City of New York Internship 2027–2028: Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: November 2026

New York City government hires students in two ways. The citywide Summer Internship Program (SIP), coordinated by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), placed over 600 college interns and over 260 graduate interns across 35 agencies in 2024. Its summer 2027 positions will be posted starting in February 2027. The second route is open right now: part-time College Aide jobs, which agencies post year-round on NYC Jobs, each with its own closing date. In plain words: you can apply for a College Aide role today, and you apply for a summer 2027 SIP internship from February 2027.

Quick Facts

College Aide roles are open now on NYC Jobs; the Summer Internship Program for summer 2027 starts posting in February 2027, and each agency posting closes on its own date.

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 Health Research & Data Analytics Externship with ARCeH builds the public health data skills the Health Department's student postings ask for, and the Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis Externship fits the Excel-heavy roles at the Comptroller and the Department of Investigation. Explore all Externships.

What Is a City of New York Internship?

A City of New York internship is a paid student job at one of the City's agencies, from the Department of Design and Construction to the Health Department. This guide covers the City as an employer. DCAS coordinates the citywide Summer Internship Program, where agencies hire into two civil service titles: Summer College Intern for undergraduates and Summer Graduate Intern for graduate and law students. During the school year, agencies hire students as College Aides, even when the posting title says "Intern". DCAS also runs the nine-month NYC Urban Fellows program, which it calls "highly selective", for recent graduates. The Mayor's Office runs its own internship program on a separate portal; see our NYC Mayor's Office internship guide. The NYC Economic Development Corporation, CUNY, the City Council and the Fund for the City of New York are separate employers and aren't covered here.

When Do City of New York Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

There's no single City of New York deadline. In the last documented cycles, DCAS said summer 2025 positions would be posted starting in February 2025, and it now says summer 2027 positions will be posted starting in February 2027. Summer 2026 internships started as early as May, so applications for summer 2027 open about three months before the internship begins. Each agency posting carries its own close date. College Aide roles don't follow a season: agencies post them year-round on NYC Jobs.

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

Each Summer Internship Program posting is a short window with its own close date, and there's no central deadline to plan around. DCAS posts positions on a rolling basis from February and tells applicants to apply to more than one. On Reddit, a city employee who interviews candidates said that once applications come in, the team picks candidates quickly. Check the DCAS list weekly from February 2027 and apply as soon as a role that fits is posted. College Aide roles work the same way year-round.

Which City of New York Internship Programs Should You Target?

The City's student routes differ in timing and pay. Watch the civil service title, not only the posting title.

Titles such as "Civil Engineering Intern" or "Architectural Intern" on NYC Jobs are full-time entry-level professional jobs that require a bachelor's degree, not student internships. Program details sit on the DCAS Internships and Fellowships page.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Requirements depend on the route. These come from the DCAS pages and the College Aide postings on NYC Jobs.

• Summer College Intern: "currently enrolled in a college or university or have graduated within one (1) year of the current program year".

• Summer Graduate Intern: enrolled in a graduate or law degree program.

• College Aide: matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school; the job lasts only while you stay a student.

• Residency: not required for SIP, but you must be able to commute. Many College Aide postings say city residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment, while some, like the Manhattan District Attorney's, say it isn't. Check each posting.

• Work authorization: not stated on the DCAS Summer Internship Program pages.

• Urban Fellows: a bachelor's degree received between spring 2025 and spring 2027, and a full-time commitment.

• High school students: youth programs such as Ladders for Leaders and the Summer Youth Employment Program are run by the Department of Youth and Community Development, separately from the college routes above.

Is There a GPA Cutoff?

No GPA floor appears on the DCAS pages or the College Aide postings we read. Agencies set their own preferred skills in each posting, so read the minimum and preferred qualifications before you apply. On Reddit, a city employee said agencies tend to prefer juniors, seniors and graduate students.

What Skills Does the City of New York Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

We read eight live College Aide postings in full, from the Department of Investigation, the Department of Design and Construction, the Comptroller, the Health Department, the Commission on Racial Equity and the Manhattan District Attorney. Microsoft Office and Excel came up most, in five of eight: the Comptroller asks for "Intermediate Excel knowledge/experience". Communication and attention to detail each appeared in three. Two postings asked for reporting tools such as "Microsoft Power BI, SharePoint, or Smartsheet", and two for community outreach.

