Student placements

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As a work placement student you will share our passionate belief in National Museums Scotland's mission to preserve, interpret and make accessible for all the past and present of Scotland, of other nations and cultures, and of the natural world.

Due to the high volume of requests we do not accept CVs or requests directly from Undergraduates or Taught Postgraduates. We prioritise student placements (UG and PGT) where the placement is an integral and assessed part of their course. We have more requests meeting this criterion than we have resources to fulfil.

Course leaders should contact the department which most closely aligns skills and experience with the academic course objectives or email student.enquiries@nms.ac.uk. The course leader should be clear about how the placement supports and complements the academic programme. Generic placement requests without specific alignment to the academic programme are less likely to be supported.

Placements within our museums are currently unpaid and arranged through academic organisations that have clear links with our aims and objectives. The placement is always made for an agreed period of time. A placement is offered when a match is identified between projects or opportunities being available within our departments and the objectives of the applicant's course of study. We will then arrange an informal interview, followed by the necessary reference and police checks.

Our student placement process is currently under review.

Note that there is a separate process for students wishing to interview staff or visitors. Doctoral researchers are advised to contact the department directly.

Find out more about ways to collaborate with us

Information for course leaders

Undergraduate and Postgraduate placements (up to 20 contact days)

Student placements are normally 1 day per week or up to 20 days.

For placements/internships taking place between September-December we recommend that course leaders get in touch no later than end of May.
For placements taking place between January-April we recommend that course leaders get in touch no later than end of September.
For placements taking place between May-August we recommend that course leaders get in touch no later than end of February.

Visas and Checks

We do not offer visa sponsorship for students therefore all students must be in full-time higher education at a UK/EU university or arrange your own visa via organisations such as BUNAC.

Successful applicants will be expected to undertake for Basic Disclosure Scotland at their own cost (£25 as of June 2020).

Information for PhD Candidates (Student Researchers)

If you are currently registered for a PhD, self or fully funded and interested in investigating our collections as part of your PhD research, please get in touch with the department you are interested stating your area of interest and expertise and to discuss opportunities. Typically Student Researchers are located full-time within the Museum for a period of 3-6 months.

Information for individuals (not registered students)

If you are not a registered student but are interested in volunteering for National Museums Scotland please see our information on volunteering.

Information for School Work Experience

If you are still at school but are interested in short work experience please see our information on work experience.