State of Maryland Internship 2027–2028: Programs & How to Apply

Last updated: November 2026

The State of Maryland has no single internship program, and the first summer 2027 deadline is close. The Governor's Summer Internship Program (GSIP) pays every intern a $5,000 stipend and takes applications until December 31, 2026. The MDOT Fellows Program pays the same and closes February 15, 2027, and the State Highway Administration takes summer applications until early April. Paid agency internships are posted as ordinary State jobs and close fast: the Maryland Department of Health's summer 2026 public health posting was open 14 days and paid $17.15 an hour for undergraduates. In plain words: you apply between now and April 2027, you intern in summer 2027.

Quick Facts

GSIP closes December 31, 2026 and MDOT Fellows closes February 15, 2027; agency summer 2027 postings are expected from mid-January to early April 2027 and each stays open about two weeks.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks. The Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ fits the policy analysis GSIP interns do, and Health Research & Data Analytics with ARCeH fits the Maryland Department of Health's public health tracks. Explore all Externships.

What Is a State of Maryland Internship?

A State of Maryland internship is student work for the state government itself, in its executive agencies or the General Assembly. This page covers working for the State, not federal offices in Maryland. There are four routes. The Governor's Summer Internship Program is coordinated by The Shriver Center at UMBC "in partnership with the Office of the Governor", and its sister MDOT Fellows Program places students at the Maryland Department of Transportation. The General Assembly has run its Legislative Intern Program since 1980 and added Legislative Fellows for graduate students in 2020. Agencies post paid internships on the State's JobAps board, which the Department of Budget and Management runs. And some agencies keep their own program pages, including the Maryland Department of Health's Public Health Internship Program and MDOT SHA.

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

Maryland has no statewide intern season, so each route keeps its own calendar. GSIP and MDOT Fellows take one summer cohort, with deadlines about five and three months before the May 24, 2027 start. Agency bulletins post two to five months before the start and close in about two weeks: in 2026 the State Archives posting ran January 15 to March 6, the MDH summer public health posting March 16 to 30 for a June 3 start, and the Maryland Insurance Administration's March 23 to April 6. The MDH program also takes spring and fall cohorts; its spring 2026 bulletin opened November 3, 2025, but no spring 2027 bulletin was posted as of November 11, 2026. The Legislative Intern Program has one session cohort, applied for about three months ahead.

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 kinds of urgency apply. GSIP and MDOT Fellows have hard deadlines, December 31, 2026 and February 15, 2027, and the Legislative Intern Program closed for 2027 with no late entry. The agency bulletins are short windows: of the 2026 summer postings we read, the MDH public health bulletin, the MDE student technical assistant and the Insurance Administration intern were each open 14 or 15 days. The JobAps board lists them under Internship Opportunities only while they're open, so check it weekly from January.

Which State of Maryland Internship Programs Should You Target?

The routes differ on pay, calendar and who can apply. Most agency routes below come from 2026 postings, so expect similar summer 2027 versions.

The State Retirement Agency ran a paid Summer Investment Associate internship in 2025 and 2026 ($20 to $27 an hour); a summer 2027 version wasn't posted as of November 11, 2026. High-school seniors can apply to the General Assembly's Student Page Program, a high-school program. Titles with Trainee on the JobAps board are full-time entry jobs, not internships.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Each route sets its own rules. These come from the program pages and the JobAps bulletins.

• GSIP and MDOT Fellows: rising juniors or seniors by summer 2027 (60+ credits, enrolled for fall 2027), at a Maryland school or a Maryland resident at an out-of-state school, with a 3.0 GPA. F-1 students may be eligible through CPT.

• Legislative Intern Program: students at a public or independent Maryland college or university, 18 or older, with 30+ credits and a 3.0 GPA; interns must receive academic credit and a school sponsor's endorsement.

• Legislative Fellows: master's, law or doctoral students at a Maryland or regional school, with a 3.0 GPA, working 20+ hours a week in Annapolis.

• MDH Public Health Internship Program: undergraduates with 60+ credits or graduate students; the 2026 bulletin set a 2.5 GPA.

• MDOT SHA: undergraduate or graduate students at an accredited school with a 2.5 GPA; some positions need a reliable vehicle.

• MPT internships and Student Fellows: high-school juniors and seniors, college, graduate or trade-school students, or recent graduates, for at least 16 hours a week.

Do You Need to Live in Maryland?

For some routes, yes. GSIP and MDOT Fellows take students at Maryland schools and Maryland residents studying elsewhere, and the Legislative Intern Program takes only students at Maryland colleges. The agency bulletins on JobAps and the MDOT SHA program carried no residency rule in the postings we read. GPA floors are stated: 3.0 for GSIP and the legislature, 2.5 for MDH and MDOT SHA.

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

We read eight State intern descriptions on JobAps from 2024 to 2026, across MDH, Commerce, the Insurance Administration, the Retirement Agency, MDE, Human Services and MPT. Research and written reports lead: Commerce asks for "Conducting research on businesses, industries, programs, policies" and "Preparing written summaries, reports, briefing materials, presentations, and spreadsheets". Data analysis and legislative analysis come next. MDE wants interns "Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), Google Suite tools". GSIP names policy analysis, public speaking and written communication.

