Last updated: November 2026
The City of Ann Arbor doesn't run one branded internship program. Its departments post paid, seasonal student intern jobs one at a time on the City's own UKG job board, and the three most recent ones we found (a Planning Intern, an Engineering Student Intern and a Transportation Engineer Intern) all listed the same starting rate of $18.68 an hour, for up to six months. On 12 November 2026 the board had 22 open jobs and none was an internship. Past intern postings appeared between October and January, so applications for summer 2027 are expected from now through about February 2027. In plain words: you apply between November 2026 and February 2027, you intern in summer 2027.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | The City's UKG job board, linked from Careers at the City of Ann Arbor. "Applications are accepted online only." Sign up for the City's A2Gov Opportunity Alerts to hear when a posting goes up. |
| Application window (2027–28) | Applications for summer 2027 expected from November 2026 to about February 2027, department by department (past intern postings went up in October, November, December and January). None posted as of 12 November 2026. |
| Rolling? | Each posting is a single department's job with no published close date. Expect postings to appear and come down one at a time, not as one wave. |
| Eligibility | Engineering and transportation: pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering or a related field, plus a valid driver's license. Planning: enrolled in or recently graduated from a bachelor's or master's program in planning or a related field. No residency rule in the postings we read. |
| Duration | Seasonal temporary jobs of no more than six months; transportation and engineering roles allowed part-time hours during the school year. |
| Compensation | $18.68 an hour starting rate in the Planning (Dec 2024), Engineering (Jan 2025) and Transportation (Oct 2025) postings. Community Television Network (CTN) internships are unpaid. |
| Return offers | Not published. The City says temporary roles "may be renewed annually based on need, funding, and performance." |
| Locations | On site in Ann Arbor, Michigan; engineering and transportation interns drive to field sites. |
| # Programs | Three recent paid tracks (engineering, transportation, planning), a sustainability intern last posted in 2022, plus three email routes: CTN (unpaid), the Police Department's for-credit internship and a City Attorney's Office summer internship for law students. |
Nothing is open yet: watch the City's UKG board from now through February 2027, when paid summer 2027 intern postings are expected department by department.
Externships are short, remote projects for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. Health Research & Data Analytics with ARCeH practices the data analysis every City intern posting asked for, and the SQL & Database Architecture Externship with Breaking Games builds the database skills behind the engineering interns' project tracking. Explore all Externships.
What Is a City of Ann Arbor Internship?
A City of Ann Arbor internship is a paid, temporary job with the City government in Ann Arbor, Michigan, hired through the City's own job board. This page covers the City as an employer, not the University of Michigan. The careers page says "The City offers internships for students seeking hands-on experience" and that openings are posted on its employment page. In practice each unit posts its own requisition when it has funding: Engineering, Transportation, Planning and, in 2022, the Office of Sustainability and Innovations. Interns are hired as seasonal temporary employees, and the City's temporary jobs are "Limited to 6, 9, or 10 consecutive months." Three smaller routes are handled by email: unpaid CTN internships, the Police Department's student internship and a City Attorney's Office internship for law students. The City doesn't publish class sizes.
When Do City of Ann Arbor Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
The City posts intern jobs one at a time, so there's no single opening date. The dated postings we found went up on 23 November 2021 (Engineering), 2 May 2022 (Sustainability), 1 November 2022 (Engineering), 18 December 2024 (Planning), 28 January 2025 (Engineering) and 1 October 2025 (Transportation). For a May or June start, that's about 4 to 7 months from posting to start. Treat the summer 2027 window below as low-confidence: archived copies of the 2026 board are sparse, so a posting may have gone up without our seeing it.
Applications aren't open yet. On 12 November 2026 the City's board listed 22 open jobs and none was an internship. A posting could appear any week, so set up A2Gov Opportunity Alerts now and use the wait to build proof for your application.
Expected: engineering and transportation intern postings for summer 2027 go up. Past ones appeared in October, November and January, with no close date shown, so apply as soon as one appears.
Expected: a Planning Intern posting for summer 2027, based on one past posting (18 December 2024). Law students can email the City Attorney's Office about its summer internship at any time.
Expected: the City's recruiting team contacts applicants whose qualifications fit; people not selected get a notice once the job is filled. Hires agree to a drug screen and background check.
Seasonal internships of up to six months, full-time in summer. Transportation and engineering roles have allowed part-time hours into the school year.
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
No City intern posting we read listed a deadline, and the City's posting record shows no close date. Each requisition is one department filling one role, and the City's recruiting team reaches out to applicants "If your qualifications align with a current opportunity," so an early application is in front of the team before the role is filled. Because postings appear one department at a time between October and February, check the board weekly and apply the week a posting goes up.
