Graduate Systems Engineer Internships
Graduate systems engineer internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience, mentorship from working engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings in {{top_industries_phrase}} are active now, with Blue Origin, The Aerospace Corporation, and Georgia Tech among the employers posting roles now.
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Showing 5 of 12+ Graduate Systems Engineer Internships
What Your Job Will Be Like
- Create or modify flight code binaries for sequencing, algorithm implementation, or telemetry
- Create or modify telemetry visualization screens and analysis scripts
- Modify or update models in MATLAB Simulink to support model-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, or hardware-in-the-loop testing and analysis
- Create scripts to automate testing and/or analysis
- Tune guidance or control algorithms to meet vehicle performance objectives.
Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.
Salary Range
At Sandia, we value the important work done by our interns and its contribution to National Security. Because of this, our interns earn competitive pay rates. Our pay structure is based on earned credit hours, classification, and degree level. Your pay rate will be determined during the hire process and included in your offer package. You can view the Intern Pay Rate chart here.
Qualifications We Require
You bring the confidence and skills to be eligible for the job by meeting these minimum requirements:
- Earned bachelor's degree
- Currently attending and enrolled full time in the spring term immediately preceding the internship (or scheduled to graduate in the spring) in an accredited science, engineering, or math graduate program
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0
- Ability to work up to 40 hours per week during the summer
- Ability to secure and maintatin a U.S. security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship
Note: If you have not yet started your graduate program, please apply to an undergraduate intern position.
Qualifications We Desire
- Aerospace Engineering, Controls Engineering., Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or similar major
- Experience with aerospace systems
- Experience deriving equations of motion for dynamical systems.
- Experience with classical or modern control theory
- Experience using C++ or Rust on multiple projects
- Experience creating real-time software on embedded processors
- Experience with real-time operating systems
- Experience using MATLAB Simulink to model dynamical systems
- Experience with GitHub, Teamforge, or similar
- Familiarity with agile code development processes
Posting Duration
This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.
About Our Team
The NPC Software Systems Department creates navigation, guidance, pointing, and control algorithms and software for various flight systems, including hypersonic, nuclear deterrence, and space applications. We have experience in real-time flight software engineering, post-processing trajectory reconstruction, signal processing, simulation development, and analysis of testing results for a wide variety of navigational sensors and test modalities. 5323 stewards two labs where benchtop, software-in-the-loop, and hardware-in-the-loop testing of flight software may be accomplished. Our activities span the range from applied research to fielded programs of record.
About Sandia
Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:
- Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
- Extraordinary co-workers
- Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
- Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
- Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
- Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*
World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov
- These benefits vary by job classification.
Security Clearance
Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.
Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.
EEO
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.
NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs
If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.
If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.
What Your Job Will Be Like
- Create or modify flight code binaries for sequencing, algorithm implementation, or telemetry
- Create or modify telemetry visualization screens and analysis scripts
- Modify or update models in MATLAB Simulink to support model-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, or hardware-in-the-loop testing and analysis
- Create scripts to automate testing and/or analysis
- Tune guidance or control algorithms to meet vehicle performance objectives.
Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.
Salary Range
At Sandia, we value the important work done by our interns and its contribution to National Security. Because of this, our interns earn competitive pay rates. Our pay structure is based on earned credit hours, classification, and degree level. Your pay rate will be determined during the hire process and included in your offer package. You can view the Intern Pay Rate chart here.
Qualifications We Require
You bring the confidence and skills to be eligible for the job by meeting these minimum requirements:
- Earned bachelor's degree
- Currently attending and enrolled full time in the spring term immediately preceding the internship (or scheduled to graduate in the spring) in an accredited science, engineering, or math graduate program
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0
- Ability to work up to 40 hours per week during the summer
- Ability to secure and maintatin a U.S. security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship
Note: If you have not yet started your graduate program, please apply to an undergraduate intern position.
Qualifications We Desire
- Aerospace Engineering, Controls Engineering., Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or similar major
- Experience with aerospace systems
- Experience deriving equations of motion for dynamical systems.
