About the Latino Museum Studies Program Graduate Fellowship

The LMSP Graduate Summer Fellowship is a paid 6-week, cohort-based summer program that offers research opportunities in museums.

The program brings together a cohort of graduate students to explore Latino history, art, or culture through collections and scholarship at the Smithsonian. Students will engage with Smithsonian professionals, scholars, and leaders in the museum field.

Through the program’s museum studies seminar series and the hands-on fellowship projects, participants gain valuable professional experience while exploring different aspects of museum work. The program is designed for graduate students interested in museum careers including curatorial and archival departments.    

The program receives funding from the Latino Initiatives Pool, a federal fund administered by the National Museum of the American Latino.

Programming Schedule 

The LMSP Graduate Summer Fellowship is a cohort-based, 6-week, full-time (approximately 35 hours per week) program. Participation for the duration of the program schedule is expected from all participants. Graduate Summer Fellowship Participants develop museum practice knowledge through participation in the seminar series and a research-based practicum at a Smithsonian museum. 

Cohort Experience  

Participants become a part of a group of peers with shared interests and passions for museums and cultural heritage. Throughout the program, fellows collaborate, learn, and grow together, building a supportive professional network that can be nurtured during and beyond the fellowship.  

Museum Studies Seminar Series 

The seminar series is designed to provide fellows with a strong foundation in museum practice. The program begins with an intensive week-long introduction to key aspects of museum work and continues weekly throughout the duration of the fellowship, offering ongoing opportunities to deepen knowledge and skills and apply them to their fellowship project. The seminar leverages expertise from Smithsonian professionals, LMSP alumni network, and Washington, DC area museums as well as a vast network of professionals from museums and heritage professionals from across the country.  Highlights of the series include:  

  • Interactive Walkthroughs: Explore museum spaces to understand how they function, from galleries to conservation labs. Go behind-the-scenes of collection spaces and learn from curatorial led tours to learn about the thought process of acquisitions and exhibition development.  

  • Skill-building Workshops: Participate in interactive workshops and learn museum practice skills and concepts like oral history best practices, material culture and object handling, and mapping the exhibition processes. Seminar sessions take place the first full week of the program and weekly thereafter.   

  • Discussions that Expand Your Thinking: Engage in the questions that museum professionals grapple with, from museum ethics to accessibility to new ways to approach the visitor experience. 

  • Professional Development: build your network to include professionals from various fields ranging from museums, academia, and the private sector.  

The seminar series ensures that fellows gain a comprehensive understanding of museum practice and develop tools to contribute meaningfully to their future careers in the museum field.   

Hands-on Fellowship Project at a Smithsonian Museum 

The program offers several fellowship projects throughout the Smithsonian, including at the National Museum of the American Latino. Fellowship opportunities have specific learning outcomes that explore Latino art, history, and culture. Participants are placed in a fellowship project and site based on their academic interest and experience, and how well the project aligns with their future goals as outlined in their application. Participants will receive focused mentorship from their project supervisors. Fellowship projects are 6 weeks during the summer.

Program Support

The LMSP Summer Fellowship Program receives funding from the Latino Initiatives Pool, a federal fund administered by the National Museum of the American Latino. It provides the following program support to selected participants:  

  • Round-trip travel to Washington, D.C. from within the U.S. (including Puerto Rico)  

  • Housing in Washington, D.C. for the duration of the 6-week program  

  • A $550 weekly stipend to support local transportation and meals  

Who Should Apply: Graduate Students Interested in Museum Careers

Graduate students who meet the eligibility criteria below, are interested in pursuing a research focused museum career such as in curatorial or in libraries and archives, in one or more of subfields listed above and are passionate about advancing the understanding and interpretation of Latino art, history, and culture are encouraged to apply. 

Eligibility Requirements  

  • Applicants must be graduate students enrolled in an accredited U.S. college or university at the time of application. Students graduating in the Spring of 2025 are eligible to apply.  

  • Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. 

The Latino Museum Studies Program is equally open to students of all races and ethnicities, without preference or restriction based on race or ethnicity. The Museum does not use racial or ethnic classifications or preferences in selecting awardees for the Latino Museum Studies Program. 

Key Dates

Applications for the 2025 program are now closed.

The following dates apply to the 2025 cycle:  

  • Program dates: Monday, July 7 to Friday, August 15  

  • Application opens: Thursday, February 20

  • Deadline to apply: Monday, March 31 at 11:59 p.m. EST

  • Selection notifications will be sent out in late April.  

Application Process

Applications must be submitted through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA).   

2025 Application Materials

Questions?  

Contact lmspinfo@si.edu with your questions. Program staff will get back to you within two business days.