Last updated: October 2026
On 3 October 2026, Parsons' careers site listed 23 US intern and co-op postings, almost all for summer 2027: bridge, roadway, drainage, structural and traffic engineering roles for state transportation projects, plus three Federal Solutions roles building cyber and electronic-warfare tools. The first summer 2027 posting went up on 4 August. In plain words: you apply during fall 2026, you intern in summer 2027. Parsons' own timeline puts interviews in October to December and final hiring by February.
This is Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN), the Chantilly, Virginia engineering and technology company, not the Parsons School of Design. It reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $6.36 billion, runs a North American program of 300+ interns, and lists the same pay range on every US intern posting: $22.93 to $40.14 an hour.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Parsons North America internships (applications go through Parsons' Workday). The internship FAQ covers clearance, housing and co-ops |
| Application window (summer 2027) | Open now. Applications for summer 2027 first posted 4 Aug 2026; interviews Oct to Dec 2026; final hiring Dec 2026 to Feb 2027 (Parsons' timeline) |
| Rolling? | Yes, fill-dependent. No posting has an end date; a Denver software internship for summer 2027 posted in late August was already closed by 28 September |
| Eligibility | Enrolled in a relevant degree; 3.0 GPA on 7 of 23 postings; no clearance required on any; the Centreville cyber internship requires U.S. citizenship; 18 or older |
| Duration | 10-week minimum, May to June through August |
| Compensation | $22.93 to $40.14/hr on every US intern posting; relocation or housing help only in rare cases |
| Return offers | Rate not published; Parsons says many interns extend or return, and 99% would recommend the internship (Parsons' own survey) |
| Locations | Atlanta area and Savannah GA, Columbia SC, Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, Florida, New York, Houston, Boston, Northern Virginia and Maryland |
| # Programs | 2 segments: Critical Infrastructure (20 postings) and Federal Solutions (3) |
Applications for summer 2027 are open now, and Parsons says interviews run from October to December. Apply before your target team starts interviewing.
Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most often over 8 weeks. They work alongside a Parsons application, not instead of one: the Amazon Fulfillment Center Operational Strategy Externship builds the quantity and cost tracking behind design work, and the Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense Externship fits Parsons' Federal Solutions cyber roles. Explore all Externships.
What Is a Parsons Internship?
A Parsons internship is a paid placement of at least 10 weeks on a Parsons project team, most often designing roads, bridges, drainage and traffic systems for state transportation departments, or building cyber and signal-processing tools in its Federal Solutions business. Interns prepare drawings, calculations and quantity takeoffs under licensed engineers and finish with a required project presentation.
Parsons says its program includes mentorship, employee panels, job shadowing and social events, and that over 90% of its positions are in person or hybrid. Its FY2025 results describe Parsons as Engineering News-Record's top program manager in the world.
When Do Parsons Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Parsons publishes its own internship timeline: campus recruiting in September and October, "Interviews and hiring begins" in October to December, final intern hiring completed in December to February, and summer internships from May to June through August. That puts the lead time at about eight to ten months.
The postings match it. The first summer 2027 posting (Bridge, New York) went up on 4 August 2026, a batch of seven on 8 September and more through late September. Last cycle, Federal Solutions software internships kept appearing into April 2026, so cyber and software students should watch the board through spring.
Applications for summer 2027 are open right now: 23 US postings, most of them transportation design roles. Parsons' FAQ suggests picking your top one or two. Apply, then build something you can talk about in the interview.
Interviews and hiring for summer 2027 begin, per Parsons' timeline. The Purdue CESAC fair on 15 October is still ahead on Parsons' list. Postings stay up until filled, and some fill fast.
Final intern hiring for summer 2027 is completed, per Parsons. Federal Solutions software roles may still appear into spring, as they did last cycle.
Onboarding preparation for the new class. Spring 2027 roles in Houston, Sandy Springs and Savannah start earlier for students who can take a spring term.
The internship itself, at least 10 weeks from May or June through August, ending with a required project presentation. Postings for summer 2028 are expected from about August 2027.
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
Parsons' postings have no end date, so each one closes when the team fills it. Parsons' own calendar says hiring starts in October and finishes between December and February, which means the seats go during the fall, not in spring.
Postings can also disappear early. A summer 2027 software internship in Denver, listed in late August, was already closed by 28 September. Parsons recommends choosing your top one or two postings rather than applying everywhere, so decide now and submit while interviews are still being scheduled.
