Quick Facts
Cohen & Co internship · at a glance
Roles open and close throughout the year. Check Cohen & Co's careers portal for what is live today, and apply in the first week a role posts.
Before you applyWould your profile get you in?6 questions, under a minute. Compared with real interns who landed similar roles.Check my oddsAlso in this guide
Put real project work on your résumé, with the Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling Externship or the Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy Externship.
Explore all externships →All quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Cohen & Co Workday job board, linked from the early career page. The firm also posts on campus career center sites and asks you to follow your school's process if it does |
| Application window (2027–28) | Spring 2028 and summer 2028: open now. Three postings went up Oct 5, 2026 and one on Sep 29, 2026. Spring and summer 2027: no internship is posted. Spring and summer 2029: expected to open in late summer to early fall 2027 (low to medium confidence) |
| Rolling? | No deadline is stated in any posting. Each posting covers several offices, and the office list can change as offices fill |
| Eligibility | Pursuing a bachelor's or master's in accounting, with introductory accounting and at least one intermediate accounting course finished before the start date. A 3.0 GPA and CPA exam credit hours are preferred, not required |
| Duration | Spring 2028: early January to the end of March. Summer 2028: early June to early August. Full-time or part-time (minimum 20 to 25 hours a week) in assurance and tax |
| Compensation | "Estimated Base Range: $20-$40 per hour" on all four postings. It's one firm-wide range across six states, with the rate set by office and experience |
| Return offers | No conversion rate published. The firm says "many of our partners and management team members started with us as interns" |
| Locations | 2028 postings on Oct 12, 2026: Cleveland and Youngstown OH; Denver; Chicago; Philadelphia; Buffalo NY; Detroit and Troy MI. Hybrid, per the firm |
| # Programs | 3 tracks posted for 2028 (assurance, tax, family office tax) across two cohorts a year, spring and summer |
Last updated: October 2026
Cohen & Co is already hiring its 2028 interns. On October 12, 2026, the firm's Workday job board carried four internship postings, all for 2028: assurance for spring 2028, assurance for summer 2028, tax for summer 2028 and a family office tax role for either season. They went up on September 29 and October 5, 2026. No 2027 internship is posted. In plain words: you apply in fall 2026, and you intern in 2028, from early January to the end of March in the spring busy season or from early June to early August in summer.
The postings are unusually specific for a firm this size. They give the program dates, the weekly hours and one pay range for every role: $20 to $40 an hour.
What Is a Cohen & Co Internship?
A Cohen & Co internship is a paid, hybrid role in assurance or tax at Cohen & Co, an accounting and advisory firm with 15 offices from Denver to New York, three of them in Ohio. The firm's recruitment process page says the formal program "is offered twice a year, in the spring and summer semesters" and "centers around treating interns as full-time employees." Interns do audit testing or tax return work, start with a week of training, and get regular feedback from a team manager.
Cohen & Co is ranked #28 on Vault's 2027 Most Prestigious Accounting Firms list, where it appears under that name. It serves private companies and investment funds. One name check: this is the accounting firm at cohenco.com, legally Cohen & Company, Ltd. and Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC. It isn't CohnReznick, which has its own internship guide.
When Do Cohen & Co Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Cohen & Co posted its 2028 internships on September 29 and October 5, 2026 (Workday posting dates). Applications for spring 2028 opened about 15 months before the early January 2028 start, and applications for summer 2028 opened about 20 months before the early June 2028 start. Evidence for the cycle before is thin: a job-board copy of the spring 2027 assurance posting carries an ID dated late August 2025, which would put that cohort about 16 months ahead. With one firm date and one weak one, we expect applications for spring 2029 and summer 2029 to open in late summer to early fall 2027, and we'd treat that as a rough guide.
Applications for spring 2028 and summer 2028 are open. Four postings went up on September 29 and October 5, 2026: assurance (spring), assurance (summer), tax (summer) and family office tax (either season). No 2027 internship is posted.
Interviews for the 2028 cohorts follow as applications come in: a recorded one-way video first, then a live interview with managers. Office lists on each posting may change as offices fill. Students still hoping for a 2027 seat should ask a recruiter directly.
