What are the responsibilities and job description for the Graphic Design Internship: Fall 2026 & Spring 2027 (NJ or PA) position at PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS?
Princeton University Press (PUP) is pleased to offer an internship in the Creative Media Lab (CML) department for Fall 2026 through Spring 2027.
The Creative Media Lab oversees the design of jackets/covers and interior book pages, the preparation of artwork for book interiors, and the creation of a variety of marketing and brand materials. The Graphic Design Intern will work with both the marketing designers and books designers on projects to promote new books.
When working with the marketing designers, the intern’s projects will primarily be focused on creating digital assets for social media. Additional marketing design projects will vary based on the intern’s areas of interest, and may include print collateral design, motion graphic animation, video editing, photo research, product photography, and illustration.
When working with the book designers, the intern’s projects will primarily be focused on jacket mechanical creation, paperback conversions, and audiobooks. Depending on the level of experience and skill set, some interns may design some original book jackets. The Graphic Design Intern reports to two designers.
PUP is a strong advocate for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the university press community. Individuals who are members of groups underrepresented in academic publishing (which is, according to research by Lee & Low, historically a majority white, straight, cisgender, and nondisabled industry) are encouraged to apply.
In this program, students observe firsthand the inner workings of a major university press and learn about all aspects of the publishing industry. Interns will be paid $16 per hour. Work location will be at the discretion of each employee’s comfort level, and a remote or hybrid schedule (option for in-office days) will be coordinated with managers. Due to payroll tax set-up, we will only be able to consider applicants who can either work in the Princeton office or provide a NJ or PA address for their employment/payroll processing.
Scheduled work hours (total 15 hours per week) and the specific start and end date for PUP internships are flexible, depending on the intern’s respective academic schedule.
The perks of being a PUP intern!
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Office and administrative experience that will introduce interns to the Press and to publishing in a concrete way.
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Opportunities to learn from a variety of departments and meet with staff throughout the Press.
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Writing and professional development workshops to support the acquisition of skills useful to pursuing future careers in publishing, scholarly communications, academia, or other writing-related fields.
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Opportunity to attend meetings to gain insight into editorial, marketing, design, and sales-related decision-making processes.
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Supervisors who act as mentors, providing support and advice, and who work to further the intern’s appreciation and understanding of academic publishing.
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Celebratory lunch at the end of the program with Press colleagues and a member of PUP’s senior management.
Qualifications:
Design Internship Requirements
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Education—an undergraduate major in graphic design or a closely-related field is preferred.
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Must be at least 18 years old.
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Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud on a Mac platform is required (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Pro, After Effects, and Acrobat Pro).
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An ongoing curiosity about trends in marketing design, book design, and in graphic design generally.
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Ability to work well both independently and with others; ability to synthesize feedback.
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Excellent organizational skills with the ability to multitask and to pay attention to detail.
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Ability to communicate ideas clearly.
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Enthusiasm for collaboration, and commitment to professional codes of conduct which the Press’s may be accessed at https://press.princeton.edu/about/mission-values
To Apply:
The deadline for applications is Sunday, July 12 at 11:59pmET.
We thank all applicants; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.
Applications will only be accepted in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF formatting. Please submit to our recruiting website (URL listed below) a cover letter, resume, and design portfolio. We recommend that you look on the Princeton University Press website to find one of our books that feels meaningful to you. Mention the book in your cover letter and explain why you chose it.
Salary : $16