County of Los Angeles Internship 2027–2028: Programs & How to Apply

Last updated: November 2026

The County of Los Angeles doesn't hire one summer intern class. Its main paid route for students is a civil service job: the Student Worker and Student Professional Worker classes, which pay $25.50 to $27.20 an hour and have taken applications continuously since 14 July 2026. You apply, take an online assessment, and land on an eligible list for 12 months, and departments hire from that list when they have openings. In plain words: you apply now, in November 2026, and a department can call you any time in the next year, including for summer 2027. The unpaid, for-credit Academic Internship Program, Board of Supervisors district office internships and the County-funded Arts Internship Program (2027 launch: 1 April 2027) run on their own calendars.

Quick Facts

Six student job classes are open now on a continuous basis, so the earliest door for summer 2027 is the one you can apply to today.

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 statistics and report skills the Student Professional Worker bulletins ask for, and the Reggie Stephens Foundation AI Strategy Consulting Externship gives you a recommendations report to show a hiring department. Explore all Externships.

What Is a County of Los Angeles Internship?

A County of Los Angeles internship usually means a paid, part-time student job with the County government, the employer its own bulletin calls "the largest employer in Southern California with over 100,000 employees in 39 departments". This page is about the County, which is a separate employer from the City of Los Angeles. Most students come in through civil service classes run by the Department of Human Resources: Student Worker for clerical and front-office work, Student Worker IT, and Student Professional Worker I, II and IT for research and technical work. The Student Worker class paid $15.30 an hour in its 2018 bulletin and pays $25.50 today. Separate routes include the unpaid Academic Internship Program for partner-school students, district office internships with the Board of Supervisors, and the Arts Internship Program, which the Board of Supervisors set up in 2000.

When Do County of Los Angeles Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

There is no fixed opening date for the main route. The six student classes on the County's job board show filing starting 14 July 2026 (1 June 2026 for Civil Engineering Student) and closing "Continuous", and the Student Worker class has been posted for years: a 2018 bulletin ran from May to November 2018. After you pass the assessment you stay on the eligible list for 12 months, so applying in November 2026 keeps you eligible through summer 2027. The seasonal programs work differently. The Third District office opened its summer 2026 window on 27 February and closed it on 10 April 2026, about three months before the summer, and the Arts Internship Program posts positions from 1 April for work that started on 1 June in 2026, a lead of about two months.

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

The civil service classes are rolling, but they aren't open forever. Each bulletin says the County will accept applications "until the position is filled" and that "the application window may close unexpectedly". Your place on the list also depends on your score band, and community reports say departments call band 1 first. A November 2026 application gives you the most months on the list before summer 2027. The district office windows have a stated close date, and the Arts Internship Program tells students to apply in the first few days a position is posted.

Which County of Los Angeles Internship Programs Should You Target?

Pick the class that matches your year and major, because each one has its own eligibility rule and test.

The Student Worker Program page covers hours and GPA rules. District office details are on the Third District and Fifth District pages. Arts interns are hired and paid by their host organizations, not by the County.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Each class has its own rules, all taken from the County's 2026 bulletins and program pages.

• Student Worker: current enrollment at an accredited college, community college or business college as at least a freshman, or as a high school junior or senior. You must be 16 or older, with a work permit if under 18.

• Student Professional Worker: sophomore, junior or senior standing for SPW I; Master's or Doctorate enrollment for SPW II; 60 semester or 90 quarter units in CS, IT or a related field for SPW IT.

• Civil Engineering Student: junior standing in an engineering program approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology at a four-year school.

• Documents: proof of enrollment and academic standing (and proof of age for Student Worker), uploaded with the application or within 7 calendar days.

• Work authorization and license: the bulletins say federal law requires a Social Security Number, and ask for a valid California Class C license or another way to get to work.

• Residency: none stated on the student bulletins. The Arts Internship Program requires you to live in or attend college in LA County, and the Academic Internship Program is limited to partner schools.

Is There a GPA Cutoff?

Not to apply. Once hired, the Student Worker Program page says Student Workers "must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher". The Fifth District office asks for a 3.5 GPA. The assessment, not your GPA, sets your band on the list.

