Johns Hopkins University Internships: A Comprehensive Guide for Students

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) offers a multitude of internship opportunities for students across various disciplines. These programs provide invaluable hands-on experience, foster professional development, and help students explore potential career paths. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the internship programs available at Johns Hopkins, highlighting key features, benefits, and application processes.

The Value of Internships at Johns Hopkins

Internships, job shadowing, and experiential learning give students the best chance to land a job post-graduation. An internship provides the opportunity to apply the learning you’ve done at Hopkins to the real world. Internships and other immersive summer experiences are invaluable opportunities to prototype future pathways, build meaningful skills, and connect with industry professionals. Through the Life Design Lab, students have access to valuable services, including networking events, résumé workshops, and mock interviews, so they’re ready to pursue their goals.

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Key Internship Programs

JHU departments offer built-in experiences or internship programs that help students get matched with an employer. Here are some notable internship programs at Johns Hopkins University:

Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Internship Programs

APL offers internship programs for both college and high school students. Interns work on technical projects that have a real-world impact. Interns thrive in a culture of innovation while building connections with technology leaders and subject matter experts. These internships lay the groundwork for becoming a skilled and accomplished STEM professional.

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An APL internship is an unforgettable immersive summer internship where you’ll work on real-world challenges, collaborate with students from across the country, and learn from some of the brightest minds in your field. From day one, you’ll make meaningful contributions that drive innovation and shape the future.

Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research (IFBR) Student Internship Program

The Basic Science Research Internship Program at the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research provides hands-on, mentored research experiences for motivated high school and undergraduate students. This program supports those who are interested in pursuing careers in basic science and academic research. Participants work alongside scientists, gaining direct exposure to research in a professional laboratory setting.

This program offers an immersive, practical experience in basic biomedical research, including the design, execution, or analysis of ongoing studies. Depending on the level of contribution and timing, students may be eligible for co-authorship or acknowledgement in scientific publications.

In addition to laboratory experience, students will have access to educational enrichment through:

In person instruction from Johns Hopkins faculty on research design, methodology, analysis and publication.
Seminars from the Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, individual lab meetings, and the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Seminar Series in Academia.

Enrollment occurs on a semester base- Fall, Spring, or Summer- allowing students to participate during the academic term that best aligns with their availability. Participation for more than one semester is allowed.

Students may be matched with faculty members, including:

Timothy Osborne, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Professor, Department of Medicine.
Laszlo Nagy, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Director, Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research. Associate Director, Center for Metabolic Origins of Disease. Professor, Department of Medicine
Masanobu Komatsu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,
Andreas Patsalos, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Ranjan Perera, Ph.D., Director, Center for RNA Biology.

Summer Internship Program (SIP)

The Summer Internship Program provides experience in biomedical and/or public health research to students from a variety of backgrounds - including students from racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in science and medicine, students from low-income or underserved backgrounds, and students with disabilities.

Overall, SIP students can expect an experience similar to that of a first-year graduate student who does a three-month rotation in a laboratory (or out in the community) in order to become acquainted with a research project, investigative techniques, and fellow researchers working on that topic. Before arrival, each SIP intern receives several papers related to their specific research project. The goal of the project and its relationship to other work in the area will be discussed. Participants also receive training in the techniques necessary to conduct their research activity. The projects that SIP students take on provide students a sense of ownership of their work.

Besides daily interactions with others at the lab or project site, most teams have a more formal meeting once or twice a week to discuss research problems, work progress and developments reported in the scientific literature. While the focus of each research site varies, all are composed of highly dedicated mentors who are fully devoted to the professional development, advancement and success of our SIP scholars.

Johns Hopkins Summer Jobs Program (JHSJP)

Johns Hopkins will celebrate the 32nd year of the Johns Hopkins Summer Jobs Program in 2026. Jointly sponsored by the health system and university, the program connects Baltimore high school students with paid internships across health care, research, academic, and administrative units at Hopkins. Hosting a JHSJP intern helps students build professional skills while showcasing the breadth of careers at Hopkins. Many past participants have continued their education and returned to Hopkins as employees.