- Experience with classical or modern control theory
- Experience using C++ or Rust on multiple projects
- Experience creating real-time software on embedded processors
- Experience with real-time operating systems
- Experience using MATLAB Simulink to model dynamical systems
- Experience with GitHub, Teamforge, or similar
- Familiarity with agile code development processes
Posting Duration
This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.
About Our Team
The NPC Software Systems Department creates navigation, guidance, pointing, and control algorithms and software for various flight systems, including hypersonic, nuclear deterrence, and space applications. We have experience in real-time flight software engineering, post-processing trajectory reconstruction, signal processing, simulation development, and analysis of testing results for a wide variety of navigational sensors and test modalities. 5323 stewards two labs where benchtop, software-in-the-loop, and hardware-in-the-loop testing of flight software may be accomplished. Our activities span the range from applied research to fielded programs of record.
About Sandia
Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:
- Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
- Extraordinary co-workers
- Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
- Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
- Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
- Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*
World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov
- These benefits vary by job classification.
Security Clearance
Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.
Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.
EEO
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.
NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs
If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.
If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.
Graduate Systems Engineer Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Tips for Your Graduate Systems Engineer Internship Search
Apply in the fall for summer internships
Large aerospace, defense, and technology employers open summer graduate systems engineer internship applications as early as August or September of the preceding year. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so check listings throughout the academic year rather than waiting until spring.
Build a documented engineering project portfolio
Hiring teams for graduate systems engineer interns assess candidates on evidence, not tenure. Put two or three complete projects on record, system architecture diagrams, simulation outputs, CAD models, or lab reports, and host them somewhere linkable. That portfolio gives recruiters something to evaluate before the first conversation.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured internship programs tied to your university, and professors or career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Apply directly to companies running smaller cohorts at the same time, combining both channels widens the pool you reach.
Practice your technical screen out loud before you apply
Graduate systems engineer intern interviews typically include a technical screen covering systems thinking, modeling, or engineering fundamentals, often presented as a design or analysis problem. Practice talking through your reasoning as you work, not just arriving at the answer, because interviewers weigh how you think as much as the final solution.
Target structured rotational and university programs early
Larger employers in defense, aerospace, and manufacturing run cohort or rotational internship programs specifically built to train people new to the field. These programs recruit on a fixed academic calendar, fill in the first application wave, and are competitive, identify the ones that fit your background and apply before the cohort closes.
Set your work-type filter before you start searching
On-site roles are 67% of the graduate systems engineer internships listed here. Decide what you can commit to, on-site, hybrid, or remote, before you start sorting. Filtering by location and work type upfront keeps you focused on roles you can actually accept and prevents you from investing time in applications that do not match your situation.
Graduate Systems Engineer Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a graduate systems engineer internship?
Lead with coursework, personal projects, and a portfolio rather than work history, hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. For graduate systems engineer candidates, a linked portfolio of system designs, lab reports, or documented engineering projects gives recruiters something concrete to assess. Pair direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a graduate systems engineer internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. For graduate systems engineer interns, what actually drives it is performance on real project work, available headcount on the team, and how early you signal interest before the return-offer decision window closes. Position yourself for one without counting on it by treating every deliverable as a job audition.
When should I apply for graduate systems engineer internships?
Earlier than most expect. Large employers recruit summer interns the preceding fall, often closing cohorts before spring semester begins. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to their start dates, so openings appear year-round. Checking listings regularly and applying as soon as a role matches your availability gives you the best chance across both timelines.
Are graduate systems engineer internships paid?
Most professional graduate systems engineer internships in the U.S. are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location, so there is no single standard. Where an employer discloses pay, the listing will show it. Internships at smaller companies or nonprofits occasionally offer stipends or academic credit in place of hourly wages, so read each listing carefully.
What should a graduate systems engineer internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented engineering projects with the tools, software, and methodologies used, and link to the work where possible, a GitHub repository, a CAD portfolio, or a published technical report. Add relevant coursework in systems engineering, controls, or modeling. Keep the whole document to one page.
Are there remote graduate systems engineer internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 33% of the graduate systems engineer internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast because they draw applicants from across the country, so apply early and filter by work type to surface them before they close.
Can international students get graduate systems engineer internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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