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

Last updated: November 2026

The City of Philadelphia isn't taking internship applications right now. Its Mayor's Internship Program page says applications reopen "in the winter", and on November 10, 2026 none of the 63 postings on the City's SmartRecruiters board was a student internship. Each summer the program picks 50 college students, pays them $18 an hour and places them in one of more than 40 City agencies for 10 weeks. The window is short: for summer 2026 it opened February 25 and closed March 20, 2026, per the City's own posting. Departments such as Planning and Development, Transportation and Revenue also post their own paid intern roles between January and April. In plain words: you apply in late February to March 2027, you intern from June to August 2027.

Quick Facts

The row that matters most: the Mayor's Internship Program has a fixed window of about three and a half weeks, and for summer 2027 we expect it from late February to mid or late March 2027.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real organization, most often in 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. The Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ practices the policy research the Mayor's Internship Program assigns, and Health Research & Data Analytics with ARCeH builds the data skills that department postings ask for. Explore all Externships.

What Is a City of Philadelphia Internship?

A City of Philadelphia internship is a paid student job inside the city government, most often through the Mayor's Internship Program run by the Office of Talent and Employee Success. Each intern works Monday to Thursday in one department, goes to professional development sessions on select Fridays and joins a group capstone project presented to the mayor or senior leadership. Recent host departments include the Mayor's Office, the Office of Information and Technology, the Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Police Department. The City employs over 25,000 people, and since 2019 the program has placed over 300 college students. Departments also hire their own interns, and the School District and the airport hire separately.

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

The City posts its Mayor's Internship Program once a year on its job board. For summer 2025 applications ran February 20 to March 17, 2025 (5pm), and for summer 2026 they ran February 25 to March 20, 2026. The open date moved five days later and the close three days later, and both programs started on the second Monday of June, so the calendar looks stable. From the 2026 open date to the June 8 start was about 3.4 months. For summer 2027 we expect applications to open in late February 2027 and close in mid to late March 2027, with medium confidence. Department intern roles follow their own calendar: in 2026 OTIS posted on January 27, Revenue on March 20 and Planning and Development between April 1 and April 22.

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 hard deadline. The Mayor's Internship Program posting states its closing date every year (March 17, 2025 at 5pm; March 20, 2026), and the window lasted about three and a half weeks both times. Once it closes, the posting drops off the City's board. Applying early also helps you inside the window, because the 2026 posting said phone screens would run on a rolling basis until April 3. Have your resume and your three cover letter answers ready in early February 2027 so you can apply in the first week.

Which City of Philadelphia Internship Programs Should You Target?

The Mayor's Internship Program is the City's main route for college students. Departments also post their own paid intern roles on the same board. Figures below come from the City's own 2025 and 2026 postings.

Narrower routes exist too. The Medical Examiner's Office offers "a limited number of unpaid internships" through school agreements, and City Council members hire their own interns outside the City board (one office lists two paid spots a year, in person at City Hall). For high school students and young people, C2L-PHL serves Philadelphia residents ages 12 to 24 with a stipend; it isn't the Mayor's Internship Program. Start at City jobs and internships.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

These rules come from the City's summer 2026 Mayor's Internship Program posting and its department intern postings.

• Class year: current undergraduates who've completed sophomore year before June, and community college students who've completed their second year. A few new graduates (Class of 2026 in the last cycle) and a few graduate students are also taken.

• Where you're from: the program says its summer interns come from across the country, and its posting has no residency clause.

• Department postings: each carries the line "The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire." The postings don't say how it applies to a short internship.

• Work authorization: the City's hiring page says interviewees must show their right to work in the United States.

• GPA: not stated in any City posting we read.

• Academic credit: the program "may cooperate with programs under which students earn academic credit."

Do You Have to Live in Philadelphia?

Not for the Mayor's Internship Program. Its 2026 posting had no residency clause and said virtual interviews may be requested by applicants outside Philadelphia, though the internship itself is in person. Department intern postings are different: they carry the City's standard residency line. If you're applying to one from outside the city, ask the hiring contact how it applies before you accept.

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

We read 15 City intern postings from 2025 and 2026 and counted the skills they ask for. Research tops the list, from the program's "Research and Data Analysis" tasks to Planning and Development's "strong research and writing skills". Microsoft Office comes next: "Proficient in Microsoft Office" for the Mayor's Internship Program and "Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel is crucial" for Revenue. Then data and mapping: OTIS lists "Proficiency in R and ArcGIS preferred", and Revenue mentions SQL, R and Python. Planning and Development supplied 9 of the 15 postings, which lifts the GIS and research counts.

