by March 31, 2026.

Applicants must apply through the Field Museum website at www.fieldmuseum.org/careers. Applications through other websites will not be considered.

PLEASE READ: *When you apply for multiple positions, please make sure to delete your previous resume and cover letter and upload the latest version of your resume and cover letter that is relevant to the job you are applying for, every time you apply. This will help our hiring managers access the correct documents. Please note that removing the resume and cover letter will not delete any previously submitted resumes and cover letters.

The Field Museum is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination, embracing diversity, and fostering mutual respect. We value the unique perspectives each team member brings, which empowers our ability to innovate and overcome challenges.

At the Field Museum, we are dedicated to making our career website and recruitment process accessible to everyone. If you encounter any difficulty when using or accessing our online application, or if you need a reasonable accommodation for completing your application, participating in interviews, or any other part of the selection process, please reach out to us at recruitment@fieldmuseum.org.