Paramount Internship 2027-2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: July 2026

Paramount's Summer Internship Program ranked #2 Best Media Internship in the U.S. by Vault in 2025, behind only Comcast, and places 101+ interns each summer across CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Paramount Pictures, and Paramount+. For the 2027-2028 cycle (you apply fall 2026, you intern summer 2027), applications are expected to open in October-November 2026 and close by early January 2027, roughly 5-6 months before the June start. Positions fill as qualified candidates apply, and by mid-cycle most postings already read "no longer accepting applications." Wait until winter break and you've likely waited too long.

Quick Facts

The two numbers that matter: applications expected to open October-November 2026 for summer 2027, and positions that fill on a rolling basis before the January deadline. And unlike finance or consulting, Paramount posts no GPA requirement anywhere.

Externships are short, remote professional experience programs where you finish a real project with a real company. The TikTok Social Media Content & Brand Strategy Externship and the Beats by Dre Data Analytics Externship build exactly the content creation and data analysis evidence a fall application needs. Explore all Externships.

What Is a Paramount Internship?

A Paramount internship is a paid, 10-week summer placement that puts 101+ college students into real roles across one of the largest media portfolios in the world: CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, and Showtime. Vault ranked the program #2 Best Media Internship, a Top 150 Summer Internship, and a Top 15 Quality of Life Internship in 2025. Vault's 2026 rankings added #23 for Sales, Marketing & Communications and recognition for LGBTQ+ and overall inclusion. Paramount also earned the RippleMatch Campus Forward Award 2024 and was named a Forbes Best Employer for New Grads 2023. The Skydance merger closed in early 2025, but the internship program continued operating with 20+ posted positions for Summer 2026.

When Do Paramount Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Paramount's calendar is consistent and documented across two confirmed cycles: postings go live in October-November, applications close by late December or early January, and the program runs 10 weeks starting in June. The Summer 2026 Standards & Practices posting had a January 9, 2026 deadline, and the prior year's cycle closed December 31, 2024. So for summer 2027 you apply in fall 2026, roughly 6 months before the June start, which is faster than finance or consulting timelines. One thing worth knowing: positions fill on a rolling basis before the deadline, so early applicants face the most open seats.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

Paramount's FAQ says it plainly: "Due to the high volume of candidates, we unfortunately can't provide individual status feedback." That's corporate for "we fill seats as we go." Summer 2026 postings that were still searchable in mid-2026 returned "no longer accepting applications" well before any formal deadline. One Reddit thread tracking the Summer 2025 cycle showed recruiters finishing first-round phone screens by February, meaning late-December applicants were already behind. And multiple Reddit users report being ghosted entirely. The takeaway: apply within the first week of postings going live in October.

Which Paramount Internship Programs Should You Target?

Paramount listed 20+ distinct internship positions for Summer 2026 spanning its full brand portfolio. Which department should you target? The honest answer is the one where you can already show relevant skills, because every track interviews against its own job description.

See all open positions on the internship job board when postings go live. Brands represented include CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, and Showtime. Additional tracks cover Finance, Legal, HR, Research, Creative Services, Broadcast Engineering, and more.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Paramount publishes the same core requirements across all Summer 2026 internship postings:

• Academic level: must be a rising senior or Master's student in the following fall. Some tech and engineering roles also accept rising juniors.

• Enrollment: must be currently enrolled at an accredited college or university. Recent graduates aren't eligible and are redirected to post-grad development programs and full-time roles.

• Work authorization: must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Paramount doesn't sponsor visas for internships.

• Availability: must be available full-time, 5 days per week, 36-40 hours per week, for 10 weeks starting in June. Fully on-site; no remote option for most roles.

• No housing support: Paramount doesn't provide financial relocation support or housing stipends.

Does Paramount Have a GPA Requirement?

No. No reviewed Summer 2026 posting or FAQ mentions a GPA minimum or cutoff. Vault's profile lists accepted degree tracks (BA, BS, JD, MA, MBA, MS) but no GPA floor. Selection weighs passion for entertainment, relevant skills, and cultural fit. The hard gates are the rising-senior-or-above class standing, the no-sponsorship policy for international students, and the full-time on-site availability requirement. School credit for the internship is optional, not required.

What Skills Does Paramount Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Twenty-plus Summer 2026 job descriptions share a consistent pattern: creative passion for entertainment and media shows up in nearly every posting, followed by strong communication skills, analytical thinking, and self-starter initiative. But the technical asks are department-specific: the Software Engineering posting wants Python, Java, and cloud skills, while the Data/Analytics postings call for SQL and visualization tools, and the Marketing postings emphasize social media fluency and brand strategy. What does that mix tell you? Paramount hires people who are genuinely passionate about content and media, then trains the vertical.

How Is Demand for Media & Entertainment Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

And every skill in the chart maps to a remote Externship where you finish a real company project before the window opens.

How close is the overlap? The TikTok Externship deliverable is a social media content strategy built for a real brand, which is exactly what Paramount's Marketing and Communications postings ask you to discuss in the interview. And the data analysis work Beats by Dre requires maps directly to the audience-insights skills the Data and Research departments screen for.

What Is the Paramount Application and Interview Process Like?

Paramount's funnel is straightforward and typically follows a two-round process, averaging about 46 days from application to offer:

1. Apply at careers.paramount.com with a resume when postings go live in October-November. Each posting targets a specific department and brand, so apply to the one that best matches your skills rather than blanket-applying.

