History Careers: Panel, Student Insights, and Opportunities
The Lehman College History Department has put together resources to help students think more concretely about careers, internships, and what comes after graduation. This page brings together materials from our recent career panel, some takeaways from student survey responses, and a working list of internships and opportunities connected to history, education, museums, and public-facing work. Visit Lehman College’s Experiential learning and Jobs and Internships website for additional information.
CAREERS PANEL
Speakers included Kristin Cerreto, Tomas Delgado, Daniel W. Stuckart, and Fridda Fernandez.
- Communications and community arts
- Secondary education (APUSH / Global History)
- Public history and museum education
- Social policy and outreach
- Urban tour guiding and public humanities
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CAREER PATHS
The History Department polled majors about their vision for their careers after graduation in 2025. Student responses point to several recurring themes in how History majors are thinking about their futures. Teaching remains the most common interest, especially at the middle- and high-school level. Students also expressed growing interest in museums, archives, graduate study, public history, and public service careers. At the same time, some responses suggest that students are not always fully connected to advising or career services, or have found institutional pathways difficult to navigate. The Department is addressing some of these concerns to better serve students and connect them to internship opportunities. We have compiled a list of internship opportunities to expand students’ opportunities to utilize skills and explore career paths in the major.
INTERNSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Lehman College Resources (Pre-Internship Support)
What is it?
Advising + application support for internships, fellowships, and humanities career preparation.
Contact Info
Lehman Humanities Division
(Use department office or faculty advisor contact)
Career Exploration & Development Center (CEDC)
Location
Shuster Hall, Room 254
Contact Info
Phone: (718) 960-8366
Email: career.services@lehman.cuny.edu
What is it?
Academic internship course allowing students to earn credit while completing internships connected to history, humanities, museums, archives, nonprofits, or public service.
URL
HUM 470 Course Information
Contact Info
Department of History / Humanities Advisor
CUNY-Wide Professional Internship Programs
What is it?
A prestigious paid internship program placing CUNY students in New York City cultural institutions.
Where is it?
Various cultural institutions across NYC
Annual Deadline
March 31, 2026
Keywords
Curatorial work • exhibition research • public history • museum education
Eligibility
CUNY undergraduate students
Paid or unpaid?
Paid — approximately $20/hour
Contact Info
CUNY Cultural Corps Team
Email: culturalcorps@cuny.edu
Notes / Skills
Museum experience, public history practice, networking opportunities
What is it?
Summer internship program for students without prior paid internship experience.
Where is it?
NYC placements
Deadline
Early Spring
Keywords
Nonprofit work • education • public service
Eligibility
CUNY undergraduates with limited or no prior paid internship experience
Paid?
Yes — approximately $20/hour
Contact Info
Career Launch Program
Email: careerlaunch@cuny.edu
What is it?
Central portal listing internships across city agencies, nonprofits, museums, research institutes, and public service organizations.
URL
CUNY Internship Opportunities
Contact Info
CUNY Career Success Initiatives
Email: careersuccess@cuny.edu
What is it?
A paid civic engagement and professional development program connecting students to community organizations and public sector work across New York City.
Where is it?
Various NYC nonprofit and public-sector sites
Deadline
Typically late summer / early fall
Keywords
Community engagement • public service • education • advocacy • nonprofit administration
Eligibility
CUNY undergraduate and graduate students
Paid?
Yes — hourly stipend
URL
CUNY Service Corps
Contact Info
CUNY Service Corps
Email: servicecorps@cuny.edu
Notes / Skills
Excellent for students interested in civic engagement, social justice, public humanities, and nonprofit careers
What is it?
Paid internship program focused on workforce development, economic justice, and professional pathways for CUNY students.
Where is it?
NYC-based employer partners
Keywords
Economic justice • workforce development • research • public policy
Eligibility
CUNY students
Paid?
Yes
URL
CUNY Inclusive Economy Initiative
Contact Info
CUNY Career Success Initiatives
Notes / Skills
Strong opportunity for students interested in policy, labor, urban studies, and social inequality
What is it?
