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) 

The Career Exploration Internship Program supports USM students from all backgrounds in building on their prior education, life experience, and skills through meaningful internship opportunities. All students who meet the above eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply.

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
September 24
Peer Career Guide appointmentsSeptember 28 – October 14
First-round interviews with Career & Employment HubOctober 19 – November 4
Second-round interviews with host sites November 9 – 20
Internship matches announcedDecember 4
Spring internships startJanuary 25
Spring internships endMay 7
For more information, please contact hubinterns@maine.edu

Applications for this program are being accepted through 11:59pm on Thursday, September 24th, 2026.

Applicants must complete the following steps IN ORDER:

1. Decide which positions you’d like to apply for (no more than 3 per semester).

2. Fill out and submit this form to indicate your intent to apply.

3. Applicants who complete the first two steps will be invited to meet with a Peer Career Guide to:

    a) Develop/review your resume
    b) Develop/review one cover letter tailored to each position (no more than 3)

4. Then, email your resume and cover letter(s) to hubinterns@maine.edu IN PDF FORMAT.

Note: completing this application does not guarantee that you will be matched with an internship through the program.

New internships will be coming September 1st!

Advanced Technologies for Forestry and Agriculture

Aquaculture and Marine Technology

Arts

Biotechnology

Environmental Technology

Humanities

Information Technology

Nonprofits

Precision Manufacturing Technology

Remote-only Internships

Muskie Resiliency Internships, a Maine Climate Corps Program

These internships are designed for Muskie School of Public Service students who have completed coursework on community resilience building and sustainability planning. Interns will enhance their skills, developing adaptive management expertise while also supporting Maine’s climate efforts and local organizations’ resilience needs.

The Career Exploration Internship Program is a fully-managed internship program designed to make hosting a student as easy as possible.

To support the workforce needs of Maine, USM partners with local employers on project- and research-based internships across a range of industries. We recruit, screen, and interview candidates on your behalf, handle all payroll and paperwork, and provide ongoing support to both you and your intern throughout the semester. You focus on providing the student with mentorship and meaningful work experience; we take care of the rest.

Join the growing community of Maine employers who call CEIP one of the most impactful partnerships they have: Contact Internship Program Manager Lindsey Freeman at lindsey.w.freeman@maine.edu or at 207-228-8268.

Career Exploration Internship Guidelines for Host Site Community Partners

Some of Our Internship Partners

Support for this program comes from the Maine Economic Improvement Fund.