The Spring 2025 internship application is now open! Apply here.

The Career Exploration Internship Program is a paid program hosted by the Career & Employment Hub. These internships allow students to directly apply their classroom learning and build on-the-job skills in a professional setting. University of Southern Maine student interns gain valuable workplace experience and make connections in their field.

Students have the opportunity to apply for internships at Maine community partners. Student interns complete a minimum of 120 hours of work (min. 10 and max. 20 hours/week) over the course of a semester and are paid $18.50/hour. To be eligible, students must: 

  • Be matriculated at USM as full-time or part-time student
  • Have at least a 2.7 overall GPA and a minimum of 30 credits prior to the internship
  • Commit to the >120 hours and 10-20 hours/week outlined above
  • Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the US (international students on F-1 visas may apply) 

One of the goals of the Career Exploration Internship Program is to support USM students from diverse, international, and immigrant-origin backgrounds in building on their prior education, life experience, and skills through meaningful internship opportunities. Applications from these student populations are highly encouraged.

Detailed information for students regarding the Career Exploration Internship Program can be found here.

For questions, please contact hubinterns@maine.edu

Program Timeline

Student application deadline October 16
First-round interviews with Career & Employment HubOctober 21-
November 5
Second-round interviews with host sites November 11-26
Internship placements announcedDecember 4
Spring internships startJanuary 24
Spring internships endMay 2
For more information, please contact hubinterns@maine.edu

Advanced Technologies for Forestry and Agriculture

2nd Harvest PartnershipResearch & Evaluation Intern

Maine International Trade CenterInternational Trade Research Intern

Aquaculture and Marine Technology

Bigelow Laboratory – Zooplankton Technician Intern

Bristol Seafood LLCMarketing Intern

Kelson Marine Co.Computer Science, Virtual Reality Content Development Intern

Pelagic Fisheries LabLab Intern

Arts

Children’s Museum and Theatre of MaineEducation Program Intern

Children’s Museum and Theatre of MaineTheatre Program Intern

Children’s Museum and Theatre of MaineVisitor Program, Visual Arts Intern

City of LewistonRecreational Department Intern

KinonikFilm Archival Intern

Biotechnology

IDEXXValidation & Verification Intern

IDEXXOperational Excellence, Industrial Engineering Intern

MaineHealth Institute for ResearchLab Intern

Marin SkincareBiomedical Production Intern

Environmental Technology

Dead River CompanyDigital Experience & Marketing Intern

Environmental & Energy Technology Council of MaineCleantech Intern

Humanities

Binnie Media Programming, Promotion & Production Intern

City of BiddefordEmployee Relations Intern

House of LanguagesHuman Resources Intern

House of LanguagesMarketing & Communication Intern

Portland Public SchoolsMultilingual Multicultural Center Intern

Information Technology

IDEXXStatistician Intern

RSU 23 – Technology Support Intern

SlicPix IncDigital Marketing Intern

Nonprofits

Cultivating CommunityYouth Programs Intern

Educate MaineSTEM Exploration & Community Engagement Intern

Gateway Community Services MainePrograms or Operations Intern

Iris NetworkAccounting Intern

Iris NetworkHuman Resources Intern

Iris NetworkSocial Media & Development Intern

Iris NetworkNon-Profit Management Intern

LearningWorks AfterSchoolClassroom Intern

Maine Brewers GuildMember Analyst Intern

Maine Food Convergence ProjectEvent Planning & Development Intern

Maine Women’s Lobby Education FundProgram Intern

MaineHealth Food Pantry PortlandMHFPP Intern

Opera MaineAdministrative Intern

Portland Housing AuthorityYouth Program Intern

PSL Services/STRIVEFinance & Human Resources Intern

PSL Services/STRIVEMarketing & Development Intern

Saco River Wildlife CenterSRWC Intern

SAD DADS CLUBGrantwriting Intern

The WindowDressers, Inc.Energy Efficiency & Weatherization Research Intern (1-2 positions)

USM FoundationUSM Foundation Intern (3 positions)

World Affairs Council of MaineCommunications & Social Media Intern

Precision Manufacturing Technology

Green Gean’s LLCOperations Intern

IDEXXWater, Industrial Engineering Intern

IDEXXMechanical Engineering Intern

IDEXXBusiness Analyst Intern

IDEXXData Analyst Intern

EQUIP – Equity in Internships Program

These employers are dedicated to providing an enriching internship experience for first-generation students, to support the development of valuable professional skills and networking connections.

Focus Maine Policy Intern

L.L. Bean Home Merchandising Intern

MaineHealth Workforce Development Intern

Maine State Chamber Legislative Analyst Intern

The Career Exploration Internship Program is a USM-funded internship program hosted by the Career & Employment Hub. 

To support the workforce needs of Maine, USM sponsors project- and research-based internships in industries and businesses in a range of fields. These internships allow students to directly apply their classroom learning and build on-the-job skills in a professional setting. Student interns gain valuable workplace experience and make connections in their field.

Becoming a host site for a Career Exploration student intern offers the host site community partner the opportunity to connect with, guide, and evaluate talent that may contribute to your business.

For more information, please contact Lindsey Freeman at lindsey.w.freeman@maine.edu or at (207) 228-8268. 

Employer Application | Career Exploration Internship Guidelines for Host Site Community Partners