Overview
The Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) internship is a professional development opportunity with a cultural institution, which could include museums, historic homes, cultural centres, and heritage sites. In their internships, students apply knowledge gained in courses to various areas of museum practice and engage in hands-on work with museum professionals. The internship takes place during the summer term.
Course Credit
The MMSt internship (MSL3000HY) is a 0.5 credit (CR) elective course offered in the Summer Term to our MMSt and CDP students.
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- The internship is not required for completion of the degree
- The internship needs to fulfill a minimum of 280 hours to a maximum of 420 hours to meet the academic requirements of the course
- The actual work schedule is to be determined between the student and supervisor
How to Apply
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- Successfully complete MSL3900H — The Emerging Professional before enrolling in the internship course (MSL3000HY).
- Enrol in MSL3000HY on ACORN during the course enrolment period before the start of the Summer Term.
- For enrolment dates and times, please visit the Academic Dates & Deadlines page.
While the Faculty provides resources to support students’ internship search, students are responsible for securing the internship themselves. Enrolling into MSL3000HY does not guarantee an internship placement.
Pre-Requisites and Eligibility Requirements
Students are required to complete MSL3900H — The Emerging Professional before enrolling in the internship course (MSL3000HY). Students are not eligible to take them concurrently.
Students who do not secure an internship for Year 1 (Summer Term) are eligible to enroll in MSL3000HY in Year 2 (Summer Term).
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- Combined Degree Program (CDP) Students are eligible to secure an internship in Year 2 or 3 (Summer Term) under the same conditions below
- In order to do so, students must ensure that they have at least 0.5 credit (CR) room
- If you have completed 7.5 credits (CR), you will not be eligible in the subsequent Summer Term as you will be marked for graduation
- For more information, please review the Degree Requirements (Overview) section of the Master of Museum Studies program page
- Students who choose to enrol in MSL3000HY in Summer Term will graduate in the subsequent Fall Term (in November) rather than Summer (in June)
Sample Timeline
| TERM | ACTION | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (Fall Term) | Complete MSL3900H | In this course, students learn how to find and apply for internships. |
| Year 1 (Winter Term) | Seek and apply for internships | Additional support in preparing CV, cover letters, and planning for interviews is offered by the Careers Office. |
| Year 1 (Summer Term) | Enrol into MSL3000HY and complete the internship by the end of the term | If an internship has not been secured by the start of the course, students are encouraged to continue to search.
Students may withdraw from the course if an internship is not secured by early July. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many credits is the MSL3000HY (Museum Studies Internship) course?
The internship is a 0.5 credit (CR) elective course. For more details, please refer to the Course Credit section.
What is the duration and hourly commitment for the Master of Museum Studies internship course?
Internships may be full-time or part-time and should meet a minimum of 280 hours (equivalent of 8 weeks) and a maximum of 420 hours (equivalent of 12 weeks). The actual work schedule is to be negotiated between the student and their internship placement supervisor.
The duration and scheduling of the internship will vary, but the minimum hours must be completed between May and August.
I don’t currently have an internship secured. Should I still enroll in MSL3000HY?
If you are interested in pursuing an internship, we encourage you to register for the MSL3000HY course even if you are unsure whether you will secure an internship. Doing so will allow us to stay in touch with you through Quercus.
If you end up not being able to secure an internship, then you may drop the course on ACORN before the course drop deadline. Beyond that date, to drop the course, please contact Student Services to have the course removed from your academic records. This is a special arrangement unique to our internship course.
If I cannot secure an internship this year, can I enroll in MSL3000HY next year?
Yes. Please see the eligibility requirements section for more details.
I have secured an internship. What are my next steps?
Please contact the Careers Office, for support around planning the next steps. We will provide you with a Letter of Agreement to complete together with your supervisor to formalize the internship.
I did not secure an internship. What are my next steps in dropping the course?
If you end up not being able to secure an internship, then you may drop the course on ACORN before the course drop deadline.
Beyond that date, to drop the course, please contact Student Services to have the course removed from your academic records. This is a special arrangement unique to our internship course.
I need support with the search, networking, or application phase.
In MSL3900H (The Emerging Professional), students learn how to search for internships, network with museum professionals, and prepare the components of the application. Students apply this knowledge in their search for internships. In addition, the Careers team provides support with CV, cover letter, and interview preparation. Arrange to meet with the Careers Office when you need such support.
The Careers Office can be reached by e-mail at careers.ischool@utoronto.ca.
My past / current employer has offered to host me for the internship. Is this acceptable?
This is acceptable. Please contact the Careers Office, for support around planning the next steps. We will provide you with a Letter of Agreement to complete together with your supervisor to formalize the internship.
Please contact the Careers Office by e-mail at careers.ischool@utoronto.ca for support in developing a productive work plan with your host.
Are internships paid or unpaid?
Whether an internship is paid or unpaid depends on the compensation policy of the host institution, independent of the Faculty. For unpaid internships, the Faculty is able to provide a stipend to help support students. This amount could vary depending on the funding available and the number of students securing unpaid internships. In the past 3 years, we have been able to provide a stipend amount ranging from $1200-1800.
The funds will be automatically transferred to you through ACORN. Please be sure to have direct deposit set up on your ACORN account.
Students who receive a small stipend / honorarium from their host organization will also be able to receive a top-up from the Faculty, so that they receive a combined total of the stipend amount provided that term.
This funding is made available through the generous donation of the Campbell and Rebanks families.
Will internships be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
Work-integrated-learning opportunities have indeed been and will likely continue to be affected by various local government responses to the pandemic.
In response to changes in restrictions at provincial, national, and municipal levels, the Faculty has implemented a process for approving in-person placement activities.
Please contact the Careers Office by e-mail at careers.ischool@utoronto.ca for more information.
I’ve secured an international internship opportunity, will I be able to continue?
Please contact the Careers Office by e-mail at careers.ischool@utoronto.ca to ensure that your placement meets our internship requirements.
Key Contacts
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- For support with academic planning & coursework, please contact inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca. Questions could include:
- How does my academic plan look if I do not secure an internship in the Summer?
- How should I plan my courses if I wish to do an internship in Year 2 (Summer Term) instead?
- For support with processing the internship & course enrolment, please contact Aziza Virani (Careers and Work Integrated Learning Advisor).
- Questions could be about the paperwork required to process the approved internships, and how to enrol in MSL3000H (internship agreement, WIL checklist).
- For support with academic planning & coursework, please contact inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca. Questions could include:
