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Career Opportunities

Students at a table, smiling while watching a rehearsal.
Photo: Julia Grullon ’24
A Guide to Using This Webpage

 ↘ Harvard Opportunities

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↘ External Opportunities 

 

The Office for the Arts at Harvard (OFA) is a support system for your experience in the arts, both at Harvard and beyond. While we are not a career services organization, we are here to support you as you begin your career in the arts.

The following list is a collection of opportunities for Harvard affiliates looking to build careers in the arts. Whether you’re a student at the college looking to break into an arts field through a summer internship or a recent alumnus with a few years of experience looking for the next step through a grant or fellowship, there are opportunities available that could suit you. This list, however, is not exhaustive. We encourage you to reach out to your professors, proctors, tutors, deans, teaching fellows, and advisors in your academic departments for additional support in finding resources. Other opportunities, too, could be revealed through individual research, with even basic Google searches providing helpful results. We also encourage you to visit our partners at the Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS) and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF) for broader guidance.

A Guide to Using This Webpage

I’m only really interested in opportunities at Harvard. How do I know which opportunities are right for me?
This list is divided into multiple sections, with the broadest divisions being between Harvard Opportunities and External Opportunities.

How can I find opportunities I’m eligible for?
The next level of division after Harvard or External Opportunities is eligibility. For example, one subdivision in the Harvard Opportunities section is “For Graduating Seniors.” This section includes opportunities that are only relevant to that group of students.

I’m interested in some of these opportunities, but I’m worried that my resume and/or other application components aren’t good enough.
While the OFA does not provide career advising, we encourage you to utilize resources provided by the Mignone Center for Career Success to improve these application components.

I’m not finding any opportunities in this list that suit me. What can I do?
This list unfortunately is not exhaustive. We encourage you to access other Harvard resources like those at the Mignone Center or URAF as well as navigating to some of the databases and listings linked in this list to find other opportunities. You also can and should reach out to your support system for advice, including professors, teaching fellows, tutors, proctors, deans, friends, and family.

Do I need to be an active student to be eligible for these opportunities?
No! Many of these opportunities are for active Harvard undergraduate and graduate students, however many others are either for Harvard alumni or for anyone regardless of Harvard affiliation. Affiliates at any point in their early career can find opportunities in this list.

What can the OFA do for me early on in my career?
While the OFA is not a career advising organization, we encourage you to reach out to our staff members. Our staff work in the arts and have a wealth of knowledge about their specific fields. Feel free to identify OFA staff members and reach out to them through our staff listing.
 

 

Fellowships, Grants, and Scholarships

Harvard Opportunities 

Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS)

Formerly known as the Office for Career Services (OCS), the Mignone Center for Career Success provides career advising for Harvard College students as well as other affiliates and alumni. Their event calendar provides a useful list of events they provide to serve students and affiliates in building their careers. Crimson Careers, a service of MCS, is a database of job, internship, and networking opportunities.

Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF)

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships provides information and advice for Harvard students, administrators, alumni, and other affiliates regarding research and academic funding sources, like grants, scholarships, and fellowships. URAF’s services allow students to identify the best opportunities for them and how to best apply. CARAT is a useful resource on which students and affiliates can apply for such opportunities.

 

Undergraduate Opportunities 

For all undergraduates:

On Campus Opportunities:

American Repertory Theater Internships
Professional internship opportunities in performing arts, production, and arts administration for undergraduate students. Students should reach out to Ryan McKittrick, Director of Artistic Programs, American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.).

Harvard Residential Positions Application Portal

Positions include: 

Summer Proctor: Summer proctors are undergraduate students and other Harvard affiliates who live in residence with their assigned students on campus and have the opportunity to take summer school classes.

Radcliffe Research Partnerships
Research opportunity for undergraduates to work with Radcliffe Fellows in the arts, gender studies, the humanities, public policy, and science. There are around fifty fellows, all of whom hire student partners.

Travel/Study Abroad Opportunities:

Harvard Summer School Study Abroad Opportunities
Listing of various study abroad programs offered for undergraduates by Harvard Summer School.

Asia Center Funding Opportunities
Listing of research and travel grant opportunities related to the study of Asian societies and cultures, many of which are offered for undergraduates, through the Harvard Asia Center.

Bliss Symposium Awards - Dumbarton Oaks
Grant opportunity for up to three Harvard students, including undergraduates, to travel to and attend Dumbarton Oaks symposia in landscape studies in Washington, D.C.

David Rockefeller International Experience Grant
Grant opportunity for undergraduates to live and study abroad in internship, experiential learning, study abroad, and other opportunities.

Davison Fellowships
Grant opportunity which provides funding for summer undergraduate music research that requires travel away from Harvard, with projects with an academic component being preferred.

German Work Abroad Program
Study abroad opportunity for undergraduates interested in summer internships in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Korea Institute Funding and Fellowships
Listing of study abroad, research, and internship opportunities for undergraduates from the Harvard Korea Institute.

Reischauer Institute Grants
Listing of grant, internship, and research opportunities for undergraduates interested in studying and working in Japan.

The Robert Bacon Fund Grant for Undergraduate Summer Study or Research in France
Funding opportunity that supports undergraduate travel and study in France. This opportunity is available only to undergraduates who receive financial aid.

Teodoro Raffaele Diaco Memorial Grant for Study in Italy
Funding opportunity that supports undergraduate travel and study in Italy.

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For graduating seniors: 

Travel/Study Abroad Opportunities:

Harvard University Gordon Parks Foundation Scholarship
Funding opportunity for students, including rising seniors in the History of Art & Architecture Department, to support summer travel and research for a senior thesis project, with one awardee.

The Joseph Pulitzer, Jr. ‘36 Beneficiary Aid Fund
Funding opportunity for rising seniors in the History of Art & Architecture Department, to support summer travel and research for a senior thesis project.

The Mathhew Abramson ‘96 Traveling Fellowship
Funding opportunity for rising seniors in the History of Art & Architecture Department, to support summer travel and research for a senior thesis project.

Other:

Travel/Study Abroad Opportunities:

Dressler Family Traveling Grant
Grant opportunity for sophomores and juniors for summer travel and study in a country where romance languages are spoken, with one or two awardees.

Sydney M. Williams Jr. Travelling Fund for Visual Art
Funding opportunity for undergraduates, sophomores through first semester seniors, to support creative visual art summer projects that require international travel, with up to two awardees.

 

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Graduate Student Opportunities 

For active graduate students:

Asia Center Funding Opportunities
Listing of research and travel grant opportunities related to the study of Asian societies and cultures, many of which are offered for graduate students, through the Harvard Asia Center.

Bliss Symposium Awards - Dumbarton Oaks (for undergraduate and graduate students)
Grant opportunity for up to three Harvard students, including graduate students, to travel to and attend Dumbarton Oaks symposia in landscape studies in Washington, D.C.

Graduate Student Fellowships
Funding opportunity for graduate students who will finish their dissertations in the following year.

Positions include:

  • Resident Tutor:  Resident tutors are alumni, graduate students, or other Harvard affiliates who live in residence with undergraduates in one of the College’s houses, providing students with advising and community.
  • Non-Resident Tutor: Non-Resident Tutors are alumni, graduate students, or other Harvard affiliates who serve a house community through advising and services while living off campus.
  • Proctor: Proctors are graduate students or Harvard staff members who live with a cohort of first year students in a first year hall, providing advising and creating community for students.
  • Faculty Dean Aide: Faculty Dean Aides are alumni, graduate students, or other Harvard affiliates who help Faculty Deans plan and execute house events while living in the house.
  • Rising Scholar Proctor: Rising Scholar Proctors are graduate students or Harvard staff members who live with a cohort of incoming first year students the summer before their first year.

Harvard University Gordon Parks Foundation Scholarship
Funding opportunity for students, including graduate students in the History of Art & Architecture Department, to support summer travel and research for a dissertation project, with one awardee.

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For prospective graduate students:

Beinecke Scholarship
Funding opportunity for juniors with a history of receiving financial aid to support graduate studies in arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Edward Eager Grant for Continued Studies in Creative Writing
Grant opportunity for graduating seniors to pursue a graduate education in creative writing.

Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship
Funding opportunities for prospective graduate students from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to study the arts or other fields at Harvard.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program
Funding opportunity for non-American prospective graduate students to study the arts or other fields at Harvard and other institutions.

Le Baron Russell Briggs Grant for Continued Critical Literary Studies
Grant opportunity for seniors graduating with a degree in English with honors to pursue a graduate education in literature.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowships
Funding opportunity for Canadian prospective graduate students to study the arts or other fields at Harvard and other institutions.

 

Postgraduate Opportunities 

Alex G. Booth Fellowship
Funding opportunity through URAF for graduating seniors to support a year of postgraduate travel.

Comparative Literature Visiting Scholars Application

Positions:

Fellow: Fellows are scholars who recently earned their PhD or soon will who conduct independent research under the supervision of a faculty member.

Associates: Associates generally are department alumni or others who require Harvard affiliation.

Harvard ArtLab Residencies
Funding opportunity for alumni in the arts to work and engage with other artists.

Harvard Ed Portal Ceramics Community Scholarship
Funding opportunity for residents of Boston’s Allston-Brighton neighborhood to take a course at the Harvard Ceramics Program.

Harvard Residential Positions Application Portal

Positions include:

Resident Tutor: Resident tutors are alumni, graduate students, or other Harvard affiliates who live in residence with undergraduates in one of the College’s houses, providing students with advising and community.

Non-Resident Tutor (for alumni, graduate students, others): Non-Resident Tutors are alumni, graduate students, or other Harvard affiliates who serve a house community through advising and services while living off campus.

Faculty Dean Aide (for alumni, graduate students, others): Faculty Dean Aides are alumni, graduate students, or other Harvard affiliates who help Faculty Deans plan and execute house events while living in the house.

Harvardwood Fellowships
Funding and mentorship opportunities for graduating seniors and alumni in entertainment. 

Fellowships include:

John Knowles Paine Fellowship
Funding opportunity for graduating seniors with a degree in Music to travel and study in the summer after graduation.

The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asian Institute Visiting Artist Fellowship
Funding opportunity for artists from South Asia for eight weeks of study at Harvard.

Le Baron Russell Briggs Traveling Prizes
Grant opportunity for seniors graduating with a degree in English with honors to travel both abroad and domestically.

Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship
Funding opportunities through URAF for graduating seniors to support a year of postgraduate travel, with five or more fellows.

Postgraduate Traveling Fellowships
Funding opportunities through URAF for graduating seniors to support a year of postgraduate travel, with fifteen fellows across the four postgraduate travel fellowships.

 

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External Opportunities 

Mass Cultural Council
A central resource for arts programming and opportunities in Massachusetts.

Cambridge Arts
A central resource for arts programming and opportunities in the city of Cambridge.

CreativeGround
CreativeGround is a directory of arts organizations and individuals across New England, for both students and alumni.

New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA)
NEFA is a New England grant-giving organization which provides support through grants and other programs to New England artists, including students and alumni.

Massachusetts Grant Watch Arts and Culture Grants
An online database of grants opportunities in the arts in Massachusetts.
 

Databases for Internships, Jobs, and other Opportunities

Educational Opportunities

Arts for Learning Massachusetts Roster Artist Application
Employment opportunity for alumni to join the Arts for Learning Massachusetts team to work with students in school environments.

Arts for Learning Massachusetts also provides a list of partner organizations in arts education, which are based both in Massachusetts and nationwide.

Arts|Learning Arts Mentorship Program
Mentorship opportunity for alumni in arts education in which up to 150 novice arts teachers are paired with experienced arts education mentors.

Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts Professional Development for Art Teachers
Professional development opportunities for alumni in arts education including workshops, summer intensives, and other programs.

Massachusetts Art Education Association (MAEA) Professional Development Programs
Professional development opportunities for students and alumni to develop skills in the field of arts education.

MAEA also offers an annual conference.

STARS Residencies
Funding opportunity for alumni in education where the Mass Cultural Council pairs “cultural partners” with schools.

Employment Opportunities in Greater Boston:

International Advanced Study Opportunities:

DAAD Scholarship for a Master’s at a German university
Funding opportunity for alumni to pursue a graduate education in architecture, fine art/design/film, performing arts, or music at a German university.

Fulbright Scholarships
Funding opportunity for graduating seniors “to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide,” studying the arts or other fields with around 2,000 yearly awardees worldwide.

Konrad Adenauer Foundation
Funding opportunity for alumni to continue their education in Germany in arts fields like journalism as well as other fields.

Marshall Scholarship
Funding opportunity for graduating seniors to pursue a graduate education in the arts or other fields in the United Kingdom.

Mitchell Scholarship
Funding opportunity for graduating seniors and recent alumni to pursue a graduate education in the arts or other fields in Ireland. Harvard senior applicants first apply for an internal endorsement from Harvard before the general Mitchell application, while alumni directly apply.

Rhodes Scholarship
Funding opportunity for graduating seniors to study in the arts or other fields for two or three years at Oxford University. Harvard affiliated applicants first apply for an internal endorsement from Harvard before the general Rhodes application.

ArtSake Artists Opportunities
Listing of funding and other opportunities for Massachusetts-based artists through ArtSake, a service of Mass Cultural Council.

Arts and Business Council Greater Boston(A&BC)

The Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship
Funding and professional development opportunity for alumni which supports eight to ten fellows with coaching, seminars, and a stipend.

The Walter Feldman Fellowship
Funding and professional development opportunity for alumni in visual arts with exhibition, skill training, and professional development opportunities.

Assets for Artists
Listing of various opportunities for Massachusetts-based artists through the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts (Mass MoCA) with grants, workshops, and residency opportunities offered.

Barrington Stage Company Professional Internship Program
Summer internship opportunities for undergraduates and alumni to train across administrative departments in the Western Massachusetts theater.

Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) Residencies and Opportunities
Listing of funding opportunities for alumni at the various spaces and programs at BCA.

Congress Bundestag for Young Professional
Summer internship opportunity for U.S. citizens between the ages of 18.5 and 24 which provides 75 Americans with study and internship opportunities in Germany.

Creative Management Program at Bertelsmann
Professional development opportunity for alumni where enrollees will work for a year at Bertelsmann in Germany.

Deutsche Welle International Traineeships in Journalism
Traineeship opportunity for alumni in journalism to train at DW News in Germany.

Gloucester Stage Company Apprenticeship Program
Apprenticeship opportunity for graduating seniors and alumni to train in the fields of directing, youth education, stage management, production management, scenic and technical, and video and digital marketing.

IFP Marcie Bloom Fellowship in Film
Funding and networking opportunity for alumni in film with up to five fellows.

Jacob’s Pillow Administrative Fellows Program
Professional development opportunity for alumni to work in dance administration.

MASSCreative Create the Vote Fellowship
Funding and professional development opportunity for alumni in public advocacy and the arts.

Musealoge Akademie
Traineeship opportunity for alumni in museum work to gain a “Specialist for Collection Management and Quality Standards in Museums” certification from Musealoge Akademie.

RISE Germany - Research Opportunities at German Universities
Funding and summer internship opportunity for undergraduates to intern and conduct research at top German universities.

Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program
Funding opportunity for alumni to engage in a cultural immersion program in Germany, with around sixteen fellows per year.

Ruhr Fellowship
Funding and summer internship opportunity for sophomores, juniors, and seniors to engage in a immersement program at a German university followed by an internship in the arts or other fields at a Ruhr area company or university.

Travel and Service Opportunities:

Luce Scholars Internship Program (for graduating seniors, graduate students, and young professionals)Funding and professional development opportunity for graduating seniors, graduate students, and young professionals for immersive study in Asia, with around 18 scholars per year.

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