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

Last updated: August 2026

CDM Smith is a 7,000-employee, employee-owned engineering and construction firm ranked #23 on ENR’s 2026 Top 500 Design Firms, delivering projects in more than 150 countries. Its CEO, Timothy B. Wall, started his career here as a co-op and has been with the firm for over 30 years. Summer 2027 and spring 2027 internships are already posted and accepting applications across six engineering tracks. No deadline has been published for any of the eight live requisitions, but positions fill as candidates are selected.

Quick Facts

CDM Smith runs internships and co-ops across six engineering disciplines, from environmental and civil to automation and construction. Summer 2027 positions are already live with no published deadline. Pay ranges from approximately $21 to $28 per hour depending on the track.

While you wait for CDM Smith to review your application, build the operational and technical evidence their JDs reward. Externships are short, remote professional experience programs that run 4–11 weeks. The Amazon Fulfillment Center Operational Strategy & People Analytics Externship sharpens the project-lifecycle and process-optimization thinking CDM Smith values in every track. The Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense Externship maps directly to CDM Smith’s automation and instrumentation track, where SCADA, control networks, and security systems are the core deliverables. Explore all Externships.

What Is a CDM Smith Internship?

CDM Smith’s internship program places students inside one of the largest employee-owned engineering and construction firms in the world, ranked #23 on ENR’s 2026 Top 500 Design Firms. Interns work on real water, environmental, transportation, energy, and facilities projects alongside experienced engineers, with responsibilities ranging from CADD drafting and ArcGIS analysis to fieldwork and construction management. Glassdoor reviewers give CDM Smith a 4.1 out of 5 overall rating with 94% CEO approval, and intern-specific interview reviews report a 100% positive experience. The combination of employee ownership, a CEO who started as a co-op, and a 2,000-member Emerging Professionals Network makes this program a legitimate pipeline to a long-term engineering career.

When Do CDM Smith Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

CDM Smith posts summer internships and spring co-ops on a rolling basis, with the career fair circuit from September through October serving as the primary recruiting engine. Summer 2027 requisitions went live in early August 2026, approximately ten months before the expected start date. There is no published application deadline for any track.

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

CDM Smith’s eight live requisitions have no published closing date, which means positions fill as candidates are selected rather than in a single batch. The fall career fair season starts in September, and candidates who apply before those fairs run have the longest runway to get noticed. CDM Smith donated $40,000 through student-selected charities at career fairs in 2025, a signal the firm treats campus recruiting as a primary pipeline. Waiting until spring means competing for whatever seats remain after the career-fair cohort has been placed.

Which CDM Smith Internship Programs Should You Target?

CDM Smith’s internship and co-op program spans six engineering disciplines, all unified by the firm’s core markets: water, environment, transportation, energy, and facilities.

For the latest openings by track and location, visit CDM Smith’s students page.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

CDM Smith’s intern eligibility requirements are straightforward, drawn from seven job descriptions read in full.

• Enrollment: currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree (or master’s for the automation track) in a relevant engineering field.

• Major: varies by track. Environmental or civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or chemical/computer engineering for automation.

• GPA: not stated in any job description. No minimum published for internships.

• Work authorization: not stated. CDM Smith’s JDs are silent on visa sponsorship. Inquire directly.

• Driver’s license: required for at least one co-op posting that involves 20–40% travel.

Does CDM Smith Have a GPA Cutoff for Interns?

CDM Smith does not publish a GPA cutoff for internships. None of the seven job descriptions reviewed states a minimum GPA. The firm’s STEM Scholarship program requires a 3.0, but the internship gate is enrollment in a relevant engineering program. Focus on your coursework relevance and any hands-on project experience rather than hitting a specific number.

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

CADD appears in five of seven CDM Smith intern job descriptions, making it the closest thing to a universal requirement across tracks. Microsoft Excel and ArcGIS each appear in four of seven, though ArcGIS is concentrated in the environmental and civil track. The automation track has its own distinct stack centered on SCADA systems and P&ID diagrams. Technical report writing crosses multiple tracks but is rarely listed as a formal skill requirement elsewhere in the A/E intern market.

How Is Demand for Civil Engineering Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

And every skill in that chart maps to a remote Externship you can start now.

These externships build the analytical, operations, and technical evidence that CDM Smith’s requisitions reward. Extern has no civil engineering, water resources, or CADD/ArcGIS externship in the current catalog, so frame these as transferable-skill builders, not direct substitutes for engineering design software.

What Is the CDM Smith Application and Interview Process Like?

CDM Smith’s application process runs through a Jibe-powered career portal and leans heavily on the fall career fair circuit.

1. Visit the job board. Go to careers.cdmsmith.com and filter for intern and co-op roles. The portal is JavaScript-heavy; if listings do not render, try the Indeed mirror.

