Students interested in gaining hands-on experience alongside scientists, engineers and professional staff working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) can apply for the JPL Year-Round Internship Program.
Unlike internships limited to a single summer period, the JPL Year-Round Internship Program provides opportunities throughout the academic year, with both part-time and full-time placements available.
Selected students are matched with JPL mentors and assigned projects related to their academic interests and skills.
However, there is an important eligibility restriction: the Year-Round Internship Program is available to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who are enrolled at accredited U.S. universities. International students who do not hold U.S. lawful permanent resident status are not eligible for this particular programme.
Key Details
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) |
| Programme | JPL Year-Round Internship Program |
| Academic Level | Undergraduate and Graduate |
| Fields | STEM and STEM-adjacent disciplines |
| Internship Type | Full-time or Part-time |
| Funding | Weekly monetary award |
| Housing/Travel | Available to certain qualifying interns |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 |
| Preferred GPA | 3.5 or higher |
| Minimum First Placement | 10 weeks |
| Eligible Nationality | U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents |
| Foreign Nationals | Not eligible for this particular programme |
| Application Fee | No application fee stated |
| Application Availability | Year-round |
| Required Documents | Resume and unofficial transcript |
What Is the NASA JPL Year-Round Internship?
The JPL Year-Round Internship Program gives undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to work on projects under the guidance of JPL scientists, engineers or professional staff.
Rather than simply observing workplace activities, interns are assigned project-based work connected to their academic background.
A selected student is paired with a JPL mentor, who helps define the project the student will work on during the internship.
This provides an opportunity to gain practical experience in an environment connected to NASA missions and advanced scientific and engineering work.
What Do JPL Interns Do?
The internship is designed around supervised project work.
Depending on the student’s academic background and the available mentor opportunities, an intern may work on a technical, scientific or research-related project.
JPL also provides enrichment and professional development activities that may include:
- Laboratory tours
- Technical and scientific lectures
- Career-development activities
- Professional networking
- Career advisement
The combination of project work, mentoring and professional development makes the programme closer to a supervised research or professional experience than a short observational internship.
Who Can Apply for the JPL Internship?
Applicants must meet several academic and nationality requirements.
To be eligible, students must generally:
- Be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student.
- Attend an accredited university in the United States.
- Be studying a STEM or STEM-adjacent discipline.
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
- Be able to undertake an internship lasting at least 10 weeks for the first placement.
- Have permission from their university for the relevant off-campus independent study or work arrangement.
A GPA of 3.0 meets the stated minimum, while 3.5 or higher is preferred.
Do You Need to Study Engineering?
No.
Although JPL is strongly associated with aerospace and engineering, the Year-Round Internship Program is broader than engineering alone.
Potentially relevant academic backgrounds include:
- Aerospace engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Computer engineering
- Computer science
- Artificial intelligence
- Physics
- Astronomy
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Earth and planetary sciences
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Data science
- Other STEM-adjacent disciplines relevant to JPL work
The actual internship project depends on the applicant’s qualifications and whether a suitable JPL mentor identifies a match.
How Much Does the NASA JPL Internship Pay?
The JPL Year-Round Internship is a paid internship.
Participants receive a weekly monetary award during their internship. However, JPL does not publish one universal weekly stipend amount on the programme information provided in the source.
Certain qualifying full-time, in-person interns may also receive supplemental assistance for housing and travel.
| Financial Benefit | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Internship Award | Weekly monetary payment |
| Housing Assistance | Available to qualifying full-time, in-person participants |
| Travel Assistance | Available to qualifying participants |
| Supplemental Allowances | Conditions may apply |
The individual weekly payment is communicated through the student’s internship offer documentation.
Is the NASA JPL Internship Fully Funded?
No.
This is a paid internship rather than a fully funded scholarship.
While interns receive a weekly monetary award and some qualifying participants may receive housing or travel assistance, the available information does not establish that JPL covers all expenses associated with participating in the programme.
Applicants should therefore not treat the Year-Round Internship as a fully funded study-abroad opportunity.
Can International Students Apply?
Not to the JPL Year-Round Internship unless they are U.S. lawful permanent residents.
This is one of the most important eligibility conditions for international students.
Simply studying at a U.S. university does not make an international student eligible for the Year-Round Internship.
