AeroVironment Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: October 2026

AeroVironment (AV), the drone and loitering-munition maker that reported record fiscal-2026 revenue of $1,976.8 million, up 141% after merging with BlueHalo, has its summer 2027 internships open right now. On 3 October 2026 its Workday board carried 31 live summer-internship requisitions, posted between 25 August and 29 September 2026, with five added on 29 September alone. In plain words: you apply during fall 2026, you intern in summer 2027. The reqs list no deadline, but they close when filled, and one software req posted in early September had already closed by late September. The program is paid, mostly 12 weeks on-site, and every req is ITAR-controlled, so you need to be a U.S. person to apply.

Quick Facts

Summer 2027 applications are open now with no stated deadline, so the practical cutoff is when each req fills.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. The Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense Externship trains the connected-device security thinking behind AV's embedded and electrical roles, and the Wayfair n8n AI Agent Engineering Externship gives you applied AI work to point at for the ML and autonomy reqs. Explore all Externships.

What Is an AeroVironment Internship?

An AeroVironment internship is a paid summer placement on AV's engineering, manufacturing or business teams, usually 12 weeks on-site, building uncrewed aircraft, loitering munitions, autonomy software and defense electronics. Its internships page promises "no busy-work, no coffee runs", and the live reqs describe ground-control software, SolidWorks airframe work, hardware tests and flight tests. AV says it gets "thousands of applications annually" and was nominated for Yello's Top 100 Internship Programs of 2025. Many reqs are pooled across 13 to 18 sites, so you're hired into a role first and placed at a location during interviews.

When Do AeroVironment Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

AV's summer 2027 applications are already open. The first req went up on 25 August 2026, nine landed on 1 September, and more followed through 29 September: a lead time of about 8 to 9 months to a June 2027 start. Last cycle looked very different, with summer 2026 reqs appearing between March and May 2026, so treat any summer 2028 projection as low confidence.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

AV runs a rolling process with no published cutoff. None of the 31 reqs we checked on 3 October has an end date in Workday, so each stays open only until its team has enough people. That can be fast: a Software Engineering Intern req in Sunrise, Florida appeared around 1 September 2026 and was closed by 28 September. Pooled reqs fill several seats at once, and once one closes there's no second window for that role this cycle. If a req fits your major, apply the day you find it.

Which AeroVironment Internship Programs Should You Target?

AV runs one Summer Internship Program, but each req is a separate role with its own skills list. These are the main groups live on 3 October 2026.

Search the full list on the AV Workday board; titles without "Summer 2027" still describe the summer program in their bodies.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

AV's live reqs set four gates. The export-control one isn't negotiable.

• Enrollment: currently pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree, or a recent graduate.

• GPA: 19 of the 30 intern-titled reqs state a 3.0 minimum.

• Class year: the program text prefers juniors and above; AV's careers page sets the floor at sophomore year.

• Work authorization: every req involves ITAR/EAR-controlled data, so you must be a "U.S. person" (U.S. citizen, green-card holder, refugee or asylee). Business Development, Washington Operations and the quality reqs require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency outright.

• Screening: a background check and drug screen, per AV's careers page. The reqs that carry a clearance field list no clearance required.

Is the 3.0 GPA a Hard Cutoff?

Treat it as one. Where a req states it, the wording is "Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA", not "preferred". About a third of the intern reqs don't mention GPA at all, which gives a student below 3.0 some room, but the program paragraph shared across most reqs still asks interns to maintain a 3.0. If you're under it, lead with hands-on builds such as Design/Build/Fly, a drone club or a robotics team, since the reqs value that work.

What Skills Does AeroVironment Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Three skill groups recur in AV's live reqs. Software and data: Python appears in 13 of 30 intern reqs, with C++, Git and Linux close behind. Hardware and test: 21 reqs ask for testing experience or test equipment, and the aeromechanical reqs add SolidWorks, MATLAB, 3D printing and composites. Communication is named in 28 of 30.

How Is Demand for Engineering Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each skill below comes from AV's live reqs, mapped to a remote Externship that gives you a finished project to show.

