State of Georgia Internship 2027–2028: Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: November 2026

The State of Georgia has four main doors for college interns: the Governor's Intern Program, the Georgia Legislative Internship Program (GLIP), the Office of Planning and Budget internship (OPB) and agency roles on Team Georgia Careers. On November 12, 2026, seven student internships were live on the state's Workday board, paying from $0.00 (unpaid) to $17.32 an hour. Two Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) roles for spring 2027 close December 2, 2026. GLIP and OPB's spring 2027 windows have closed. OPB's summer 2027 applications run February 15 to March 7, 2027. In plain words: the nearest open door is a spring 2027 agency role, and the fixed summer 2027 date to plan for is February 15.

Quick Facts

The row that matters most: agency roles for spring 2027 are open now and close one by one, and OPB's summer 2027 window opens February 15, 2027.

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. They aren't the same as the Georgia Attorney General's own externship programs for law and undergraduate students. The Health Research & Data Analytics Externship with ARCeH practices the research and data work the Department of Public Health roles describe, and the Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis Externship builds the budget analysis OPB interns do. Explore all Externships.

What Is a State of Georgia Internship?

A State of Georgia internship is a paid or unpaid student role inside Georgia's state government. This page covers the state as an employer, not Georgia State University or the University of Georgia. There is no single program. The Governor's Intern Program was "Initiated in 1971" and places interns in the Governor's Office and agencies across the state. The General Assembly runs GLIP, with "approximately 50 interns" each session. OPB takes budget interns each semester, and agencies such as Public Health, Early Care and Learning and Pardons and Paroles post their own roles on Workday. Georgia inaugurates a new governor on January 11, 2027, and the Governor's program has posted no spring 2027 cohort yet, so check its deadlines page after the transition.

When Do State of Georgia Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Georgia runs several short-lead calendars at once, so there is no single opening date. The Governor's Intern Program sets a deadline for each cohort about 1 to 2 months before the start: the summer 2026 deadline was March 20, 2026 for a May 18 start, and it had moved from April 15 the year before. That drift is why we project summer 2027 with low confidence. OPB publishes its own table: applications for summer 2027 run February 15 to March 7, 2027, about 2.5 months before the May 3 start. GLIP recruits once a year, about 3 months ahead, through college coordinators. Agency roles post on Workday roughly 2 months before work starts.

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

These are hard deadlines, not rolling pools. Each Workday posting carries its own end date: the two Public Health roles close November 15, 2026, thirteen days after they were posted, and the DECAL roles close December 2, about three weeks after posting. OPB's summer 2027 window lasts three weeks, February 15 to March 7, 2027. GLIP takes applications only through your college's coordinator, whose internal deadline came one to two weeks before the state's October 14 date. The Governor's program moved its summer 2026 deadline a week earlier in the middle of the cycle, so have your writing sample and letters ready before it posts.

Which State of Georgia Internship Programs Should You Target?

Each route below is run by a different part of state government. Pay and dates are quoted from the state's own pages or Workday postings.

The Team Georgia internships page lists every agency program, including unpaid ones at agencies such as the GBI, Corrections and Human Services. Separate entities such as the Georgia Ports Authority run their own hiring.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Most Georgia programs are built for Georgia students. These rules come from each program's own pages and postings, read November 2026.

• Georgia ties: the Governor's program requires that you be a "Georgia resident or attending/attended a Georgia college, university, or law school". GLIP and OPB require enrollment at a Georgia school, and so do several agencies, including DOAS, the Georgia Technology Authority, GEFA and DECAL.

• Class year: the Governor's program takes juniors, seniors, graduate and law students, or graduates up to one year out. GLIP takes juniors and seniors. OPB typically takes seniors and graduate students. The two Public Health roles are for graduate students only.

• GPA: 3.0 for the Governor's program, OPB and DECAL; 2.5 for Pardons and Paroles.

• Application materials: the Governor's program asks for a resume, cover letter, a writing sample of at least 500 words and two recommendation letters or a reference list. GLIP asks for an essay, transcripts and 3 to 5 reference forms.

• Work authorization: Pardons and Paroles asks for a "U.S. citizen or lawful alien". Most other postings don't state it.

• High school students: the Workday template on some postings accepts students "enrolled in a Georgia high school, technical college, or university/college", and GPB lists high school and college interns. The House and Senate page programs are for school-age students and aren't internships.

Can Out-of-State Students Apply?

Mostly not. If you aren't a Georgia resident and don't attend a Georgia school, the Governor's program, GLIP and OPB are closed to you. Some agency postings don't require a Georgia school, so read each Workday posting's qualifications before you apply. Georgia residents studying in another state can still apply to the Governor's program.

