At Michigan State University, you don't have to leave expression and creativity behind after High School. In fact, we know it's essential to our Spartan drive to make the world a better place. Whether it's a paid, professional internship opportunity, a resource for deeper learning in the classroom, or a way to connect with campus and with one another, University Arts and Collections has something for all MSU students, regardless of major.
Thousands of creative careers await you after graduation, but your journey to land the job of your dreams can start right here at MSU. Did you know that arts spaces on campus like the Wharton Center, the MSU Broad Art Museum, and more employ hundreds of students from all majors each year?
Paid positions in University Arts and Collections spaces range from roles in education, curation, research, conservation, communications and marketing, operations, visitor experience, technology, and beyond. These practical, professional experiential learning opportunities provide MSU students with pathways to build viable careers and to network with creatives from around the country in ways that are fully integrated with the Spartan experience.
MSU alumni that worked in the arts on campus have gone on to careers with the Brooklyn Museum, Live Nation, Peabody Essex Museum, and more. And students that have gone on to careers outside of the arts carry with them critical, foundational skills that are intrinsic to arts and cultural work: creative problem-solving, flexibility, collaboration, and interpersonal communication. According to new research culled from 15 years of data across industries, these foundational “soft skills” have a direct correlation to career progression and future proof workers’ adaptability to industry changes. Arts and Collections interns leave with a portfolio of work to demonstrate essential skills that are otherwise hard to measure in interviews.
MSU Students—looking for your perfect role in University Arts and Collections? Search "arts" under on campus student employment on handshake for current opportunities.
MSU Broad education intern and future educator, Emily Slyman, is incorporating art into all subject areas with their students. As an education intern with Summer Art Camp Kids Studio, Emily incorporates art into all subject areas, letting the students decide what they want to explore and create. Working with students of all ages, Emily has become more adaptable as an educator while also finding their own teaching style and confidence in the classroom.
Did you know you share your Spartan home with over a million objects, specimens, and works of art?
These campus collections serve a critical role in supporting research, helping us better understand our world through primary source material. Whether botanical or anthropological, art or natural sciences, collections help us connect with the past and the present while envisioning and advancing the future.
Did you know that approximately 80% of your time as an MSU student is spent outside the classroom?
There’s always something to do in Arts and Collections on this campus, each as vibrant and diverse as our Spartan community. Whether you’re looking to check out live music or theater straight from Broadway, get hands-on with artmaking, take care of your mind and body in nature, or connect with new friends, you can find something here that sparks your creativity every day. Arts and Collections host nearly 1,000 events and programs each year—the vast majority are free, and Wharton Center offers substantial student discounts for most shows, subsidized by a commitment from their own budget.