Spring 2026 internship roles will be made available on Tuesday, September 2nd.

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

Peer Career Guide Appointments	May 19 – July 8
Student application deadline	July 8
First-round interviews with Career & Employment Hub	July 14 – 25
Second-round interviews with host sites	July 28 – August 8
Internship matches announced	August 15
Fall internships start	September 2
Fall internships end	December 19

For more information, please contact hubinterns@maine.edu

Applications for this program are being accepted through 11:59pm on Tuesday, July 8th, 2025.

Applicants must complete ALL FOUR REQUIRED STEPS IN ORDER before the deadline:

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

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

3. Meet with a Peer Career Guide and bring a laptop to your meeting to:

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

**We strongly recommend planning ahead to book your appointment with the Peer Career Guides before the deadline. Although they offer appointments every weekday, please book with them AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to ensure you meet with them before the deadline.**

4. 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.

Aquaculture and Marine Technology

Aphrodite Oysters LLC – Oyster Farm Intern

Pelagic Fisheries Lab – Lab Intern

Arts

Lights Out Gallery – Design Intern

Mill Pond Ceramics Studio – Ceramics Studio Glaze Intern

Information Technology

Maine Connectivity Authority – Affordable Housing Connectivity Intern

ScanPower – Marketing Intern

ScanPower – Software Development Intern

Nonprofits

Iris Network – Social Media and Development Intern

Lake Region and Fryeburg Area Adult Education – Adult Education Intern

LearningWorks AfterSchool – Classroom Intern

Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce – Career and Membership Projects Intern

Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce – Website & Marketing Intern

MaineHealth Food Pantry Portland – MHFPP Intern

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program – MCHPP Pantry Partners Intern

New England Arab American Organization – Event Coordinator Intern

New England Arab American Organization – Photography and Videography Intern

New England Arab American Organization – Graphic Design Intern

Portland Buy Local – Communications Intern

Portland Housing Authority – Community Engagement Intern

Portland Public Schools – Multilingual Multicultural Center Intern

Special Olympics Maine – Sports Programming Intern

STRIVE – Finance & Human Resources Intern

STRIVE – Marketing & Development Intern

Sweetser – Community Relations Intern

Trinity Jubilee Center – Day Shelter and Resource Center Client Support Intern

Trinity Jubilee Center – Immigrant Integration Program Client Support Intern

United Way of Mid Coast Maine – Fundraising Intern

United Youth Empowerment Services – Youth Empowerment and Program Support Intern

Precision Manufacturing Technology

Green Gean’s LLC – Grantwriting Intern

Green Gean’s LLC – Training Intern

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.

Friends of the Presumpscot River – Resiliency Intern

Grandy Organics – Environmental and Community Impact & Business Resiliency 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