Applications for spring 2029 and summer 2029 are expected to open, projected from the 2028 posting dates and one weaker data point from the year before.
The spring 2028 internship, per the postings. Full-time interns may be asked for 40 or more hours a week during busy season, including Saturdays. Part-time starts at 20 to 25 hours.
The summer 2028 internship runs early June to early August 2028, at 32 to 40 hours a week full-time. One Pencils Down Week falls inside it and is unpaid for interns.
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
Cohen & Co's hiring is rolling, with no stated deadline. None of the four 2028 postings gives a closing date. What changes is the office list. Each posting covers several offices under one requisition: the summer 2028 assurance posting lists Buffalo, Youngstown and Denver, three of the firm's 15 offices, and the spring 2028 assurance posting lists five. Offices can be added or dropped as they fill, so the office you want may not stay on the list. The 2027 cohorts show where that ends: postings for them existed on job-board copies, and none is on the firm's board today. Apply while your office is listed. If it isn't, ask the campus recruiter before assuming it's closed.
Which Cohen & Co Internship Programs Should You Target?
Cohen & Co has four career paths (advisory, assurance, corporate shared services and tax). Three internship tracks are posted for 2028.
| Program | Focus | Dates and hours | Offices listed (Oct 12, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assurance Intern, Spring 2028 | Audit testing, reporting support and compliance work on client engagements | Early January to end of March 2028. Full-time (40+ hours may be required, including Saturdays) or part-time (minimum 20 to 25 hours) | Denver, Youngstown, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia |
| Assurance Intern, Summer 2028 | Audit testing, reporting support and compliance work | Early June to early August 2028. Full-time (32 to 40 hours) or part-time (minimum 20 to 25 hours) | Buffalo, Youngstown, Denver |
| Tax Intern, Summer 2028 | Tax compliance, return preparation, research and planning | Early June to early August 2028. Full-time (32 to 40 hours) or part-time (minimum 20 to 25 hours) | Youngstown, Detroit, Buffalo, Troy |
| Family Office Tax Intern, Spring or Summer 2028 | Tax planning and compliance for ultra-high net worth individuals and families | Early January to late March 2028, or early June to late July 2028 (summer is full-time only) | Cleveland |
No spring 2028 tax, advisory or corporate shared services internship was on the board on October 12, 2026. The firm describes the program on its early career page, and its Intern Insights blog carries intern-written posts, the newest from 2024.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
All four 2028 postings use the same requirements, split into required and preferred:
• Degree (required): "Pursuing Bachelor's or Master's." The family office tax posting says bachelor's only.
• Major (required): accounting.
• Coursework (required): "Successfully completed introductory accounting course(s) and at least one intermediate accounting course before the internship program start date."
• GPA (preferred): "Minimum 3.0."
• CPA (preferred): "Pursuing required credit hours to sit for the CPA Exam."
• Class year: not stated. The intermediate accounting requirement is the practical gate.
• Work authorization: the postings don't mention visa sponsorship either way.
• School: the firm says it accepts applicants from nearly every accredited university and visits select campuses near its offices.
Is the 3.0 GPA a Hard Cutoff at Cohen & Co?
No, by the postings' own wording. The 3.0 sits under "Preferred," next to CPA exam credit hours. The requirement with teeth is coursework: you need introductory accounting and at least one intermediate accounting course done before the program starts. Because the postings are up 15 to 20 months early, a sophomore can apply this fall for a 2028 start as long as that course will be finished in time.
Profile Match · Extern Data
Could You Get In at Cohen & Co? Compare Your Profile
Based on 127 Big 4 audit and tax interns at the Big 4 from the classes of 2025 and 2026 (public LinkedIn profiles, aggregated). Six questions, under a minute.
Which summer are you applying for?
Recruiting timelines differ by class year, so we compare you with the right group.
Which group is your school closest to?
Firms recruit on campus in tiers. We match you against admits from schools like yours.
Is your major accounting?
Accounting is the credential the Big 4 screen for first; other business majors are less common.
