Department of Commerce Internship 2027–2028: Programs & Deadlines

Last updated: October 2026

The Department of Commerce has no single internship; it has four student routes, and one is open right now. NIST posted its Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) for summer 2027 on 16 October 2026, with a deadline of 26 January 2027 and a stipend of $6,390 to $7,810. NOAA's Hollings scholarship is open until 31 January 2027, but its paid internship falls in a later summer (most likely 2028). Pathways student-trainee jobs post for days at a time, and none was open on 16 October. In plain words: you apply between October 2026 and January 2027, you intern in summer 2027 (SURF). This page covers the department; its bureaus, such as NIST and NOAA, run their own programs.

Quick Facts

NIST SURF (due 26 January 2027) and NOAA Hollings (due 31 January 2027) are open now; Pathways has no open student announcement and the HQ program is unpaid and rolling.

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 Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Analytics Externship builds the public-sector data skills Commerce statistics roles use, and the ARCeH Data Analytics Externship adds environmental data practice. Explore all Externships.

What Is a Department of Commerce Internship?

A Department of Commerce internship is a student placement at the federal department that promotes U.S. economic growth through trade, standards, weather and ocean science, statistics and patents. The department says it has 12 bureaus, including NIST, NOAA, the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the International Trade Administration. Students enter through four separate routes: NIST's SURF fellowship, NOAA's Hollings scholarship and internship, bureau-level Pathways Student Trainee jobs, and the department's own unpaid internship program run through its Washington headquarters.

When Do Department of Commerce Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

The four routes run on different clocks. SURF opened on 16 October 2026, five weeks earlier than last year's 21 November opening, and closes on the same 26 January date, about 7.5 months before the 2 June start. Hollings closes five days later. Pathways is the opposite: windows lasted 6 to 15 days in 2026 and volume was far lower than in 2024, by our title count of USAJOBS history (about 14 student announcements through mid-October 2026 against about 109 in 2024).

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

Two of the four routes are hard-deadline: SURF on 26 January and Hollings on 31 January 2027, with incomplete applications not considered. Neither rolls. Pathways is the short-window kind, open six to 15 days in 2026 examples, so a saved USAJOBS search with email alerts matters more than a calendar. Only the department's own headquarters program is rolling, and it's unpaid. Start SURF documents early: transcripts, proof of citizenship or residency, and health insurance are common stumbling blocks.

Which Department of Commerce Internship Programs Should You Target?

Each Commerce route has its own rules and pay. These are the four.

Details sit on the Commerce students page, the NIST SURF page and the Hollings page. NIST, NOAA and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are separate employers with their own programs; this page stays at department level. Pay differs sharply by route, so check before you apply.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Eligibility differs by route, and the details come from the official announcements and pages.

• SURF: U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents with proof (a driver's license isn't accepted). Full-time undergraduates at an accredited U.S. college, including first-years, 18 or older by 2 June 2027, with health insurance and a background check.

• Hollings: U.S. citizens only, with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, applying for a two-year award that includes a summer internship. Confirm the class-standing rule on NOAA's page.

• Pathways: currently enrolled students; citizenship, hours and clearance come from each announcement.

• Department of Commerce Internship Program: U.S. citizens, 18 or older, enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a 2 to 4 year institution.

• Selective Service: SURF requires registration for men born after 31 December 1959.

Is the GPA a Hard Cutoff?

It depends on the route. The SURF announcement calls a 3.0 GPA preferred and recommended, not a hard cutoff, and encourages first-years to apply. Hollings sets a 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA. Pathways and the headquarters program leave it to the announcement or email instructions. NIST also publishes acceptance rates by laboratory on its SURF site; check them there rather than relying on forum numbers.

What Skills Does the Department of Commerce Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

The SURF announcement is the only program text that lists qualities: "strong computer and laboratory skills," motivation, and an interest in a STEM graduate degree, across fields from biology and chemistry to computer science, materials science, physics and statistics. Pathways Student Trainee titles from 2024 to 2026 show what bureaus hire students for: information technology, mathematics and statistics, physical science, financial management and administration. No official source lists software tools.

Note: Skill percentages are left out because Commerce publishes no intern job descriptions to count. The skills above come from the SURF announcement and 2024 to 2026 Pathways titles on USAJOBS, read 16 October 2026.