How Is Demand for Policy Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each skill below comes from the City's own intern postings and maps to a remote Externship you can finish before the window opens.

No open Externship teaches GIS mapping, which several Planning and Development roles prefer. A free ArcGIS course covers that gap.

What Is the City of Philadelphia Application and Interview Process Like?

This is the summer 2026 Mayor's Internship Program process, taken from the City's own posting. Expect a similar shape for summer 2027.

1. Apply on the City job board during the window with a resume and a short cover letter.

2. Answer three questions in the cover letter: why you want the program, which departments interest you and what skills or qualities you'd bring. (2025 also asked for a letter of recommendation; 2026 didn't.)

3. Phone screen. Screens ran on a rolling basis, until April 3 in 2026.

4. Department interviews. In 2026 these ran April 8 to 24. Applicants outside Philadelphia can ask for a virtual interview.

5. Offer by email. Offers went out by May 8, 2026, and you had 48 hours to accept.

Department intern postings are simpler: a resume and cover letter, and many Planning and Development roles add a writing sample. The City doesn't publish an acceptance rate.

What People on Reddit Say

Reddit has little on the program, and the first-hand post we found is from 2017, before today's pay rate. These cards are lightly paraphrased from threads we read in full.

How Do You Stand Out for a City of Philadelphia Internship?

First, name your departments. The cover letter asks which departments interest you, and placement runs through department interviews, so a specific choice with a reason reads better than "anywhere". Second, be ready before the window opens: it lasted about three and a half weeks in each of the last two years, so have your resume, cover letter answers and a writing sample done by early February 2027. Third, apply to department postings too. They're separate from the Mayor's Internship Program, and many ask for Excel, GIS, R or SQL. The program takes 50 students a year; the City doesn't publish how many apply.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

If you're aiming at public service or a Philadelphia employer, these also hire interns:

Our government internships guide for summer 2027 compares more public-sector programs.

FAQ

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

No. The summer 2026 Mayor's Internship Program closed on March 20, 2026, and the program ran June 8 to August 14. No student internship was posted on the City's board on November 10, 2026. Plan for summer 2027, with applications expected from late February to mid or late March 2027.

When does the Mayor's Internship Program open for summer 2027?

The City hasn't announced it, but we expect late February 2027. The summer 2025 window ran February 20 to March 17, and the summer 2026 window ran February 25 to March 20. The program page says only that applications open in the winter, so check phila.gov/jobs weekly from early February.

How much does the City of Philadelphia pay interns?

The Mayor's Internship Program paid $18 an hour in 2025 and 2026, up from $15 in 2024. Department roles in 2026 paid $16.28 to $17.62 in Planning and Development, $17.56 in Revenue, and $18 for undergraduates or $21 for graduate students at OTIS. Philly Forward paid $16 an hour.

Who can apply for the Mayor's Internship Program?

Undergraduates who've completed sophomore year before June can apply, and so can community college students who've completed their second year. The program also takes a few new graduates and a few graduate students. It picks 50 interns a year, and they come from across the country, not only Philadelphia.

Do I need to be a Philadelphia resident?

Not for the Mayor's Internship Program, which has no residency clause and allows virtual interviews for applicants outside the city. Department intern postings carry the City's standard line that the hire must be a Philadelphia resident within six months. Ask the hiring contact how that applies to an internship.

What do I submit for the Mayor's Internship Program?

In 2026 you sent a resume and a short cover letter answering three questions: why the program, which departments interest you and what you'd bring. The 2025 cycle also required a letter of recommendation. After that come a phone screen, department interviews and an emailed offer with 48 hours to accept.

Are there City of Philadelphia internships for high school students?

Not through the Mayor's Internship Program, which is for college students. Philadelphia residents ages 12 to 24 can apply to C2L-PHL, a youth career program with a stipend, and its summer 2026 registration is closed. The Division of Aviation has posted high school intern roles on the City board in past years.

Does the City of Philadelphia have a public health internship?

Yes. The Department of Public Health's Philly Forward internship paid $16 an hour for 8 weeks in summer 2026 and was open to undergraduates only. Its 2026 call went up in October 2025 with a December 12, 2025 deadline, now passed. The summer 2027 call wasn't posted on November 10, 2026.

Set a reminder to check phila.gov/jobs from early February 2027 and apply in the first week of the window. While you wait, a remote Externship gives you a finished policy or data project to show the City.