The Getty Post-Baccalaureate Conservation Internships aim to diversify the conservation field by increasing the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds enrolled in graduate degree programs related to museum conservation.
Background
The lack of diversity in art conservation is a concern for museums across the United States. Because an advanced degree is essential to a conservation career and few programs exist, applicants often boost their credentials by completing prerequisite courses and undertaking up to thousands of hours of conservation training, usually unpaid. Graduate program administrators say these realities have produced a conservation field that is neither equitable nor diverse. Data confirm this assessment. The Mellon Foundation's Art Museum Staff Demographic Surveys of 2015 and 2018 reveal art conservation as one of the least diverse museum areas.
Launched in 2020 as a pilot program, the Getty Post-Baccalaureate Internships are the first nationwide effort to provide yearlong financial support and hands-on conservation experience to underrepresented post-baccalaureates who are preparing to apply to conservation graduate programs.
Application Deadline
Applicants must submit a complete online Post-Baccalaureate Conservation Internship application form by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on November 1, 2023. Materials received after the deadline will result in an incomplete application. We cannot accept applications hand-delivered to the Getty Center or those sent by e-mail.