Which City of Ann Arbor Internship Programs Should You Target?
These are the tracks the City has posted or describes on its own pages. Only the first three have posted in the last two years.
| Program | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Student Intern (paid, $18.68/hr in Jan 2025) | Plan and permit review, construction databases, field inspection of road, sidewalk and utility work | Up to 6 months; part-time extension possible | AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, inspection, driver's license |
| Transportation Engineer Intern (paid, $18.68/hr in Oct 2025) | Traffic, pedestrian and bike counts, safety analysis, traffic control orders, right-of-way permits | 40 hrs/week in summer, flexible in school year, up to 6 months | Data collection and analysis, reports, driver's license |
| Planning Intern (paid, $18.68/hr in Dec 2024) | Planning work in Planning and Development Services | Seasonal, 3 to 6 months, up to 24 hrs/week | Writing, research, public engagement |
| Sustainability and Innovations Intern (last posted May 2022) | Research, data analysis, outreach materials, commission support | Up to 19 hrs/week, summer | Research, data, communication |
| CTN internship (unpaid) | Video production and programming at Community Television Network | 3 to 4 months | Production, editing |
| Police student internship and City Attorney law-student internship | For-credit police internship (GPA 2.5+); summer legal work for law students | Set by the department | Research, writing |
Paid tracks are posted on the City's careers page and its UKG board. CTN takes a resume and demo link by email; the Police Department and City Attorney's Office list contacts on their own pages.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Each posting sets its own rules. These come from the City's own requisitions and route pages.
• Engineering: "Currently pursuing an undergraduate or post graduate degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Civil Technology, Surveying or related field," plus a valid driver's license.
• Transportation: pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in civil engineering with an interest in transportation engineering, plus a valid driver's license.
• Planning: enrolled in or recently graduated from a bachelor's or master's program in urban planning, urban studies, geography, public policy or a related field.
• Police internship: a college student aged 18 or older with a GPA of 2.5 or higher, doing the internship for credit through their school.
• City Attorney's Office: law students only. CTN also runs a separate credit route for Ann Arbor Public Schools students in grades 9 to 12; that's a high-school program.
• Residency, school and work authorization: no residency or school requirement, and no sponsorship statement, in the postings we read. All applicants agree to a drug screen and background check.
Is There a GPA Cutoff?
Only the Police Department's internship states one: a 2.5 GPA. The paid engineering, transportation and planning postings ask for enrollment in a related degree program, not a GPA. Field roles need a driver's license, which matters more in practice than a grade.
What Skills Does the City of Ann Arbor Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
We read the six City intern postings we could recover (2021 to 2025). All six ask for Microsoft Office, written and oral communication and data research or analysis; the transportation posting says "Collect and analyze transportation data." Five ask for teamwork ("Ability to work in a team and take instruction") and public outreach documents. The engineering roles add construction inspection "in all weather conditions" and AutoCAD.
What City of Ann Arbor looks for in interns
Skills across 6 City of Ann Arbor intern & analyst job descriptions · City requisitions 2021–2025, projecting 2027
Method: full-text reading of six City of Ann Arbor intern requisitions posted from November 2021 to October 2025, from the City's own UKG board and archived copies of it. Four of the six are engineering roles, so the mix leans toward field and engineering skills.
How Is Demand for Civil Engineering Interns Moving Right Now?
Civil engineering intern postings · Jul–Oct 2026
all internships 2.5×
For City of Ann Arbor applicants: Civil engineering intern hiring is at or near its season high, and it is growing faster than internships overall; this is the busiest stretch of the cycle, so get City of Ann Arbor applications in now.
Daily US job-posting counts, Jul–Oct 2026; each bar is that month's daily average. Growth = October vs July; “all internships” = the 48 intern searches tracked across the whole period. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
Each row ties a requirement from a City intern posting to a remote Externship that gives you a finished project to show.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Data research and analysis | Transportation Engineer Intern: "Collect and analyze transportation data" | Health Research & Data Analytics with ARCeH |
| Databases and records | Engineering intern duties include tracking construction projects in databases | SQL & Database Architecture with Breaking Games |
| Policy research and writing | Planning Intern: "Strong writing ability"; degree in planning or public policy | Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ |
None of these Externships is connected to the City of Ann Arbor. They help because a finished data or policy project gives you something concrete to describe when a posting asks for analysis and writing.
What Is the City of Ann Arbor Application and Interview Process Like?