A summer internship and leadership development program supporting LGBTQI+ students through tailored career engagement, mentorship, and paid internship placement stipends.
Related Fellowship
The Mixner LGBTQ+ Equal Rights Fellowship provides a $5,500 stipend to support undergraduate students completing qualifying summer internships in advocacy, public policy, or LGBTQ+ rights work.
Keywords
LGBTQ+ advocacy • leadership development • public policy • nonprofit work • social justice
Eligibility
CUNY undergraduate students
Paid?
Yes — internship stipend and fellowship support available
URL
CUNY LGBTQI+ Summer Internship Program
Contact Info
CUNY LGBTQI+ Consortium / Student Affairs
Notes / Skills
Excellent opportunity for students interested in advocacy, queer studies, nonprofit leadership, and public policy careers
Specialized History & Museum Internships
Where
Upper West Side
Deadline
Late March
Keywords
Archival research • exhibitions • collections
URL
New-York Historical Society Internships
Contact Info
Internship Office
Email: internships@nyhistory.org
Deadline
Mid-January
Keywords
Curatorial • digital humanities • public programs
Contact Info
Met HR / Internships
Email: internships@metmuseum.org
Location
49 W 45th St
Keywords
Archives • research • education
Contact Info
Email: internships@gilderlehrman.org
Keywords
Maritime history • archives • exhibitions
URL
South Street Seaport Museum
Contact Info
Email: info@seany.org
Keywords
Design history • curatorial work
Contact Info
Smithsonian Internship Office
Email: studentinternships@si.edu
What is it?
Internship opportunities in museum education, archives, curatorial work, communications, and public programming focused on NYC history and urban culture.
Keywords
Urban history • public history • archives • education
URL
Museum of the City of New York Careers & Internships
Contact Info
Human Resources Department
Notes / Skills
Excellent fit for students interested in New York City history, migration, urban studies, and community engagement
What is it?
Internships focused on immigration history, museum education, tours, archives, and public humanities.
Keywords
Immigration history • oral history • museum education • public humanities
URL
Tenement Museum Opportunities
Contact Info
Internship and Volunteer Programs
Notes / Skills
Particularly valuable for students interested in migration, ethnicity, labor, and public-facing historical interpretation
What is it?
Internship opportunities in archives, rare books, curatorial studies, conservation, and digital humanities.
Keywords
Rare books • archives • manuscript studies • digital humanities
URL
Morgan Library Careers & Internships
Contact Info
Human Resources / Internship Coordinator
What is it?
Semester-based internships (approximately 8–10 hours per week) supporting LGBTQ+ academic conferences, archives, public programming, communications, and community engagement initiatives.
Where is it?
The Graduate Center, CUNY
Keywords
LGBTQ+ studies • archives • event programming • communications • academic conferences • public humanities
Eligibility
CUNY students
Paid or unpaid?
Varies by semester and funding availability
URL
CLAGS – Center for LGBTQ Studies
Contact Info
CLAGS Administrative Office
Notes / Skills
Strong opportunity for students interested in queer studies, academic event organizing, archives, and community-based humanities work
Local Community History & Public Humanities
Deadline
February 27
Keywords
Food justice • urban agriculture • community history
URL
Bronx Food Humanities Internship
Contact Info
Lehman Program Coordinator
Email: bronxfood@lehman.cuny.edu (confirm internally if needed)
Notes
Excellent for students interested in public humanities, food studies, environmental justice, and community engagement
What is it?
Local history internships focused on archival work, exhibitions, oral history, and Bronx community history projects.
Keywords
Bronx history • archives • oral history • exhibitions
URL
Bronx County Historical Society
Contact Info
Museum and Archives Staff
Notes / Skills
Strong opportunity for students interested in local history, public history, and archival practice
What is it?
Internships centered on African American history, community programming, archives, and public engagement.
Keywords
African American history • community archives • public humanities
URL
Weeksville Heritage Center
Contact Info
Education and Programs Department
Notes / Skills
Excellent for students interested in race, urban history, memory, and community-centered historical work
