Are you passionate about transforming how the world engages with art? Do you have a deep appreciation for museum learning and innovative visitor experiences? The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York City invites you to apply for its Interpretive Planning & Evaluation Fellowship 2025–2026, an exceptional opportunity for emerging scholars and museum professionals to shape the future of museum interpretation and audience engagement.
This full-time, 12-month fellowship places you at the heart of one of the world’s greatest cultural institutions. From September 2, 2025, to August 28, 2026, you’ll collaborate with experts across departments to enhance visitor-centered learning through thoughtful interpretive strategies, audience evaluation, and research-driven museum practices.
Fellowship Stipend & Benefits
You’ll receive financial support designed to sustain your academic and professional pursuits during the fellowship:
- $47,000 stipend for predoctoral candidates
- $57,000 stipend for postdoctoral candidates
- $6,000 research-related travel grant
- Additional support for health insurance coverage
Fellows are expected to be in residence five (05) days per week (Monday–Friday) at The Met, with occasional Saturday commitments based on research needs.
What You’ll Do?
As a Fellow, you’ll contribute to:
- Designing front-end visitor research for The Met’s upcoming permanent collection reinstallations and capital projects.
- Supporting interdepartmental collaboration across curatorial, education, design, and visitor services teams.
- Conducting independent interdisciplinary research into best practices for interpretive planning and evaluation.
- Creating meaningful frameworks that enhance the way audiences experience, question, and connect with art.
- Reporting to the Education Project Manager for Interpretive Planning and Evaluation within the Education Department.
This opportunity is tailor-made for early-career professionals eager to develop institutional approaches to visitor learning, social research, and creative engagement at a globally renowned museum.
Who Can Apply?
The Met is seeking highly motivated candidates who meet the following criteria:
- Hold an M.A., M.Phil., or Ph.D. in Art History, Museum Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Education, or a related Humanities/Social Science field.
- Have prior experience in museum settings with an interest in interpretation, audience research, or visitor engagement.
- Bring knowledge of qualitative research methodologies and museum pedagogy.
- Have strong written/verbal communication, interpersonal diplomacy, and a collaborative mindset.
- Experience creating interpretive resources that invite diverse modes of experiencing art is a bonus!
Apply: https://www.nyfa.org/jobs/job-info/?id=9ef9cf58-c684-4f37-8b97-6f1f6983996f
The last date to apply for the Interpretive Planning & Evaluation Fellowship 2025–2026 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is June 22, 2025.