How many internships, externships or research positions have you held so far?
Count anything with a real employer, mentor or principal investigator attached. Retail and food service do not count.
Has any of that experience been accounting-related?
Accounting, tax, audit or bookkeeping. A local CPA firm or a company finance department counts.
Are you in a Beta Alpha Psi, accounting society or business fraternity?
About a third of Big 4 admits were members before the offer.
Aggregated from public LinkedIn profiles of people who held the internship. No individual profile is shown. Read the full Big 4 intern profile analysis and the cross-industry study of 2,500+ intern profiles.
What Skills Does Cohen & Co Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
The four 2028 postings share one template, so they agree on the basics. All four require an accounting major and intermediate accounting finished before the start date, and all four promise hands-on client work from the first weeks. Two are assurance roles built around audit testing and reporting. The other two are tax roles built around return preparation and tax research. Each also expects interns to join firm initiatives such as recruiting or community service. Cohen & Co names no software product in its postings; its recruitment page says a week of orientation covers "our software and processes." One accountant advising an incoming Cohen intern on Reddit said to learn basic Excel formulas and pivot tables first.
What Cohen & Co looks for in interns
Skills across 4 Cohen & Co intern & analyst job descriptions · live US postings for spring and summer 2028, October 2026
Method: full-text reading of all four Cohen & Co internship postings live on its Workday board on October 12, 2026 (two assurance, one tax, one family office tax). The four share one template, which is why most rows read 4 of 4. It's a small sample that describes this firm's postings, not a market.
How Is Demand for Accounting Interns Moving Right Now?
Accounting intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 362 in August
For Cohen & Co applicants: Cohen & Co posted its four 2028 internships on September 29 and October 5, 2026, and none states a deadline. No 2027 internship is on its board, so the open applications are for spring 2028 and summer 2028.
Daily US job-posting counts, Sep 1–30 vs Aug 1–31, 2026. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size. Pay = median of employer-published ranges only (83 postings in September, 44 in August).
Build These Skills Before You Apply
Each Cohen & Co skill maps to a remote Externship that leaves you with a finished project to discuss in the video and manager interviews.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Financial statements and investing context | Assurance: "Get involved in real audit work, perform testing, assist with reporting"; the firm serves public and private investment funds | Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling |
| Spreadsheet analysis | Community advice to an incoming intern: learn basic Excel formulas and pivot tables (Reddit, 2024) | Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy |
| Research and written findings | Tax: "prepare returns, conduct research, and perform planning duties" | HP Tech Ventures Deal Sourcing & Startup Analysis |
| Working from source documents | Family office: "assist with tax return preparation, research, and client service activities" | Pfizer AI-Powered Document Insights & Data Extraction |
With 15 to 20 months before a 2028 start, there's time to finish more than one Externship before your first day.
What Is the Cohen & Co Application and Interview Process Like?
Cohen & Co publishes its process on its recruitment page. The steps:
1. Meet recruiters on campus. The firm attends career fairs, panels and student organization meetings, in person and online, at select campuses near its offices.
2. Apply. Use your school's career center if Cohen & Co posts there ("Most area colleges post our job opportunities on their campus career center websites"), otherwise the Workday board.
3. First interview: one-way video. You "record your responses to a set of interview questions" at any time within a given window, with a practice question first.
4. Second interview: management team. A live, one-on-one conversation with managers about the day-to-day job. An intern writing on the firm's blog in 2024 had two interviewers and heard back within a few days of round one.
5. Offer. Timing isn't published. One Reddit poster received a summer internship offer during the spring semester of the same year, so late offers do happen.
For the recorded round, practice answering out loud on a timer; our behavioral interview guide covers the question types.
What Students on Reddit Say
Reddit has a few first-hand posts from Cohen & Co interns and offer-holders.
A student choosing between two tax internship offers said Cohen & Co's was hybrid, encouraged 30 to 40 hours a week and paid about $5 an hour more than the other firm. The interview felt relaxed and personal. A current busy-season intern replied that the firm is flexible.
