15 Chemical Engineering Summer Internships for Undergraduates
- Stephen Turban
- Nov 2
- 10 min read
If you are a college student pursuing chemical engineering or just interested in the field, an internship can be a great way to get started. Chemical engineering internships typically offer opportunities to work in industrial facilities, research labs, or manufacturing plants. You may get to assist with real-world projects related to chemical processes, production optimization, product development, designing or testing equipment, and quality control.
As an intern, you will find opportunities to apply classroom chemical engineering knowledge in the field to solve real problems. You will work with professionals and like-minded peers, building a professional network early on. These experiences can also be valuable additions to your resume, as they highlight your skills and willingness to get a head start in your career.
To help you with your search, we have compiled a list of 15 chemical engineering summer internships for undergraduates.
If you are looking for more prestigious internships, check out this set of blogs.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: Eight-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort; several cohorts each year
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can commit to 5–15 hours of work/week for 8 – 16 weeks
The Ladder University Internships program offers virtual work experiences, placing you with a startup to work on a real-world project alongside a manager, CEO, or founder. You can indicate your preference for engineering internships while applying. The eight-week program offers dual mentorship from both a startup manager and a Ladder Coach, providing you with one-on-one training in key professional skills, such as communication and time management. At the program’s conclusion, you will present your final project to the startup. While the exact internship tasks will differ based on the specific startup and project, the program can help you build a professional portfolio and develop an understanding of the startup world.
Location: Varies; University of California, Los Angeles, CA, was the previous host
Stipend: $3,500 + travel allowances available
Dates: June 22 – August 29
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Undergraduates enrolled in four-year college/university programs in the U.S.
The Amgen Scholars Program, held at numerous host institutions yearly, is an undergraduate summer research program in science and biotechnology. For 10 weeks, you will work full-time to conduct research in your chosen area, which can be chemical engineering, in the lab alongside faculty. You will participate in seminars and networking events, and present your research at the Biotechnology Symposium to peers and leading scientists. Beyond research, you will find opportunities to discuss science with invited faculty speakers, attend college preparation workshops, and have access to UCLA campus facilities.
Location: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD; Boulder, CO; Charleston, SC
Stipend: $7,810 + up to $4,500 housing assistance and up to $500 travel assistance available for students who need to relocate for the summer
Dates: 11 weeks in the summer; dates TBA
Application deadline: TBA; applications open in mid-October
Eligibility: Full-time undergraduate students in an accredited two-year or four-year college who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents and at least 18 years old
NIST’s SURF is an 11-week STEM research experience for undergraduates, with opportunities also available in areas like materials engineering and chemical and biochemical sciences. You will commit to 40 hours weekly working in a scientific laboratory of the institute. You will spend the summer working with researchers on projects. Past projects have focused on topics like changes in PFAS levels in unused firefighter gear at the NIST Engineering Laboratory and the measurement of the distance of functional groups within AMPs at the NIST Material Measurement Laboratory. The experience can offer exposure to lab environments and professional research work.
Location: Lockheed Martin facility in Courtland, AL, or other sites, depending on vacancy
Stipend: Paid
Dates: June – August
Application deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Students pursuing a degree in chemical, mechanical, electrical, or aerospace engineering, or a related major; proficiency in Microsoft Office required
Lockheed Martin offers various early career opportunities to students. One of these opportunities is the Manufacturing and Test Engineering Summer Internship, which offers the opportunity to work with the Lockheed Martin Manufacturing, Quality, and Test teams. As an intern, you will document the processes in Production, assess the Missile Assembly Building, and assist with test execution. The program helps you gain real-world experience for careers in defense and aerospace. You will also get to learn from and connect with Lockheed Martin leaders during the program.
Location: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Starts in May/June and requires a commitment of 40 hours/week for at least 10 weeks in the summer.
