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

Last updated: October 2026

The CDC doesn't run one internship; it runs a set of routes, and on 16 October 2026 only one student posting was live: an unpaid volunteer Student Research Assistant role in Atlanta that closes on 23 October. The paid routes open later. The John R. Lewis Scholars Program takes applications this fall, partner summer programs listed by the CDC open between December and February, and the CDC says its Pathways summer jobs are announced on USAJOBS from January to March. In plain words: you apply between fall 2026 and March 2027, you intern in summer 2027. Since 2011 the Lewis program has accepted about 1,600 students out of more than 35,000 applicants, a 5% acceptance rate.

Quick Facts

Only an unpaid volunteer role is open today; the paid CDC routes for summer 2027 open between this fall and March 2027, so set your alerts now.

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 ARCeH Data Analytics, Health Outcomes Externship gives you public-health-style data work to describe, and the TruBridge Healthcare Data Analytics Externship adds healthcare reporting practice. Explore all Externships.

What Is a CDC Internship?

A CDC internship is a student placement tied to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Atlanta-based Department of Health and Human Services agency for public health. There is no single program. Students reach the CDC through Pathways internships announced on USAJOBS, partner programs such as the John R. Lewis Scholars Program that the CDC's Office of Minority Health has supported since 2011, Federal Work-Study, and unpaid volunteer roles. Paid and unpaid routes sit side by side, so read each listing for pay before you plan around it.

When Do CDC Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

The CDC has no single cycle. Its Pathways page says student summer employment is announced January through March of each year, about 3 to 5 months before a June start, but that page was last reviewed on 11 September 2025, so treat the months as a guide. The Lewis Scholars Program says applications open each fall with dates that vary by institution, and the partner programs the CDC lists open between December and February, about 4 to 6 months before summer.

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

This is a mix of deadline types, and the one open today is the shortest. The volunteer Student Research Assistant posting closes at 11:59 PM EST on 23 October 2026, with no late entry. The partner programs use fixed windows of a month or two, and the CDC lists several as January to February. Each Pathways announcement on USAJOBS carries its own close date. Build your USAJOBS profile and set a saved search for the CDC now, so a January posting doesn't catch you without a resume ready.

Which CDC Internship Programs Should You Target?

The CDC's student routes differ in pay, length and who runs them. Keep them separate when you plan.

The CDC's list also includes ORISE research opportunities, open from undergraduate to postdoctoral level. The Public Health Associate Program is a separate two-year program for recent graduates, not a student internship. Details sit on the Pathways page and the undergraduate short-term opportunities page.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Eligibility depends on the route. These are the official requirements the CDC publishes.

• Pathways Student Summer Employment: enrolled or accepted as a diploma, certificate or degree-seeking student, at least half-time, and of legal working age. Verification of enrollment from your school is required. The CDC page doesn't state citizenship or GPA, so the USAJOBS announcement governs.

• Volunteer Student Research Assistant (open now): U.S. citizenship required; enrolled at least half-time and in good academic standing; proof of enrollment; a background investigation.

• Student Worksite Experience Program: written permission from your school, half-time enrollment at an accredited U.S. institution, age 16 or older, a minimum 2.0 GPA and a background investigation. Students at foreign schools aren't eligible.

• Federal Work-Study: you must hold a federal work-study award. International students at U.S. schools are eligible with permanent resident status or an approved student visa.

• Partner programs: vary, for example sophomores to graduate students for NEPHIP, rising juniors and seniors for MCHC/RISE-UP, and juniors, seniors and graduate students for OHIP.

Is There a GPA Requirement?

It depends on the route. The Student Worksite Experience Program lists a 2.0 minimum. The Pathways page states no GPA, and the open volunteer posting asks only for good academic standing. Partner programs set their own bar, so read each program page. The Lewis Scholars Program accepts about 5% of applicants, so a strong application matters more than meeting a minimum.

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

The CDC publishes no skills list, and only one student posting was live. It asks for analytical and assessment skills and experience with literature reviews, writing and applying public health science principles, with respiratory virus interest preferred. Its duties are data cleaning, analysis and interpretation, and scientific writing and oral presentation. Partner programs add training in biostatistics, epidemiology and occupational or environmental health.

Note: No skills chart: we could read only one posted CDC student announcement, which lists two required skills, so there is nothing to count honestly. The skills above come from that posting and the CDC's own program descriptions.

