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 HubJuly 14 – 25
Second-round interviews with host sites July 28 –
August 8
Internship matches announcedAugust 15
Fall internships startSeptember 2
Fall internships endDecember 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 LLCOyster Farm Intern

Pelagic Fisheries LabLab Intern

Arts

Lights Out GalleryDesign Intern

Mill Pond Ceramics StudioCeramics Studio Glaze Intern

Information Technology

Maine Connectivity AuthorityAffordable Housing Connectivity Intern

ScanPower – Marketing Intern

ScanPowerSoftware Development Intern

Nonprofits

Iris NetworkSocial Media and Development Intern

Lake Region and Fryeburg Area Adult EducationAdult Education Intern

LearningWorks AfterSchoolClassroom Intern

Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of CommerceCareer and Membership Projects Intern

Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of CommerceWebsite & Marketing Intern

MaineHealth Food Pantry PortlandMHFPP Intern

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention ProgramMCHPP Pantry Partners Intern

New England Arab American OrganizationEvent Coordinator Intern

New England Arab American OrganizationPhotography and Videography Intern

New England Arab American OrganizationGraphic Design Intern

Portland Buy LocalCommunications Intern

Portland Housing AuthorityCommunity Engagement Intern

Portland Public SchoolsMultilingual Multicultural Center Intern

Special Olympics MaineSports Programming Intern

STRIVE Finance & Human Resources Intern

STRIVEMarketing & Development Intern

Sweetser Community Relations Intern

Trinity Jubilee CenterDay Shelter and Resource Center Client Support Intern

Trinity Jubilee CenterImmigrant Integration Program Client Support Intern

United Way of Mid Coast MaineFundraising Intern

United Youth Empowerment ServicesYouth Empowerment and Program Support Intern

Precision Manufacturing Technology

Green Gean’s LLCGrantwriting 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 RiverResiliency 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

Current Internship Host Sites

Support for this program comes from the Maine Economic Improvement Fund, and from the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of UMS TRANSFORMS Pathways to Careers.