What Skills Does the State of Georgia Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Across the six live agency job descriptions we read in full, three groups of skills repeat. Communication comes first: DECAL asks for "Excellent business writing" and Economic Development for "Excellent verbal and written communication skills". Office tools come next, with DECAL wanting "Advanced level skill in the use of Excel" and Economic Development "High proficiency with MS Word and Excel". Research and content work round it out: DECAL and OPB interns track legislation, while Public Health and AOC interns write newsletters and web content.

How Is Demand for Policy Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each skill below comes from a live Georgia posting or program page and maps to a remote Externship you can finish while you wait for the next window.

No open Externship covers legal work or event planning, so the law-only routes and AOC's logistics duties aren't mapped here.

What Is the State of Georgia Application and Interview Process Like?

Each route has its own process. The Governor's program and GLIP describe theirs in the most detail.

1. Pick your route. Use Workday for agency roles, the Governor's online form, your college's GLIP coordinator, or the OPB page during its window.

2. Prepare the writing sample. The Governor's form asks for at least 500 words on "What aspect of state government interests you the most and why?", plus a resume, cover letter and two letters or a reference list.

3. Go through screening and interviews. The Governor's program is "highly competitive, consisting of an application and up to two rounds of interviews". GLIP holds candidate interviews in late October and placement interviews in mid-December.

4. Get placed. The Governor's Intern Coordinator places interns with supervisors after selection, so name the offices that interest you. Placement isn't guaranteed.

5. Clear onboarding. Agency roles may require a transcript upload and a background check on hire, as DECAL's does. GLIP interns attend orientation before the session starts.

Not selected for the Governor's program? Its FAQ says you can reapply for a later term.

What Students on Reddit Say

Reddit has very little on Georgia state government internships. The one thread we read in full is from 2016, so treat it as dated background, and the GPA rules have changed since. It's lightly paraphrased.

How Do You Stand Out for a State of Georgia Internship?

First, write the Governor's program writing sample before the window opens. It's at least 500 words on a part of state government that interests you, and it's the clearest way to show you understand the work. Second, apply on more than one route: a spring 2027 agency role now, OPB from February 15 and the Governor's summer cohort when it posts. Third, show proof of writing or research, since four of the six live postings ask for strong communication and three ask for research. No program publishes an applicant count, a class size for the Governor's program or a conversion rate.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students applying to the State of Georgia often also look at these public employers.

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

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 State of Georgia internship?

No, summer 2026 internships have already run. What's open now is different: on November 12, 2026, seven agency internships were live on Team Georgia Careers, including two DECAL roles for spring 2027 that close December 2. OPB's summer 2027 applications run February 15 to March 7, 2027.

When do State of Georgia summer 2027 internship applications open?

It depends on the program. OPB's summer 2027 window is February 15 to March 7, 2027. The Governor's Intern Program hasn't announced summer 2027; last year's deadline was March 20, 2026 for a May 18 start. Agency roles post on Workday through spring, each with its own closing date.

Are State of Georgia internships paid?

Many are. The Governor's program pays stipends based on minimum wage, and live agency postings pay $14 to $16 an hour at DECAL, $15.00 and $17.32 at Public Health and $15 at AOC. GLIP and OPB are listed as paid. Some agency internships are unpaid, such as Economic Development's at $0.00.

Do I need to be from Georgia to intern with the State of Georgia?

Usually, yes. The Governor's program requires Georgia residency or a Georgia college, university or law school. GLIP and OPB require enrollment at a Georgia school, and so do several agencies. Some Workday postings don't require a Georgia school, so check each posting's qualifications before applying.

Is the Georgia Legislative Internship Program open for 2027?

No. College coordinators had to submit applications by October 14, 2026, and the 2027 session starts January 11, 2027. The next cohort, for the 2028 session, is expected to recruit around October 2027. Find your campus coordinator early, because school deadlines come one to two weeks before the state's.

What GPA do State of Georgia internships require?

The Governor's Intern Program asks for a 3.0 GPA or higher, and OPB and DECAL also ask for 3.0. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles asks for 2.5 for its paid undergraduate internship. Other agencies set their own rules, so read the qualifications on each Workday posting.

What do Governor's Intern Program interns do?

According to the program's FAQ, interns do research and data compilation, attend meetings, handle general administrative duties and help plan special events. Offices include Scheduling, Policy, Government Affairs, Communications and Constituent Services. All placements are in Atlanta, and summer runs 13 weeks while fall and spring run 18.

Does the State of Georgia hire interns full time?

No program publishes a conversion rate or says interns get return offers. The Governor's program describes itself as highly competitive and lets unselected applicants reapply for a later term. Full-time state jobs post separately on Team Georgia Careers, which listed about 1,500 openings in November 2026.

Set a Team Georgia Careers alert for "intern", and mark February 15, 2027 for OPB's summer window. If you want a finished project to show while you wait, a remote Externship runs alongside your classes.