How Is Demand for Research Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a duty from the CDC's open posting or program pages to a remote Externship that gives you a finished project to describe.

None of these Externships is connected to the CDC. They help because a finished project gives your statement of interest and interview answers something specific to describe.

What Is the CDC Application and Interview Process Like?

The steps depend on the route. These come from the CDC's pages and the open USAJOBS announcement.

1. Pick your route. Decide whether you need pay (Pathways, partner programs, Lewis) or can take an unpaid volunteer role.

2. For USAJOBS postings, submit what the announcement lists. The open volunteer posting asks for a 2-page resume, a statement of interest with your preferred term and availability, proof of enrollment and an unofficial transcript by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

3. For partner and Lewis programs, apply directly on each program's site; each runs its own application and timeline.

4. For the Student Worksite Experience Program, send a resume and the completed interest form to askohr@hhs.gov, or use the CDC's interest announcement on its Pathways page.

The CDC page says detailed Pathways instructions come during each announcement period, so read every USAJOBS listing closely.

What Students on Reddit Say

Reddit threads about the CDC mostly come from public health students asking how to get in and what to expect.

How Do You Stand Out for a CDC Internship?

First, match the route to your situation. Paid routes need earlier planning, and an unpaid volunteer role may suit you if you live near Atlanta and can afford it. Second, build USAJOBS and program-site profiles before the windows open, since the partner programs close in January and February. Third, show analysis and writing with finished work, because the open posting asks for both. The CDC publishes one acceptance rate, 5% for the Lewis program, and no applicant counts or conversion rate for its other routes.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students targeting the CDC often also look at these federal health and science employers.

For more federal options and USAJOBS timing, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 CDC internship?

No. The January to March window the CDC describes for summer Pathways jobs has passed, and most partner programs closed earlier this year. What's open now is one unpaid volunteer role closing 23 October 2026, plus the Lewis Scholars Program, which takes applications this fall. Summer 2027 paid routes open from December onward.

When do CDC internship applications open for summer 2027?

There is no single date. The CDC says Pathways summer employment is announced January through March. Lewis Scholars applications open each fall, with dates varying by institution. Partner programs it lists open between December and February. Treat the Pathways months as a guide, since that page was last reviewed in September 2025.

Does the CDC pay interns?

Some routes do. Pathways interns get a competitive salary without federal benefits, and CDC-listed partner programs are paid, though the page gives no amounts. The Student Worksite Experience Program and the open Student Research Assistant posting are unpaid volunteer roles, and work-study pay is set by your school.

Is any CDC internship open right now?

One student posting was open on 16 October 2026: an unpaid volunteer Student Research Assistant role in Atlanta, closing 23 October. No paid CDC internship was posted on USAJOBS that day. The Lewis Scholars Program and HACU's summer window are also open, each through its own site.

What is the John R. Lewis Scholars Program?

It's a CDC Office of Minority Health program that introduces undergraduate and recently graduated students to minority health and health equity. Seven partner institutions deliver it. Since 2011 it has accepted about 1,600 students from more than 35,000 applicants, a 5% acceptance rate. Apply through the institution's own page.

Can international students apply to the CDC?

Some routes allow it. Federal Work-Study accepts international students at U.S. schools with permanent resident status or an approved student visa, and the volunteer program says non-citizens must meet visa requirements. The open USAJOBS volunteer posting requires U.S. citizenship, and students at foreign schools aren't eligible for the volunteer program.

Does a CDC internship lead to a job?

Possibly, through Pathways. The CDC says interns who complete that program may be eligible for conversion to a permanent civil service job, and it publishes no rate. Volunteer roles state they confer no entitlement to compensation, future employment or non-competitive conversion. A 2020 Lewis survey found 67% of respondents in advanced degree programs.

Do I need to live near Atlanta?

Not for every route. The CDC is headquartered in Atlanta, but partner programs place students at health departments, universities and community organizations across the U.S., and each Pathways USAJOBS announcement lists its own location. Community commenters report that Pathways roles are rarely fully remote, so confirm the work arrangement in each listing.

The volunteer posting closes on 23 October 2026, and the paid routes open from this fall through March. Set your USAJOBS alert and bookmark the partner pages now. If you want a finished public-health-style project to describe, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.