The steps below come from the City's careers page and its past intern postings.
1. Watch the board. Sort the UKG board by posted date or sign up for A2Gov Opportunity Alerts; intern postings appear one department at a time.
2. Apply online. "Applications are accepted online only," and each posting is a separate application.
3. Wait for contact. The City's recruiting team reaches out if your qualifications fit; applicants not selected get a notice once the role is filled.
4. Clear the checks. You consent to a pre-employment drug screen and background check when you apply.
5. Email routes. For CTN, send a resume and demo link to ctn@a2gov.org; for the police or City Attorney internships, use the contact on each page.
The City doesn't publish its interview format, so prepare to talk through coursework, field experience and any AutoCAD or data work.
What Students on Reddit Say
Reddit has very little first-hand talk about City of Ann Arbor internships. We found one comment from a former engineering intern (2020) and one 2026 thread that points to the City's job board.
A new aerospace engineering graduate said he had taken a job in the City of Ann Arbor's engineering department because it was the only internship he could land that year. The work was civil engineering rather than aerospace, and he said he was glad to have any job at the time.
A student staying in Ann Arbor for the summer asked where to look for jobs, and one commenter simply posted the link to the City's UKG job board as a place to search, alongside campus and seasonal options.
How Do You Stand Out for a City of Ann Arbor Internship?
First, be early: set an A2Gov Opportunity Alert in November and apply the week a posting appears, since none shows a deadline. Second, match the posting's own words. Engineering and transportation roles want a driver's license, comfort with field work in all weather and AutoCAD; the planning role stresses "Strong writing ability," so bring a writing sample. Third, if you're aiming at the police internship, get your school to approve it for credit before you contact the department. The City doesn't publish applicant counts or a conversion rate.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Students applying to the City of Ann Arbor often also look at these Midwest city governments and federal agencies.
- City of Chicagolarge city with department-by-department paid intern postingsGuide →
- City of MinneapolisUrban Scholars and Public Works summer internships on NEOGOVGuide →
- City of MilwaukeeMayor's Office and departmental internshipsGuide →
- U.S. Department of Transportationfederal transportation agency with student programsGuide →
- NOAAfederal science agency with a Great Lakes lab in Ann ArborGuide →
For more public-sector options and their timing, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 City of Ann Arbor internship?
No, summer 2026 internships have already run, and on 12 November 2026 none of the 22 jobs on the City's board was an internship. The next door is summer 2027: past intern postings went up between October and January, so expect postings from now through about February 2027.
Are City of Ann Arbor internships paid?
The engineering, transportation and planning internships are paid. The Planning (December 2024), Engineering (January 2025) and Transportation (October 2025) postings each listed a starting rate of $18.68 an hour. CTN internships are unpaid, and the police and City Attorney pages don't state pay.
When does the City of Ann Arbor post summer internships?
One department at a time, mostly between October and January. Dated postings went up on 1 October 2025, 28 January 2025, 18 December 2024 and 1 November 2022. For summer 2027, postings are expected from November 2026 to about February 2027. Treat that as an estimate, not a confirmed date.
Do I need to live in Ann Arbor or attend the University of Michigan?
No. The City's intern postings we read state no residency requirement and no school requirement. They ask for enrollment in a related degree program, and the engineering and transportation roles require a valid driver's license because interns drive to field sites around Ann Arbor.
How long does a City of Ann Arbor internship last?
Usually no more than six months. Interns are seasonal temporary employees, and the City limits temporary jobs to 6, 9 or 10 consecutive months. Transportation and engineering postings ran full-time in summer and allowed part-time hours during the school year; CTN internships last three to four months.
Is there a City of Ann Arbor internship for law students?
Yes. The City Attorney's Office offers a summer internship for interested law students. You apply by email with a letter of interest, a resume and a transcript, using the contact listed on the office's internships page. No deadline or pay is published, so ask when you write.
Does a City of Ann Arbor internship lead to a full-time job?
Not automatically. The City doesn't publish a conversion rate. Its careers page says temporary roles may be renewed annually based on need, funding and performance. An internship gives you local government experience and references, but any full-time job is a separate posting on the same board.
What skills do City of Ann Arbor intern postings ask for?
All six postings we read ask for Microsoft Office, written and oral communication, and data research or analysis. Five ask for teamwork and public outreach documents. Engineering roles add construction inspection in all weather and AutoCAD, and field roles need a valid driver's license.
The City's summer 2027 intern postings are expected from now through about February 2027, one department at a time. If you want a finished data or policy project on your resume before then, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