Application deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Undergraduates pursuing STEM degrees with a minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA, U.S. citizenship/lawful permanent residency, and faculty/mentor alignment
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by Caltech, is NASA’s only federally funded research and development center. As a JPL summer intern, you will work with JPL scientists and engineers on their ongoing projects with focus areas like missions to investigate the surface and interior of Venus, the ocean below Jupiter’s moon Europa, and minute movements of Earth’s ice and land-covered surfaces. You will have access to mentorship and get to actively contribute to NASA and JPL missions. Additionally, you will participate in lectures and career advice sessions arranged by the JPL Education Office, as well as go on tours.
Location: On-site or hybrid in Rahway, NJ
Stipend: Prorated amount based on annual salary of $39,600–105,500
Dates: 11 – 12 weeks from May to August
Application deadline: November 2
Eligibility: Students enrolled as sophomores, juniors, and seniors pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, biological sciences, chemical engineering, bioengineering, or material science; experience with programming languages such as Python or MATLAB and structural data visualization tools is required.
The Chemical Biotechnologies Internship is an opportunity for undergraduates within the Process Research Chemical Biotechnologies area, offering experience in biocatalysis, protein engineering, and microfluidics in the context of drug discovery. You will work alongside scientists in labs, participate in departmental and project team meetings, explore drug discovery and development processes, and maintain electronic notebook records. You will contribute to the invention, development, and implementation of biomolecules and biocatalysts. You will also present research results in oral and written formats.
Location: Sandia’s labs in Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA, or other sites in the U.S.
Stipend: Paid (check details here)
Dates: Opportunities available throughout the year, including in summer; dates vary
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and graduate students; exact requirements vary by opportunity
Sandia offers various technical and business internships to students at all levels interested in exploring areas like engineering design, cybersecurity, or other STEM fields. You can choose from opportunities in chemical sciences. As an intern, you will assist researchers with lab experiments, data collection, and the interpretation of research results. Certain positions offer exposure to the syntheses of organic, inorganic, or inorganic molecules/materials and analytical techniques used to purify and characterize these materials. Within your chosen role, you will contribute to your research group’s efforts to accomplish Sandia's mission of boosting national security.
Location: Boeing facilities in Everett, Washington; Heath, Ohio; Seal Beach, CA; Long Beach, CA; Huntington Beach, CA; Arlington, VA; Hazelwood, MO; Ridley Park, PA; Mesa, AZ; Renton, WA; North Charleston, SC
Stipend: $42,000 – $88,000
Dates: 10-12 weeks during the summer
Application deadline: Applications open in August
Eligibility: Students majoring in a core engineering/applied sciences discipline (architecture or civil/structural, data engineering, electrical, mechanical, sustainability, manufacturing, controls, or software engineering)
This Boeing internship is an opportunity to use engineering principles and methodology to translate customer requirements into feasible options that meet expectations regarding scope, resources, and cost. As an intern, you will plan and execute projects, often interacting with external vendors. You will gain practical experience while working with engineers to solve real problems. You will also go for tours of the manufacturing and research facilities, interact with Boeing leaders to discuss future possibilities in the aerospace industry, and engage with peers.
Location: Con Edison’s offices in NY
Stipend: $21–29/hour
Dates: 10 – 12 week summer internship (May–August)
Application deadline: November 2
Eligibility: Full-time students enrolled in a four-year college program pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical, mechanical, environmental, civil, or chemical engineering, or environmental Science
The Engineering Aide Temp Summer Internship offers the opportunity to work at Con Edison subsidiary Orange and Rockland as an Engineering Aide intern and support the company’s energy delivery efforts. You will assist technicians and engineers in supporting cost-effective energy delivery of electric, gas, and steam commodities. You will be involved in administrative and project management support, data analysis, forecasting and strategy development support, and other operations based on your project. Additionally, you will engage in site tours, industry speaker series, volunteer events, and networking opportunities.
