United Launch Alliance Internship 2027–2028: Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: November 2026

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is hiring its summer 2027 interns right now. Applications opened on the Tuesday after Labor Day, September 8, 2026, and on November 11, 2026 its Intern Career Center listed 19 open Summer 2027 internships. One more, Aerospace Engineering, was on the board in October and has already closed. ULA says it fills positions "on a first come, first serve basis" and generally offers about 100 internships a year, mostly in engineering. In plain words: you apply during fall 2026, you intern in summer 2027, and earlier is better.

Quick Facts

The row that matters most: summer 2027 roles are open now and fill first come, first served, so a role you want can close before winter.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most often in 8 weeks (range 4 to 11) at 5 to 10 hours a week. The SQL & Database Architecture Externship with Breaking Games builds the data skills behind ULA's software and IT roles, and the vCISO Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Externship gives cyber applicants a finished risk assessment to discuss. Explore all Externships.

What Is a United Launch Alliance Internship?

A United Launch Alliance internship is a paid, 10-week summer job at the rocket launch company, run as one Summer Intern Program with about 100 positions a year. ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, but it runs its own careers site, job system and intern program, so this guide covers ULA's roles only. Most interns are engineers who support design, production, test and launch work alongside experienced staff; business interns work in finance, supply chain, HR, communications and government relations. ULA's Software Engineering posting describes 2,500 team members and more than 150 consecutive successful missions. Interns also take part in Intern Rockets, an annual student rocket launch ULA presents with BAE Systems.

When Do United Launch Alliance Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

ULA posts its summer internships once a year. Its internships page says profiles can be built from June to August, postings open "the Tuesday following Labor Day (Sept. 8, 2026)", interviews and offers run September to December, and interns start in May. Archived copies of the board show it empty on September 2, 2026 and carrying 20 Summer 2027 roles on October 11, 2026. That's a lead time of about 8 months from posting to start. ULA also says some positions are kept for spring recruiting, so a few roles may appear after New Year. Summer 2028 postings are expected around September 7, 2027, the Tuesday after Labor Day, because the last three cycles all opened right after the holiday.

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

ULA's mode is rolling, not a fixed deadline. Its internships page says positions are "filled on a first come, first serve basis" and tells students to apply right away, and each role closes when ULA has enough candidates. Most postings estimate a 90-day application period from the posting date that "may be shortened or extended". The evidence that roles close early is on the board itself: Aerospace Engineering was live on October 11, 2026 and was closed by November 10. In September 2017 ULA's own Reddit account warned that its chemical, aerospace and mechanical engineering roles were closing early because of the number of applications. Apply this week to every role you qualify for.

Which United Launch Alliance Internship Programs Should You Target?

ULA runs one Summer Intern Program and posts each role as its own requisition. These are the 20 Summer 2027 roles we found on its board, 19 open and 1 closed, with the minimums each posting states.

"Minimum year completed" means the year of college you must have finished by the start of the summer. Check each posting on the ULA Intern Career Center before you apply, since roles close as they fill.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

These rules come from ULA's internships page and its Summer 2027 postings. Where the two differ, we give the posting's wording.

• Citizenship: you must be a U.S. Person as defined in ITAR 22 CFR 120.62, for example a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) or a protected individual.

• Sponsorship: ULA "does not offer Student F-1 or Work H-1B visa sponsorships", so international students can't apply.

• GPA: 3.00 cumulative at the time of application on most postings, stated as "no rounding". Cyber Security and Human Resources ask for 2.90.

• Class year: freshman year completed for Cyber Security and IT, sophomore year for most engineering roles, and junior year for Finance & Business, Government & Political Science, MRP, Material and Process Engineering and Video Editing.

• Return to school: you must plan to be enrolled in fall 2027 classes, and an unofficial transcript is required if you're invited to interview.

• Transportation: a valid driver's license and a vehicle are required for roles in Alabama, California, Florida or Pueblo, Colorado.

Is the GPA a Hard Cutoff?

On the postings, yes. They say the GPA is cumulative "at the time of application" with no rounding, so a 2.98 doesn't meet a 3.00 floor. ULA's internships page gives a lower 2.90 figure at the time of a job offer, but the posting you apply to is the rule that governs. If you're just under, the Cyber Security and Human Resources roles use 2.90.

What Skills Does United Launch Alliance Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

We read all 19 open Summer 2027 postings in full on November 10, 2026. ULA uses one shared template, so a few basics appear almost everywhere: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint) on 18 and "effective presentation, written communication, and verbal communication skills" on 17. Engineering roles add hands-on analysis: processing corrective actions for non-conformances (5 postings) and data analysis and methodology improvement (3). Specific tools appear only on single roles: NX, NASTRAN, SolidWorks, Mathcad and CREO on Mechanical Engineering, software languages on Software Engineering, and security tooling such as SIEM and intrusion detection on Cyber Security.