These Externships aren't affiliated with AV. Their value is a finished deliverable you can walk an AV interviewer through, which matters most for a junior or sophomore with no prior internship.

What Is the AeroVironment Application and Interview Process Like?

AV doesn't publish a step-by-step intern process, so this combines the req text and its careers page.

1. Apply on Workday. Use the AV board and apply to each req that fits; multi-site reqs place you later.

2. Recruiter and team interviews. The reqs say "specific team, location, and program details will be discussed during the interview process". AV hasn't published the interview format.

3. Offer. Expect questions about which sites you'd relocate to and whether a housing stipend applies to your team.

4. Export-control and background checks. You document U.S.-person status for ITAR, then complete a background check and drug screen before starting.

Interview accounts for AV interns are scarce online, so prepare behavioral answers plus a walk-through of your own builds.

What Students on Reddit Say

Reddit discussion of AV internships is thin and split, and the most recent first-hand account is critical.

How Do You Stand Out for an AeroVironment Internship?

First, show you've built hardware. AV's aeromechanical and electrical reqs prefer 3D printing, machining, composites and PCB debugging, so put a Design/Build/Fly aircraft, drone-club build or robotics project at the top of your resume, with what broke and how you fixed it. Second, use the pooled reqs. Eight reqs list 13 to 18 sites, so say plainly which locations you'd move to. Third, ask about the site in your interview. The one recent intern review on Reddit came from a small satellite office, while Simi Valley and Moorpark are far larger, so asking about team size, mentor and project scope reads as serious. AV doesn't publish an applicant count or a conversion rate.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

If you're aiming at AV, these drone, autonomy and defense employers recruit the same students.

For the full picture of drone, missile and space internships, see our aerospace and defense internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 AeroVironment internship?

No. AV's summer 2026 internships have finished, and the reqs for that cycle are closed in Workday. The next door is summer 2027: 31 reqs were live on 3 October 2026, posted from 25 August onward with no deadlines. Apply now, because each req closes once its team fills it.

When do AeroVironment summer 2027 internship applications open?

They opened on 25 August 2026, with the main batch on 1 September and more added through 29 September. That's roughly 8 to 9 months before a summer 2027 start. If AV repeats this calendar, applications for summer 2028 should open around August or September 2027, though last cycle opened in spring.

Is there a deadline for AeroVironment internships?

No published one. None of the 31 live reqs shows an end date, so each stays open until filled. That makes timing more important, not less: one software req posted in early September 2026 had already closed by late September. Apply as soon as a req matches your major.

How much do AeroVironment interns get paid?

AV says its internships are paid but doesn't publish an hourly rate. The salary-range field on its intern reqs is left blank, even for California roles. Some teams offer a relocation and housing reimbursement stipend, so ask your recruiter whether it applies before you accept an offer.

Do I need to be a U.S. citizen for an AeroVironment internship?

You need to be a U.S. person under ITAR, which covers U.S. citizens, green-card holders, refugees and asylees. Every AV intern req involves export-controlled data. A few roles, including Business Development and Washington Operations, require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency outright, so international students on visas generally can't apply.

What GPA does AeroVironment require?

A 3.0 minimum on most reqs. Nineteen of the 30 intern-titled reqs state "Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA", and the shared program text asks interns to maintain it. AV prefers juniors and above, although its careers page allows sophomores to apply for some roles.

How long is the AeroVironment internship and where is it?

Twelve weeks, on-site, full-time on a 9/80 schedule, per the reqs; AV's careers page says 8 to 12 weeks. Most roles sit in Simi Valley or Moorpark, California, and many pooled reqs also cover Petaluma, Melbourne, Huntsville, Pottstown, the Washington DC area, Albuquerque and Minneapolis.

Does AeroVironment hire interns full-time?

It can, but it doesn't publish a conversion rate. AV's internships page mentions a "high acceptance-to-offer conversion rate" without a number. Your best lever is the work itself: finish a visible project, ask for a final review with your manager, and say early that you want to return.

AV's summer 2027 reqs are open now and close as they fill. Apply this week, and if you want a finished project to talk through in interviews, a remote Externship runs alongside the semester at 5 to 10 hours a week.