How Is Demand for Policy Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a duty from a live College Aide posting to a remote Externship that leaves you with a finished project to describe.

None of these Externships is connected to the City of New York. They help because a finished project gives you something concrete to point to in a College Aide or summer internship application.

What Is the City of New York Application and Interview Process Like?

The steps below come from the DCAS Summer Internship Program pages, the Urban Fellows page and the College Aide postings on NYC Jobs.

1. Search NYC Jobs. Go to cityjobs.nyc.gov, set Experience level to Student, or search "College Aide" as well as "Intern", since the civil service title is College Aide even when the posting says Intern.

2. For summer 2027, watch the DCAS list from February 2027. Pick the agencies that fit you and follow each posting's instructions. DCAS says "Applicants are encouraged to apply to more than one (1) position."

3. Agency interviews. "Each agency is responsible for coordinating interviews and managing the onboarding process", so formats differ from one agency to the next.

4. Join the DCAS mailing list. The form on the Summer Internship Program page signs you up for recruitment events and updates.

5. Recent graduates: apply to Urban Fellows by January 11, 2027. Notifications go out in mid to late February and finalist interviews run in March 2027.

Questions about the summer program go to SIP@dcas.nyc.gov, the contact DCAS lists.

What Students on Reddit Say

The useful threads sit on r/nycpublicservants, where city employees answer students' questions about getting in.

How Do You Stand Out for a City of New York Internship?

First, apply to several agencies, as DCAS itself advises, and don't stop at the famous ones: capital projects teams, the Comptroller and the Health Department all post student roles. Second, match the posting's own qualifications line by line, since Excel, writing and attention to detail come up again and again. Third, apply before summer: a College Aide role during the school year gets you inside an agency, and city employees on Reddit say being in the City system helps. The City doesn't publish applicant counts, an acceptance rate or a conversion rate.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

If you're aiming at city government and public service, these employers also take interns:

Our government internships summer 2027 guide compares more federal, state and city programs and their deadlines.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 City of New York internship?

No. Summer 2026 internships ended no later than September 4, 2026. What's open now are year-round College Aide roles on NYC Jobs, and NYC Urban Fellows for recent graduates, due January 11, 2027. Summer Internship Program positions for summer 2027 will be posted starting in February 2027, according to DCAS.

When do City of New York summer 2027 internship applications open?

DCAS says summer 2027 positions will be posted starting in February 2027, and the list will be updated regularly. There's no single deadline: each agency posting closes on its own date. College Aide roles don't wait for February; agencies post them year-round on NYC Jobs, and about 40 were live in November 2026.

How much do City of New York interns earn?

The DCAS FAQ lists 2026 rates of $595.00 to $682.50 a week for Summer College Interns and $627.53 to $935.47 a week for Summer Graduate Interns. Summer 2027 rates aren't published yet. College Aide postings mostly pay $17.50 to $21.90 an hour, with IT assignments up to $24.08.

Do I need to live in New York City?

Not for the Summer Internship Program. The DCAS FAQ says residency isn't required, though you must be able to commute to the office. Many College Aide postings say city residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment, and some say it isn't, so read the posting before you apply.

What is a College Aide?

College Aide is the City's civil service title for part-time student workers. You need to be matriculated at an accredited college or graduate school, and the job ends when you stop being a student. Design and Construction postings allow up to 17 hours a week in the school year and 35 in summer.

How long is the City of New York Summer Internship Program?

Up to 13 weeks. In 2026, internships started as early as May and ended no later than September 4, 2026. DCAS hasn't published summer 2027 dates yet, so expect a similar shape and confirm the dates on each agency posting once the summer 2027 positions appear from February 2027.

Is there a City of New York program for graduating seniors?

Yes. NYC Urban Fellows is a nine-month fellowship for people who received a bachelor's degree between spring 2025 and spring 2027. Applications close January 11, 2027, at 6:00 p.m. EST. It pays a $37,355 stipend plus health insurance and is expected to run September 7, 2027 to May 12, 2028.

Do City of New York internships lead to full-time jobs?

Sometimes, but the City publishes no conversion rate. The Summer Internship Program includes guidance on civil service employment. On Reddit, city employees disagree: one said converting is hard without passing a civil service exam, while a hiring manager said most of their interns stay on when openings allow.

College Aide roles are open now, and Summer Internship Program postings for summer 2027 start in February 2027. If you want a finished project to show an agency before then, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.