How Is Demand for Mechanical Engineering Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each skill below comes from ULA's Summer 2027 postings and maps to a remote Externship you can finish while your applications are in.

No open Externship teaches aerospace, mechanical or weld engineering. These cover the software, cyber, finance and analysis side of ULA's roles.

What Is the United Launch Alliance Application and Interview Process Like?

ULA's internships page sets out the schedule, and applicants on Reddit fill in the interview steps. The interview format can change from year to year.

1. Build your profile. From June to August, create a profile in the ULA Intern Career Center and upload your resume and cover letter.

2. Apply on opening day. Postings open the Tuesday after Labor Day. Apply to each role you qualify for, because roles fill first come, first served.

3. Screening contact. Summer 2026 applicants describe a short screening interview, which one applicant heard about a week or two after applying on opening day, to check fit and see which team suits them.

4. Hiring team interview. A formal interview with the hiring manager follows. A 2026 applicant described it as behavioral and recommended the STAR method. Have an unofficial transcript ready.

5. Offer and onboarding. Offers go out between September and December. ULA's staffing team then coordinates your start from December to May.

ULA doesn't publish an acceptance rate or the number of interview rounds.

What Students on Reddit Say

The r/ula subreddit has applicant threads from several cycles. These are lightly paraphrased from threads we read in full; the older ones are dated, so read them as background.

How Do You Stand Out for a United Launch Alliance Internship?

First, be early. ULA fills roles first come, first served, so a strong application in September beats a stronger one in December, and building your profile before Labor Day makes that possible. Second, match the posting's floors exactly: the right class year, the GPA with no rounding and U.S. Person status, because these are screened before anyone reads your projects. Third, show you know ULA's rockets and missions; past applicants on Reddit say interest in the mission comes up in interviews. Hands-on work such as a rocketry club, a design team or a finished analysis project gives you something concrete to talk about. ULA publishes a class size of about 100 but no applicant count or conversion rate, and says returning interns get priority, so one summer can lead to a second.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

If you're aiming for space launch and aerospace, these employers also hire summer interns:

Our aerospace and defense internships guide compares more launch, space and defense employers.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 United Launch Alliance internship?

No. The summer 2026 program has ended, and ULA's board now lists only summer 2027 roles. The good news is that the summer 2027 cycle is open today: 19 roles were live on November 11, 2026, filled first come, first served. Apply now to any role you qualify for.

When do ULA internship applications open?

Once a year, on the Tuesday after Labor Day. Summer 2027 postings opened on September 8, 2026, and interviews and offers run September to December. Summer 2028 postings are expected around September 7, 2027. Build your profile between June and August so you can apply on opening day.

Is the United Launch Alliance internship paid?

Yes. ULA pays interns hourly for time worked. Its Summer 2027 postings show $23.10 to $37.95 an hour in Colorado and $24.20 to $37.95 an hour in California. Roles based only in Alabama, Florida or DC show no range, and some interns get a one-time housing allowance.

Can international students apply for a ULA internship?

No. Every posting requires applicants to be U.S. Persons under ITAR, which means U.S. citizens, green card holders or protected individuals. ULA also says it doesn't offer F-1 or H-1B visa sponsorship. International students should look at employers without export-control rules on their intern roles.

What GPA do you need for a ULA internship?

Most Summer 2027 postings require a 3.00 cumulative GPA at the time of application, with no rounding. Cyber Security and Human Resources ask for 2.90. ULA's internships page mentions 2.90 at the time of an offer, but the posting you apply to sets the rule.

Can freshmen get a United Launch Alliance internship?

Only in some roles. Cyber Security and Information Technology accept students who have finished freshman year by summer 2027. Most engineering roles need sophomore year completed, and Finance & Business, Government & Political Science, MRP, Material and Process Engineering and Video Editing need junior year completed.

Where are ULA internships located?

On site at ULA's own facilities: Denver and Centennial in Colorado (headquarters), the Decatur, Alabama factory, Cape Canaveral in Florida, Pueblo in Colorado, Vandenberg in California and the Washington DC office in Arlington, Virginia. Roles in Alabama, California, Florida and Pueblo require a driver's license and a vehicle.

Do ULA interns get full-time offers?

ULA says interns are evaluated for full-time roles after graduation and returning interns get priority for later summers. It doesn't publish a conversion rate. A former intern on Reddit wrote in 2016 that most of that class got full-time offers, though not everyone, so treat that as one dated account.

Apply on the ULA Intern Career Center this week, before more summer 2027 roles fill. While you wait to hear back, a remote Externship gives you a finished project to talk about in your interview.