Your time in college is important. Not only are you here to learn a subject, you are here to grow professionally, academically, and socially. Regardless of your major, graduate schools and businesses look for signs of these growth. A great way of displaying is through taking part in an internship. This article is focused on various internships for STEM majors.

STEM majors are students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math degree programs. If you are currently in or interested in any of these fields then get ready, because this is for you.

Internships bring many benefits to us as students. Academically, they look great on a resume and show dedication. Internships tell the evaluators that not only did you take the time to submit applications and needed materials. It's also a sign that you impressed the programs enough for them to want you, that these programs saw something in you that distinguished you from their applicant pool, and that you can go a long way.

Socially, internships are great for meeting new people from different places and backgrounds, yet that share similar interests, and are invaluable opportunities for networking. Professionally, an internship allows you to actually be and visualize yourself where you want to be in the future. They allow you to grow and gain experience from mentors in your field. Lastly, a lot of internships in STEM fields are paid, which is always a bonus.

I have put together a list of undergraduate STEM major internships that are worth applying for and should be a great starting point to look for other related programs. I encourage you to look up the webpages for each of these to see if they are what you are looking for and if you have any questions contact the programs directly. This shows your interest, so doing it regardless is a good idea, as well.

1. Short-Term Research Experience for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP) Program

• Type of Program: Research
• Host: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Who can apply:
  • Full-time, U.S., undergraduate students
  • Must come from a group traditionally underrepresented in science research
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or more
• Length of Program: 10 weeks
• Award:
  • $4,500 stipend, up to $1,200 for travel and stay to and from the NIH’s Annual Science Conference at the end of the summer
• Application Opens: November 15
• Application Deadline: February 15
• Location: Varies, normally a research institution selected by the student
• Website: https://stepup.niddk.nih.gov/

2. National Homeland Security-STEM Summer Internship and Summer Research Team Programs

• Type of Program: Research/Work
• Host: US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• Who can apply:
  • Full-time, US, undergraduate STEM students
  • Undergraduate sophomores and juniors
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.3 or more
• Length of Program: 10 weeks
• Award:
  • $600-per week stipend plus limited travel reimbursement
• Application Opens: Unknown
• Application Deadline: December 22
• Location: Varies, Federal research facilities across the US
• Website: www.orau.gov/dhseducation/internships/

3. Summer Medical And Dental Education Program (SMDEP)

• Type of Program: Academic/Career Development and Clinical Exposure
• Host: Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
• Who can apply:
  • Full-time, US, undergraduate STEM students
  • Undergraduate freshmen and sophomores
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or more
  • Interested in Medicine or Dentistry
• Length of Program: 6 weeks
• Award:
  • $600 stipend, housing and most meals are covered by the program, travel scholarships available
• Application Opens: November 1
• Application Deadline: March 1
• Location: Varies, students choose from 12 participating medical and dental schools
• Website: www.smdep.org

4. Summer Research - Early Identification Program (SR-EIP)

• Type of Program: Research
• Host: The Leadership Alliance
• Who can apply:
  • Full-time, US, undergraduate STEM students
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or more
  • Interested in PhD or MD-PhD programs
• Length of Program: 8-10 weeks
• Award:
  • Varies depending on research institution from $3,000-$5,000
• Application Opens: November 1
• Application Deadline: February 1
• Location: Varies, students choose from 21 research sites
• Website: www.theleadershipalliance.org/tabid/242/Default.as...

5. American Psychological Association (APA) Internships

The American Psychological Association (APA) offers a variety of internships. They also sponsor a variety of opportunities from other institutions. Here is a link to their internship lists, which contains approximately 24 other programs for STEM majors.

Link: http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/research-opps.aspx

I highly encourage you to apply to as many of these programs as possible. Do not feel intimidated by the internships, odds are many people won’t apply because they feel they won’t get accepted. Take a chance, challenge yourself, and have faith.