Which Parsons Internship Programs Should You Target?
Parsons' North American program spans two businesses. These are the 23 US postings listed on 3 October 2026:
| Role | Focus | Live US postings | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roadway engineering / design | Highway geometry, cross sections, grading plans, quantities | 8 | Civil coursework, CAD, MicroStation |
| Bridge and structural engineering | Bridge and structure design for state DOTs | 6 | Structural coursework, calculations |
| Drainage and traffic engineering | Hydrology, drainage design, traffic engineering | 3 | Hydraulics, traffic coursework |
| Construction and water/environmental | Construction engineering (Westminster CO), water (Houston, spring 2027), civil co-op (Boston, fall 2026) | 3 | Civil or environmental coursework |
| Federal Solutions | Cyber operations tool development, electronic warfare and signal processing | 3 | C, C++, Python, Linux; U.S. citizenship for one role |
Several roles accept spring as well as summer, and Parsons says some teams can support fall or spring co-ops. Browse them on the North America internships page.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Parsons' postings and FAQ set these terms:
• Enrollment: currently pursuing a relevant degree: civil, structural or environmental engineering for Critical Infrastructure; computer science, computer engineering or similar for Federal Solutions.
• GPA: 7 of 23 postings ask for a 3.0 or higher; the rest don't state one.
• Security clearance: every US intern posting reads "Security Clearance Requirement: None".
• Citizenship: only the Centreville engineering internship states "Must be a US Citizen", because a clearance comes later. Parsons' FAQ says many internships need future clearance eligibility, which in the US requires citizenship.
• Age: 18 or older; Parsons doesn't offer high school internships.
Is the 3.0 GPA a Hard Cutoff?
Only where the posting says so. Seven postings, mostly bridge, structural and drainage roles plus the Centreville cyber role, ask for a 3.0 or above. The other sixteen don't mention GPA.
A Virginia Tech student with a GPA under 3.0 posted in 2024 about landing a Parsons proposal-writing internship, so roles outside the stated cutoff are reachable.
What Skills Does Parsons Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Most Critical Infrastructure postings describe the same work: design tasks, drawings and plan sheets, engineering calculations and quantity takeoffs, done in CAD software, with MicroStation named on most of them because most state DOTs use it. They also ask for clear written and oral communication.
The Federal Solutions roles are different: C and embedded development, C++, Java or Python, Linux and tools like Wireshark for the cyber roles, and digital signal processing for the electronic-warfare role.
What Parsons looks for in interns
Skills across 23 Parsons intern & analyst job descriptions · all US intern postings listed on Parsons' careers site, 3 Oct 2026
Method: full-text read of all 23 US intern postings on jobs.parsons.com, 3 Oct 2026 (Parsons' Workday API was down for maintenance that day). Parsons reuses templates across offices, so these counts show how many postings carry each line.
How Is Demand for Engineering Interns Moving Right Now?
Mechanical engineering intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 207 in August
Parsons posted most of its summer 2027 roles in the same September rush as its infrastructure peers, and its interviews start in October. Apply now, not after the new year.
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 (87 postings in September, 36 in August).
Build These Skills Before You Apply
Three of the posting duties can be practiced before you apply or interview:
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity takeoffs and cost estimates | Roadway interns "Perform material quantity takeoffs, cost estimates, and field surveys as required" | Amazon Fulfillment Center Operational Strategy & People Analytics |
| Cyber tool development | Federal Solutions interns develop cyber operations tools and help with quality assurance and field testing | Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense |
| Water and environmental analysis | The Houston water internship supports water and environmental design | Arceh Children's Environmental Health Analytics |
None of these is a highway design project. Each trains a habit the postings ask for and ends with finished work you can explain in an interview.
What Is the Parsons Application and Interview Process Like?
Parsons publishes its hiring calendar but not its interview format. This is the path its pages and community reports describe:
1. Choose one or two postings. Parsons' FAQ recommends picking your top one or two; postings are tied to an office and team.
2. Apply through Workday. Each posting on the careers site links to its Workday application.
3. Meet Parsons on campus. Its fall list ran from Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech in September to Purdue CESAC on 15 October 2026.
4. Interview, October to December. A software intern applicant on Reddit said the interview was conversational, with no LeetCode, focused on past experience and problem solving.
5. Offer by February, start in summer. Parsons says final hiring wraps up between December and February.
Relocation and housing help are rare, so apply where you can live for the summer, and say so in your application.