The programme specifically requires applicants to be:
- U.S. citizens; or
- Lawful permanent residents of the United States.
Therefore, an international student studying in the United States on a temporary student status should not assume that university enrolment is sufficient to qualify.
An Alternative JPL Opportunity for Foreign Nationals
International students may want to investigate the separate JPL Visiting Student Research Program (JVSRP).
The Visiting Student Research Program can accept eligible foreign nationals, subject to nationality and security restrictions.
However, it operates differently from the Year-Round Internship. Participants need an appropriate research match with JPL and must demonstrate sufficient outside financial support.
The source states that applicants must currently demonstrate financial support of at least $2,400 per month, together with appropriate health and accident insurance.
| Programme | Foreign Nationals? | Funding Model |
|---|---|---|
| JPL Year-Round Internship | No, unless U.S. lawful permanent resident | JPL weekly monetary award |
| JPL Visiting Student Research Program | Yes, subject to restrictions | Applicant must secure qualifying financial support |
What Documents Are Required?
The initial Year-Round Internship application requires relatively few documents.
Applicants should prepare:
- Resume — accepted electronically in PDF, DOC, DOCX or TXT format.
- Unofficial transcript — used to establish academic standing and GPA.
- Online application — submitted through JPL’s internship application system.
A separate research proposal is not listed as a standard application requirement for the Year-Round Internship.
How Does JPL Select Interns?
Submitting an application does not automatically result in an internship placement.
The selection process involves several stages:
Application → Eligibility Review → Mentor Search → Finalist Selection → Interview → Internship Offer
JPL’s Education Office first reviews applications for basic eligibility.
Potential mentors can then search the applicant database for students whose academic background, skills and interests match available projects.
Students identified as potential finalists may be interviewed by the prospective mentor. If the match is successful, the mentor can request that JPL’s Education Office issue an internship offer.
This means applicants are not necessarily applying directly to one specific advertised research project. Instead, JPL uses a mentor-matching system to identify suitable opportunities.
When Is the JPL Year-Round Internship 2027 Deadline?
There is no single annual deadline for the JPL Year-Round Internship.
The programme accepts applications on a year-round basis, rather than operating around one fixed Summer 2027 closing date.
Students interested in participating are therefore encouraged to apply early, particularly because applications may remain active while JPL considers candidates for suitable mentor opportunities.
Students specifically looking for a summer placement should also distinguish the Year-Round Internship from the separate JPL Summer Internship Program, which operates under its own application schedule and deadline.
Why Consider a NASA JPL Internship?
For eligible students, a JPL internship can provide valuable experience working on projects under the guidance of professionals in one of the world’s leading scientific and engineering environments.
Potential benefits include:
- Paid professional experience
- Direct mentorship from JPL scientists, engineers or professional staff
- Project-based technical or scientific work
- Exposure to advanced research and engineering
- Career-development activities
- Professional networking
- Career advisement
- Laboratory and educational activities
For students pursuing STEM careers, the experience can provide practical exposure that complements university studies.
NASA JPL Year-Round Internship 2027: At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Programme | JPL Year-Round Internship |
| Organisation | NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Academic Level | Undergraduate and Graduate |
| Study Location | Accredited U.S. university |
| Fields | STEM and STEM-adjacent |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 |
| Preferred GPA | 3.5+ |
| Internship Duration | Minimum 10 weeks for first placement |
| Internship Type | Full-time or Part-time |
| Payment | Weekly monetary award |
| Housing/Travel | Available to certain qualifying interns |
| Eligible Nationality | U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents |
| International Students | Generally not eligible |
| Application Fee | No fee stated |
| Deadline | Year-round |
| Main Documents | Resume and unofficial transcript |
Final Thoughts
The NASA JPL Year-Round Internship Program 2027 offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to gain paid, project-based experience while working with scientists, engineers and professional staff at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The programme covers a broad range of STEM and STEM-adjacent disciplines and provides both full-time and part-time opportunities.
However, international applicants should pay particular attention to the nationality requirement. The Year-Round Internship is intended for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents studying at accredited U.S. universities. Simply being an international student enrolled at an American university is not enough.
For eligible students, applications are available year-round, making early preparation and submission worthwhile.
Application availability: Year-round
Important: International students who do not hold U.S. lawful permanent resident status should investigate the separate JPL Visiting Student Research Program instead.