What Skills Does the County of Los Angeles Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

The six open bulletins share one thread: reports and documentation appear in all six, from Student Worker forms to engineering reports. Public and customer service comes next in four, including reception and help desk work. Research and statistics show up in three, mostly in the Student Professional Worker classes, and the two IT classes add programming and troubleshooting. The assessment itself tests problem solving, learning potential, responsibility and customer focus, with typing and desktop support for IT.

How Is Demand for Policy Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a duty from an open County bulletin to a remote Externship that leaves you with a finished project to describe at the department interview.

None of these Externships is connected to the County of Los Angeles. They help because a finished project gives you a concrete answer when a department asks what you've worked on.

What Is the County of Los Angeles Application and Interview Process Like?

The steps below come from the County's 2026 Student Worker and Student Professional Worker bulletins.

1. Apply online on governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty for the class that fits your year and major.

2. Upload your documents (proof of enrollment and academic standing, plus proof of age for Student Worker) with the application or within 7 calendar days.

3. Take the assessment. It covers general problem solving, learning potential, responsibility and customer focus; IT classes add navigation, accurate typing and desktop support. The pass mark is 70%, and the County links practice tests.

4. Join the eligible list. You're placed by score group (band) for 12 months.

5. Interview with a department. Departments call down the list as they have vacancies, interview, and make an offer.

Keep your phone close after you pass: departments call the list directly, and you can't choose which one calls.

What Students on Reddit Say

Current and former Student Workers on r/CAcountyworkers and r/AskLosAngeles talk mostly about bands, waiting and what comes after.

How Do You Stand Out for a County of Los Angeles Internship?

First, apply to the right class now and finish the paperwork: a missing enrollment proof after 7 days leaves the application incomplete. Second, prepare for the assessment with the County's practice tests, because your score band decides how soon departments call. Third, show you'll stay: Student Workers can work up to six years, and community reports say hiring offices favor students who can commit for a while, so state your class standing and availability clearly. The County doesn't publish applicant counts or a conversion rate.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students applying to the County of Los Angeles often also look at these public employers.

For more public-sector options and timing, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 County of Los Angeles internship?

No, summer 2026 has passed, and the Third District office's summer 2026 window closed on 10 April 2026. The Student Worker and Student Professional Worker classes are open now, continuously, and a pass keeps you on the list for 12 months. District office windows for summer 2027 are expected from late February to mid-April 2027.

Are County of Los Angeles internships paid?

Most are. Student Worker and Student Professional Worker I and II pay $25.50 an hour, Student Professional Worker IT pays $27.20, and Civil Engineering Student pays $4,220.94 a month. The Academic Internship Program is unpaid and for credit only. Arts interns earn $7,388 for 400 hours, paid by their host organization.

When do County of Los Angeles internship applications open?

The student job classes are open now and have accepted applications continuously since 14 July 2026, though the bulletins say the window may close unexpectedly. The Arts Internship Program for 2027 launches on 1 April 2027. District office windows for summer 2027 are expected from late February to mid-April 2027.

Can high school students work for LA County?

Yes, in one class. The Student Worker bulletin accepts high school juniors and seniors aged 16 or older, with a work permit if under 18. The Student Professional Worker classes need college standing, and the Arts Internship Program excludes high school students. The County also runs restricted youth hiring programs, which are open only to specific eligible groups.

Is there a GPA requirement for LA County Student Workers?

Not to apply, but you must keep one once hired. The County's Student Worker Program page says Student Workers must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher. The Fifth District office asks interns for a 3.5 GPA. Your assessment score, not your GPA, sets your band on the eligible list.

What is the County of Los Angeles hiring process?

You apply online, upload proof of enrollment within 7 days, and take an online assessment with a 70% pass mark. Passing puts you on an eligible list by score band for 12 months. Departments then call down the list, interview, and make offers. Community reports describe waits from weeks to about seven months.

How many hours do LA County Student Workers work?

Up to 30 hours a week during the school term, according to the Student Worker Program page, more only with Human Resources approval, and never over 40. You can stay in the Student Worker class for up to six years. Academic Internships run 8 to 16 hours a week, and arts internships total 400 hours.

Do LA County Student Workers get hired permanently?

Not automatically. The County encourages Student Workers to apply for permanent positions after their education, but each permanent job needs its own application and exam. No conversion rate is published. Former Student Workers on Reddit say being known in your office helps when a job there opens.

The Student Worker lists are open now, and a pass lasts 12 months. If you want a finished project to talk about at the department interview, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.