2. Round 1: Recruiter phone screen (15-30 min). A general screening call covering your background, interest in entertainment, and availability. The recruiter often screens for multiple positions within a department at once.

3. Round 2: Team/hiring manager interview (30-45 min, Zoom). Behavioral questions in STAR format, plus department-specific questions like "What kind of media do you consume?" and "Why Paramount?" Some departments do a panel with 2-4 team members (two at a time).

4. Offer decision. Offers come approximately 2-4 weeks after the final interview. Glassdoor's intern reports describe the process as conversational and culture-focused.

There's no standardized online assessment for most roles, unlike finance or big tech. The exceptions: some technical roles (Software Engineering, Data, Game Engineer) may include a skills assessment or technical exercise, and some creative roles require a portfolio review or software-proficiency test. For the behavioral rounds, rehearse with specific examples of media projects or creative work: our HireVue question guide with a free AI mock tool runs the same time pressure.

What Students on Reddit Say

Three threads show the process from the inside.

How Do You Stand Out When 101+ Seats Fill on a Rolling Basis?

Three moves, all executable before October. First, apply in the first week of postings going live. Paramount fills positions as qualified candidates apply, and multiple Reddit users report being ghosted entirely, which means the later you apply, the fewer seats exist. Second, show genuine passion for entertainment. Every Paramount posting asks for it, and the interview will test it with questions like "What media do you consume?" Have specific, thoughtful answers about Paramount's brands, not generic enthusiasm. Third, bring proof in the JD's exact language. A finished content strategy project or data analysis portfolio answers "tell me about relevant experience" with an artifact instead of an anecdote. And remember: Paramount recruits for post-grad development programs. Interview like someone auditioning for the full-time pipeline, because you're.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Paramount's peer set spans major media conglomerates and entertainment studios, each with its own intern calendar and culture.

Each of these programs recruits on a similar fall timeline for the following summer. If you're targeting entertainment broadly, apply to several in parallel and use the same proof-building strategy.

FAQ

When do Paramount internship applications open for summer 2027?

Based on the confirmed Summer 2026 cycle, expect applications to open in October-November 2026 on careers.paramount.com. The deadline is typically late December 2026 or early January 2027. Paramount has not posted Summer 2027 dates yet, so bookmark the careers page and check back starting October 2026. Apply within the first week to maximize your chances since positions fill as qualified candidates apply.

How much do Paramount interns get paid?

Paramount internships are paid at a competitive hourly rate. The median across all roles is about $23 per hour according to Glassdoor (266 salary reports). Business, media, and production roles cluster around $19-$23 per hour, while software engineering and data roles pay significantly more at $34-$45 per hour. All interns also receive a complimentary Paramount+ with Showtime subscription. There is no housing stipend or relocation support.

What are the eligibility requirements for a Paramount internship?

You must be currently enrolled at an accredited college or university as a rising senior or Master's student (some technical roles also accept rising juniors). You need full-time US work authorization since Paramount doesn't sponsor visas for interns. You must be available to work fully on-site, 36-40 hours per week for 10 weeks starting in June. Recent graduates aren't eligible but can apply to post-grad development programs.

What does the Paramount internship interview process look like?

Most roles follow a two-round process. Round one is a recruiter phone screen lasting 15-30 minutes covering your background, interest in entertainment, and availability. Round two is a Zoom interview with the hiring team, often including behavioral questions like "What media do you consume?" and "Why Paramount?" Some technical roles add a skills assessment, and some creative roles include a portfolio or software-proficiency test. The process typically takes about 46 days from application to offer.

What departments can I intern in at Paramount?

Paramount offers 20+ internship tracks spanning its full brand portfolio (CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+). Major areas include Production and Development, TV Programming, Marketing, Communications/PR, Advertising, Product Management, Software Engineering, Data/Analytics, CBS News, CBS Sports, Finance, Legal, HR, and Research. Locations include NYC, LA (Hollywood, Burbank, West Hollywood), Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco.

Does Paramount offer return offers or full-time conversion?

Paramount doesn't publish return-offer rates. However, the company recruits for post-grad development programs and full-time entry-level roles, and some former interns have returned for second summers. The Skydance-Paramount merger in 2025 led to significant layoffs, which may affect full-time conversion in the near term. Networking, strong performance, and staying connected with your team are your best strategies.

How competitive is the Paramount internship program?

Very competitive. Paramount receives a high volume of applications and can't provide individual status feedback. Multiple Reddit users report being ghosted after applying. To stand out, tailor your application to the specific department, show genuine passion for entertainment and media, highlight relevant coursework or extracurricular content creation, and apply as early as possible when postings go live in the fall.

Is the Paramount internship remote or on-site?

Most Paramount internships are fully on-site. Summer 2026 postings specified in-person attendance at offices in NYC, Hollywood, Burbank, West Hollywood, Studio City, Boston, or Chicago. Paramount doesn't provide financial relocation support or housing stipends, so plan your housing and commute independently. One Reddit report mentioned a remote option for a specific role, but on-site is the default expectation.

The window is a few months long and positions fill as qualified candidates apply. Spend the runway building proof: a remote Externship turns "passionate about entertainment" into a finished project an October application can point at.