What Students on Reddit Say
These threads are about Parsons Corporation, not Parsons School of Design, and they come from interns and applicants.
Two siblings interned at Parsons and had very different summers, one designing ADA ramps and the other doing groundwater sampling and corrective-measures studies; the difference was the manager. Commenters advise asking for work rather than waiting, and a transportation intern later called it pretty decent, with lots of MicroStation CAD.
A software intern applicant said the Parsons interview wasn't hard: no LeetCode, just a conversation about past experience and how they approach problems.
A Virginia Tech student who had worried about a GPA under 3.0 landed a Parsons internship writing proposals, and commenters agreed that experience starts to matter more than GPA.
How Do You Stand Out for a Parsons Internship?
Parsons doesn't publish applicant numbers or an acceptance rate, so we won't guess at the odds. Three moves fit what the postings ask for:
1. Apply before October interviews fill. Pick your top one or two postings and submit now; Parsons' calendar says hiring starts in October.
2. Learn MicroStation basics. It's named on 16 of 23 postings, and a past intern says most of the summer was MicroStation drafting. AutoCAD users can adapt, but showing you've started helps.
3. Ask for real work once you're in. Past interns say the experience depends on the manager and how hard you push for tasks. Parsons says many interns extend or return, and every intern ends with a project presentation, so plan for a project you can present.
Parsons doesn't publish a conversion rate.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Parsons applicants usually also look at other infrastructure and government technology employers:
- AECOMlargest US design firm, a direct transportation design competitorGuide →
- Jacobsinfrastructure and water design peer with a large intern classGuide →
- Kiewitbuilds the highways and bridges Parsons designsGuide →
- Leidosgovernment technology peer for Federal Solutions studentsGuide →
- Booz Allen Hamiltonfederal cyber and engineering consultingGuide →
Our engineering internships summer 2027 guide covers the wider civil and infrastructure field, and the aerospace and defense internships guide covers federal technology roles.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Parsons internship?
No. Summer 2026 internships have ended, but summer 2027 applications are open now: Parsons' careers site listed 23 US postings on 3 October 2026. Parsons says interviews run October to December and final hiring finishes by February, so apply this fall. A few roles also accept spring 2027.
When do Parsons summer 2027 internship applications open?
They opened on 4 August 2026, when the first summer 2027 posting went up, and most followed in September. Parsons' published timeline puts campus recruiting in September and October, interviews from October to December, and final hiring between December 2026 and February 2027.
How much do Parsons interns make?
Every US intern and co-op posting lists the same range: $22.93 to $40.14 an hour. That's one company-wide band, so it doesn't tell you where a specific role lands. Parsons' FAQ says relocation or housing help is offered only in rare cases.
Do Parsons interns need a security clearance or U.S. citizenship?
No posting requires a clearance to start; all read "Security Clearance Requirement: None". The Centreville Federal Solutions internship requires U.S. citizenship because a clearance comes later, and Parsons' FAQ says many internships need future clearance eligibility. Most transportation design postings carry no citizenship line.
What GPA does Parsons require?
Seven of the 23 US postings ask for a 3.0 or higher, mostly bridge, structural and drainage roles plus one cyber role. The other sixteen don't state a GPA. A Virginia Tech student under 3.0 reported landing a Parsons proposal-writing internship in 2024.
How long is a Parsons internship?
At least 10 weeks. Parsons' FAQ says it requires a 10-week minimum for all its internships, and its timeline runs summer internships from May or June through August. Many interns extend or return for a second internship, and every intern gives a final project presentation.
Where are Parsons internships located?
Mostly in transportation design offices: Sandy Springs and Savannah, Georgia; Columbia, South Carolina; Denver and Westminster, Colorado; Chicago; Indianapolis; Fort Lauderdale and Altamonte Springs, Florida; New York; and Houston. Federal Solutions roles sit in Centreville and Herndon, Virginia and Maryland.
Is a Parsons internship the same as a Parsons School of Design internship?
No. This guide covers Parsons Corporation, the engineering and technology company based in Chantilly, Virginia. Parsons School of Design is part of The New School in New York, and Parsons Brinckerhoff is now part of WSP. Apply through jobs.parsons.com for Parsons Corporation roles.
Parsons starts interviewing in October, so apply to your top one or two postings now, then use the weeks before your interview to finish one project you can talk through: a remote Externship gives you that.
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.