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Life Design Lab Internship Programs

The Life Design Lab offers several programs and resources to support students in securing internships:

Life Design Summer Experience Practicum (LDSEP): The Life Design Summer Experience Practicum (LDSEP) provides students with a structured opportunity to apply Life Design to a summer immersive experience. Over the course of 8-weeks, students will use the principles and processes of design thinking to reflect upon their values, identities, habits, and experiences and their relationship to the world of work; to deepen their understanding of potential professional pathways through conversations with colleagues, supervisors, and alumni; and, to test out these pathways through storytelling and the designing of new habits.
LDL Internship Academy: Join an LDL Internship Academy for success in securing an internship! These multifaceted cohort-based programs equip you with the necessary skills and connections necessary to secure and thrive in your summer internship. Whether you are a First Generation, Limited Income (FLI) student, studying biomedical engineering or pursuing a career in tech or on Wall Street, there is a program for you.
JobsForJays: The Life Design Lab is excited to be gearing up for our annual spring recruiting event called JobsForJays! JobsForJays was created to match top JHU talent with employers who are seeking students for full-time roles or summer internship positions.
Community Impact Internships Program: The Community Impact Internships Program is a competitive, paid summer internship, that pairs JHU undergraduate students with nonprofit organizations and government agencies, and offers an intensive, cohort-based learning environment.
Host a Jay: Through Host a Jay, Johns Hopkins students have the unique opportunity to spend 2-3 days with alumni to explore their career options, learn about daily working life, get relevant experience and make connections. Shadowing will take place during intersession, and applications will be open in October on Handshake.

Department-Specific Internship Programs

BME Your Turn to Intern Program: Through an application process, 100 BME students will be selected to participate in this professional development/internship program. Students accepted into this program will complete a series of exercises, workshops, and events to prepare them for and assist them through the process of gaining a summer internship.
Center for Leadership Education Undergraduate Business Internships: The CLE offers sponsorship (maximum 1 credit per JHU policy) for around 25 internships per academic year through faculty sponsor Leslie Kendrick.
Center for Student Success: For both JUMP and Hop-In, CSS will host events with potential employers who are looking for students from underrepresented backgrounds, as well as a “summer opportunities” event, student panel and provide advice on how to apply for internships during the fall semester.
FastForwardU Commercialization Academy: Commercialization Academy interns spend about eight hours per week working in this program and are compensated for their time. Undergraduate and master’s students accepted into the Commercialization Academy make a two-year commitment.
Ph.D. Film and Media Studies Internship Database: While FMS does not create these internships, their office is a great place for arts students to get guidance and help.
JHMI Biomedical Careers Initiative: BCI, which operates within the JHMedicine Professional Development and Career Office, partners with area companies and organizations who have agreed to host biomedical PhDs as interns.
JHMI Orthopaedic Surgery Summer Internship Program: This one-month program is designed for premedical and medical students to increase exposure and gain experience in the field of women’s sports medicine.
Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare Internship Program: The MCEH Internship Program offers engineering undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to gain knowledge and real-life experience in the field of engineering in healthcare.
Social Policy Minor Internships: For this minor, students must participate in either the Baltimore or Washington DC Policy Fellowships. These are intensive one-semester experiences, usually taken during the spring semester of one’s junior year.

The Life Design Lab: A Hub for Internship Support

The Life Design Lab is a valuable resource for students seeking internships. It provides a range of services to help students find the right opportunities based on their specific interests and strengths.

Scholarships for Unpaid Internships

Every student should reap the benefits of internships, regardless of their financial status. The Life Design Lab is pleased to offer scholarships to Johns Hopkins University undergraduates for unpaid and underpaid internships and immersive experiences. Applications are typically available mid-Spring Semester.

Professionalism and Expectations

Whether you’re signing up for a coffee chat or navigating a job offer, your actions reflect on you-and on Hopkins. The Life Design Lab emphasizes the importance of building strong professional relationships and protecting your reputation.

Cancellation of On-Campus Interviews or Coffee Chats: Students are expected to attend any coffee chats or on-campus interview they sign-up for. If you are no longer interested or able to attend, please contact the Life Design Lab at least two business days before your scheduled meeting. A cancellation less than two business days before your scheduled meeting, or failure to attend, will be considered a no-show in which students will be asked to visit with a Life Design Educator (LDE) within 2 weeks. Student’s Handshake account and future participation in coffee chats may be suspended if they fail to meet with an LDE.
Accepting Offers: Johns Hopkins University believes students should be able to explore the options open to them to make responsible and well-informed decisions about employment offers. Students are encouraged to be considerate in their reply to employers and meet with a Life Design Educator to discuss your options if you are feeling pressure to make a decision before you are ready. Once you accept an offer in writing, you have entered into a contractual agreement. Students who renege on an offer will be asked to meet with a Life Design Educator within 2 weeks. Student’s Handshake account and future participation in future high-impact programming, like Career Treks, may be suspended if they fail to meet with an LDE.

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