How Is Demand for Research Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a skill Commerce bureaus hire for to a remote Externship that gives you a finished project to describe.

None of these Externships is connected to the Department of Commerce. They help because SURF asks for a personal statement and Hollings asks for essays, and a finished project gives you specific material.

What Is the Department of Commerce Application and Interview Process Like?

The steps differ by route. The SURF steps below come from the announcement.

1. SURF: open the announcement. Pick Gaithersburg (SURF-2027-0001), Boulder (SURF-2027-0002) or both. USAJOBS then sends you to NIST's own application system.

2. Upload your documents. Resume, transcript with sensitive numbers blacked out, proof of citizenship or residency, proof of health insurance and a personal statement. Name a first- and second-choice laboratory.

3. Recommendations and deadline. Enter two references; they can upload letters up to 3 days after the 26 January close.

4. Offers. Offers run 1 March to 2 April 2027, and all applicants hear by 15 April.

For Hollings, apply through NOAA's portal by 31 January 2027. For the headquarters program, email a resume to intern@doc.gov with your top three offices and a session.

What Students on Reddit Say

Applicants on Reddit mostly discuss when notifications arrive; only two threads loaded, both from the 2025 cycle.

How Do You Stand Out for a Department of Commerce Internship?

First, choose the route that fits you instead of applying to everything: SURF suits STEM undergraduates, Hollings suits ocean and atmospheric science, and Pathways suits students ready to watch USAJOBS. Second, finish SURF documents early, since the announcement says incomplete applications won't be considered, and name host laboratories deliberately because the first-choice lab reviews first. Third, apply to both campuses if you can. Commerce publishes no conversion rates for these programs.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students applying to the Department of Commerce often also consider its science bureaus and other federal agencies.

For more federal options and USAJOBS timing, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Department of Commerce internship?

No. The summer 2026 NIST SURF announcements closed on 26 January 2026. What's open now is SURF for summer 2027, due 26 January 2027, and the NOAA Hollings 2027 class, due 31 January 2027. Pathways student jobs post in short windows, and none was open on 16 October 2026.

What is the Department of Commerce internship deadline for summer 2027?

NIST SURF closes at 11:59 pm Eastern on 26 January 2027 for the 2 June to 13 August program. NOAA Hollings closes on 31 January 2027, but its paid internship likely falls in summer 2028. Pathways has no fixed deadline; each USAJOBS announcement sets its own.

Are Department of Commerce internships paid?

Mostly. The SURF announcement lists a stipend of $6,390 to $7,810 with no benefits. Hollings pays $700 a week for 10 weeks plus up to $9,500 a year in academic assistance. Pathways jobs are paid federal positions. The headquarters internship is an unpaid volunteer program.

Do I need to be a U.S. citizen?

Mostly. SURF accepts U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents, with documentation. Hollings and the headquarters program require U.S. citizenship. Pathways requirements appear in each announcement, so read the eligibility section before you apply. A driver's license isn't accepted as SURF proof.

Is there a Pathways internship at Commerce right now?

No. On 16 October 2026 none of the open Commerce announcements was a Pathways student-trainee job. Recent NOAA, NIST and NTIA postings stayed open only about 6 to 15 days, so save a USAJOBS search for the bureau and the words Student Trainee.

How do I apply to the Commerce headquarters internship?

Email your resume to intern@doc.gov, ranking your top three offices and naming the session: summer, spring or fall. Applications are rolling, the role is an unpaid volunteer opportunity with flexible hours, and you are contacted only if invited to interview. The page asks for no follow-up calls or emails.

Can first-year students apply to NIST SURF?

Yes. The announcement lists first-year, sophomore, junior and senior undergraduates at accredited U.S. colleges and encourages first-years and graduating seniors to apply. You must be 18 by 2 June 2027 and submit two recommendation letters, a transcript and a personal statement by 26 January 2027.

Does a Commerce internship lead to a job?

Not automatically. SURF fellows are guest researchers and not federal employees, and NIST states no conversion mechanism. Commerce says Pathways interns who complete the program may be converted to a permanent position. No conversion rates are published for any route, so treat each as a strong credential.

SURF closes on 26 January 2027 and Hollings on 31 January, so start your documents this month. If you want a finished project for your personal statement, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.