How Is Demand for Policy Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a duty from a real State intern posting to a remote Externship that gives you a finished project to talk about.

None of these Externships is connected to the State of Maryland. They help because JobAps rates the skills you describe in the application, and GSIP centers on policy analysis, so a finished project gives you something specific to write.

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

The steps differ by route. These come from the program pages, the JobAps bulletins and the General Assembly's site.

1. GSIP and MDOT Fellows: one online application. Apply through Maryland Public Service Scholars at UMBC before December 31, 2026 for GSIP or February 15, 2027 for MDOT Fellows.

2. Agency internships: apply on JobAps. Filter the board by Internship Opportunities and use each bulletin's Apply button. Most bulletins add a supplemental questionnaire, and the MDH program asks for unofficial transcripts, so list your coursework, credits and skills in the application itself.

3. MDOT SHA: apply through the SHA intern portal. Applications are online only; paper isn't accepted.

4. Legislative Intern Program: apply in the fall before the session. Last cycle ran September 9 to October 15, 2025 and asked for an online form, a resume, an unofficial transcript and an essay of about 200 words, as PDFs. School sponsors had to confirm separately, by October 21, 2025. Legislators' offices interview from October to December.

5. Track your status. JobAps shows each application's status, and each bulletin names an agency contact.

If you want pay and a summer placement, GSIP's December 31 deadline is the one to meet first.

What Students on Reddit Say

We found one first-hand Reddit thread on a State of Maryland internship, about the Maryland Department of Health's summer 2025 public health program. Here's what applicants reported.

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

First, apply to GSIP before December 31, and to MDOT Fellows before February 15 if transportation interests you. Second, check JobAps weekly from January, because most agency bulletins close in about two weeks. Third, write the JobAps application as carefully as a resume and name the tools a bulletin asks for, such as Excel or Google Suite. For the legislature, line up academic credit and a school sponsor before September. The State publishes no applicant counts, acceptance rates or conversion rates; the Insurance Administration says it hosted 7 summer interns in 2025.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students applying to the State of Maryland often also look at these federal agencies and Maryland 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 Maryland internship?

No. Summer 2026 postings closed months ago; the MDH public health bulletin, for example, closed March 30, 2026. For summer 2027, GSIP takes applications until December 31, 2026, MDOT Fellows until February 15, 2027 and MDOT SHA until early April. Agency bulletins for summer 2027 are expected from mid-January to early April 2027.

Does the State of Maryland pay interns?

Most routes pay. GSIP and MDOT Fellows pay a $5,000 stipend through UMBC payroll. Legislative interns earn $3,360 to $8,400 for 14 weeks, by hours worked. MDH public health interns earned $17.41 an hour undergraduate and $20.41 graduate in fall 2026. MPT internships and DNR Park Service summer roles are unpaid.

When is the Governor's Summer Internship Program deadline?

Apply before December 31, 2026 for the summer 2027 program. It runs May 24 to August 6, 2027: orientation first, then host-office work Tuesday June 1 to Thursday August 5 at 32 hours a week, with seminars at UMBC on Fridays. Every intern receives a $5,000 stipend.

Is there a summer Legislative Intern Program in Maryland?

No. The General Assembly's program runs with the session, January 11 to April 16, 2027, and it's closed for 2027, as is the graduate Legislative Fellows program. Applications for the 2028 session are expected September to mid-October 2027, following last cycle's September 9 to October 15, 2025 window.

Can out-of-state students apply for State of Maryland internships?

It depends on the route. GSIP and MDOT Fellows take students at Maryland schools and Maryland residents studying elsewhere. The Legislative Intern Program takes only students at Maryland colleges. Agency bulletins on JobAps and MDOT SHA carried no residency rule in the postings we read, so out-of-state students can apply there.

Where does the State of Maryland post internships?

Agency internships go on the State's JobAps board under the type Internship Opportunities, and they appear only while open. GSIP and MDOT Fellows use the Maryland Public Service Scholars site at UMBC, the legislature uses the Department of Legislative Services site, and MDOT SHA uses its own intern portal.

Can high school students get a State of Maryland internship?

Only through specific programs. The General Assembly's Student Page Program is for Maryland high-school seniors, and MPT internships accept high-school juniors and seniors. GSIP, MDOT Fellows, the Legislative Intern Program and the agency internships we read are for college or graduate students.

Does a State of Maryland internship lead to a job?

Not directly. The State publishes no conversion rate, and interns don't receive the benefits of permanent State employment. Maryland Public Service Scholars describes GSIP as a launchpad, and graduates apply for full-time State jobs on the same JobAps board, where entry classes often carry Trainee in the title.

GSIP's summer 2027 deadline is December 31, 2026, and the agency bulletins follow from January. If you want a finished project for your applications before then, a remote Externship runs alongside your classes.