An incoming assurance intern at the Maryland office said first-hand accounts of the firm were hard to find. A local accountant's advice: learn basic Excel formulas and pivot tables, ask questions, take notes and act like an employee.
A commenter said their sister interned at Cohen & Co's downtown Cleveland office in college, had a job waiting after graduation, and had her CPA exam materials paid for.
How Do You Stand Out for a Cohen & Co Internship?
Three moves. First, apply about a year and a half out. The 2028 roles are up now, 15 to 20 months ahead, and your office may not stay on the posting. Second, choose spring or summer on purpose. Spring is busy season: early January to the end of March, with 40 or more hours and Saturdays possible. Summer is early June to early August at 32 to 40 hours, with one unpaid Pencils Down Week. Part-time, at a minimum of 20 to 25 hours, is allowed in assurance and tax if you're taking classes. Third, prepare for a recorded first round. Practice concise answers on camera, and be ready to say why a firm that audits investment funds interests you. Cohen & Co publishes no applicant count, class size or conversion rate.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Students looking at Cohen & Co usually compare it with other mid-size firms in the same cities.
- CBIZOhio-headquartered national firm; the other offer in one Reddit comparisonGuide →
- Plante MoranMichigan-based firm with offices in Ohio and Illinois tooGuide →
- Baker TillyChicago-based national accounting and advisory firmGuide →
- RSMChicago-based national firm focused on middle-market clientsGuide →
- CohnReznickA different firm with a similar name, based in New YorkGuide →
Our Big 4 accounting and audit internships guide compares recruiting calendars across the largest firms, which also recruit well over a year ahead.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2027 Cohen & Co internship?
Not through a posting. On October 12, 2026, Cohen & Co's job board had no 2027 internship; all four internship postings were for 2028. Late offers do happen, and one Reddit poster got a summer offer in the spring of the same year, so ask a campus recruiter whether your office still has a 2027 seat.
When do Cohen & Co internship applications open for summer 2028?
They're open now. Cohen & Co posted its summer 2028 assurance and tax internships on October 5, 2026, about 20 months before the early June 2028 start, alongside a spring 2028 assurance posting. A family office tax posting went up September 29. Applications for 2029 are expected in late summer to early fall 2027.
When do Cohen & Co internships run?
Twice a year. The 2028 postings give spring dates of early January to the end of March 2028 and summer dates of early June to early August 2028. The family office tax role ends slightly earlier in each season, in late March or late July. Those dates come from the firm's own requisitions.
How much do Cohen & Co interns make?
All four 2028 postings list "Estimated Base Range: $20-$40 per hour." It's one range for offices in Ohio, New York, Colorado, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and the firm says the rate depends on factors such as skills, experience and geography. The summer Pencils Down Week is unpaid for interns.
What GPA do you need for a Cohen & Co internship?
A minimum 3.0 is listed as preferred, not required. The required items are pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in accounting and finishing introductory accounting plus at least one intermediate accounting course before the program starts. Being on track for the credit hours to sit for the CPA exam is also preferred.
What is the Cohen & Co interview process?
Two rounds, per the firm's recruitment page. The first is a one-way video interview: you record answers to set questions within a given window, after a practice question. The second is a live, one-on-one interview with members of the management team about the day-to-day job. An offer follows.
Can you intern part-time at Cohen & Co?
Yes, in assurance and tax. The 2028 postings allow part-time at a minimum of 20 to 25 hours a week in both seasons. Full-time spring interns may be asked for 40 or more hours a week, including Saturdays, and full-time summer interns work 32 to 40 hours. The family office summer role is full-time only.
Is Cohen & Co the same as CohnReznick?
No. Cohen & Co is the brand of Cohen & Company, Ltd. and Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC, an accounting firm with offices in Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown and 12 other cities, and a website at cohenco.com. CohnReznick is a separate New York-based firm. Cohen & Co is also unrelated to The Cohen Group and to Cohen & Steers.
Cohen & Co's 2028 internships are posted now and nothing is posted for 2027, so apply while your office is on the list. Use the months before a 2028 start to finish a remote Externship and bring a real project to your interviews.
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.