2. Join the Talent Community. Sign up at CDM Smith’s Talent Community to receive alerts when new positions post.

3. Pick your discipline, then your city. CDM Smith posts separate requisitions by engineering function and office location. There is no umbrella application.

4. Attend a career fair if you can. CDM Smith visits 25+ campuses from September through October. An in-person conversation is a different entry channel from the online portal.

5. Prepare for behavioral interviews. Glassdoor reports CDM Smith intern interviews at difficulty 2.5 out of 5, with 100% positive experience across three intern-specific reviews. Expect questions about coursework, teamwork, and past project experience. No technical coding tests have been reported.

For the most up-to-date listings, check CDM Smith’s job board directly and join the Talent Community for alerts.

What Students on Reddit Say

CDM Smith has a modest but informative presence in engineering subreddits, with threads spanning intern experiences, company culture, and compensation.

How Do You Stand Out at CDM Smith?

CDM Smith’s JDs repeatedly emphasize exposure to the full project lifecycle, from planning and design through construction and operations. An applicant who can speak to fieldwork, construction observation, or operations management rather than just desk-based CAD work matches the language better. Learn the niche tools CDM Smith actually names: CADD is the baseline, but ArcGIS (found in only 3.5% of non-Kimley-Horn civil intern postings nationally) and SWMM are genuine differentiators for environmental and civil tracks. If your campus is on CDM Smith’s 25-school career fair circuit, show up prepared with questions about the firm’s employee-ownership model, the Emerging Professionals Network, or a recent project like the $2.2 billion Houston East Water Purification Plant. Reference the firm’s core values of excellence, initiative, shared commitment, integrity, and teamwork in your cover letter. And mention the CEO’s story: Timothy B. Wall started here as a co-op and stayed for 30+ years, which tells you exactly how CDM Smith thinks about its intern pipeline.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

CDM Smith sits in the construction and engineering sector alongside firms ranging from specialty contractors to global A/E consultancies. Its closest peer in large-scale infrastructure consulting is AECOM, though the Construction category also includes homebuilders and trades-focused firms with very different intern models.

For more engineering internships, see the Engineering Internships Summer 2027 Guide.

FAQ

Are CDM Smith internships open for summer 2027?

Yes. CDM Smith posted summer 2027 internship requisitions in August 2026, covering environmental, electrical, mechanical, automation, and construction engineering across multiple US cities. There is no published deadline. Positions fill on a rolling basis, so apply through careers.cdmsmith.com before the fall career fair season ends.

What engineering disciplines does CDM Smith hire interns for?

CDM Smith hires interns and co-ops in six tracks: environmental and civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, automation and instrumentation, construction, and transportation engineering. The environmental and civil track is the largest, reflecting the firm’s roots in water infrastructure. Each discipline posts separate requisitions.

How much do CDM Smith interns get paid?

CDM Smith engineering interns earn approximately $21 to $28 per hour depending on discipline, according to Indeed and ZipRecruiter. Environmental and civil roles tend toward the lower end, while electrical and automation roles pay more. This range sits above the national civil engineering intern average of about $20 per hour.

Does CDM Smith require a minimum GPA for internships?

No. None of the seven CDM Smith internship job descriptions reviewed states a GPA requirement. The firm’s STEM Scholarship program requires a 3.0, but the internships themselves set no floor. The gate is being enrolled in a relevant engineering bachelor’s or master’s program.

Does CDM Smith sponsor visas for interns?

Unknown. None of CDM Smith’s seven internship postings mentions work authorization, visa sponsorship, or US citizenship. This silence is unusual for a large engineering firm. Contact CDM Smith’s HR team directly if you need sponsorship, because absence of language in the job description does not confirm availability.

What is the CDM Smith intern interview like?

Expect a phone screen followed by one or two rounds of behavioral interviews. Glassdoor rates CDM Smith interviews at 2.5 out of 5 difficulty, with 72% describing a positive experience. Intern-specific reviews report a 100% positive rate and an average time to hire of five days. No technical or coding tests have been reported.

Does CDM Smith offer co-ops as well as summer internships?

Yes. CDM Smith posts both summer internships and spring and fall co-ops. Co-ops run a full academic semester, typically four to six months, while summer internships last approximately ten to twelve weeks. Both formats are live for 2027 in environmental and automation engineering, and new tracks may post as the cycle continues.

What tools should I learn before a CDM Smith internship?

CADD appears in five of seven CDM Smith intern job descriptions and is the closest thing to a universal requirement. For environmental and civil roles, learn ArcGIS and SWMM. For automation roles, study SCADA systems and P&ID diagrams. Microsoft Excel appears in four of seven postings. HEC-RAS is a bonus for water resources work.

CDM Smith’s summer 2027 internships are live now and filling on a rolling basis. While you prepare your application, a remote Externship can give you the project-lifecycle and technical evidence that CDM Smith’s JDs reward. Build the proof first, then bring it to the career fair.