Location: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Stipend: Paid; varies by role
Dates: Typically in the summer
Application deadline: February 13
Eligibility: Undergraduate STEM majors who maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 out of 4.0
Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Engineering UGS Program offers multidisciplinary research internships in the summer. Within the Chemical Engineering track, you may work on projects focusing on material science modeling or the design, development, and testing of heat pipes for advanced nuclear reactor concepts. You will also work with computational research methods to collect and analyze data. You will gain hands-on working experience under the mentorship of researchers and get access to professional development opportunities.
Location: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
Stipend: $6,000 + ~$1,000 housing and travel support available
Dates: June 16 – August 22
Application deadline: January 9
Eligibility: Current sophomores, juniors, and non-graduating seniors with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4; applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or have DACA status, with prior research experience and an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. Find more details here.
Caltech’s WAVE Fellows program is a 10-week undergraduate STEM research opportunity designed to increase accessibility to the university’s Ph.D. programs. You will work with an assigned mentor to define and develop a research project. You will submit two interim reports, a research abstract, and a final paper. At the end of the program, you will deliver an oral/poster presentation on Seminar Day. Additionally, you will attend seminars led by Caltech faculty and JPL scientists, and workshops on professional and academic development.
Location: Austin, TX; Fremont, CA; Robstown, TX; Reno, NV
Stipend: Paid
Dates: January – May, with the option to extend into Summer
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Undergraduates currently pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering
As a Chemical Engineering intern at Tesla, you will work with Tesla engineers and technicians in mass and energy balance model development, pilot scale design, refinery commission, or engineering test planning and execution. Responsibilities vary by department; for instance, if placed within the crystallization team, you will prepare for refinery plant commissioning and start-up, whereas within the Cell Recycling Project Engineering position, you will help come up with new battery recycling processes. You will work with Excel and process modeling software like Aspen, SysCAD, and HSC for mass and energy balance. You will work closely in a team with a manager and a mentor and experience life at Tesla while working on ongoing projects.
Location: The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Stipend: $6,000
Dates: TBA; typically 10–12 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: January 8
Eligibility: Rising undergraduate students who have completed their freshman year and are enrolled at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, or the University of Monterrey, Mexico
SURE is a graduate-level research experience for undergraduate students. As a participant, you will work on a research project under the mentorship of a faculty advisor within a UM College of Engineering facility. The focus of the program is to help you assess your interests in pursuing research at the master’s or Ph.D. level in graduate school. Past research projects in chemical engineering have focused on topics like dynamic electrochemical systems and nanopore electroporation for exosomal uptake and delivery of therapeutic molecules for treating spinal cord injury. The program also offers networking opportunities along with access to research-focused seminars and meetings.
Location: Brady Corporation office, Milwaukee, WI
Stipend: Paid; competitive compensation available
Dates: May – August
Application Deadline: November 30
Eligibility: Currently pursuing a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. in chemical engineering, chemistry, polymer science, or material science
This is a full-time summer internship experience, where you will support prototype testing, data analysis, and product improvement at Brady Corporation. As a Materials Research & Development Intern, you will be responsible for testing prototype material designs to meet performance requirements. You will conduct statistical studies and develop test procedures and reports, and collect test data using Microsoft Excel, Minitab, or JMP. Additionally, you will collaborate with experienced scientists and engineers on New Product Development and Operations projects.
Location: Various SpaceX sites, including Astrop, TX; Cape Canaveral, FL; Hawthorne, CA; Irvine, CA; McGregor (Waco), TX; Redmond, WA; Starbase, TX, and Vandenberg, CA
Stipend: $28/hour (for freshmen and sophomores) | $30/hour (for juniors and seniors)
Dates: 12 weeks beginning in May or June
Application deadline: Fall (September – October for summer roles)
Eligibility: Students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in an engineering, physics, or math discipline by the start of employment with a 3+ months of applied engineering experience (internship, laboratory, and personal/team project)
The SpaceX Summer Engineering Internship is designed for undergraduates interested in exploring the applications of chemical engineering at Starlink, SpaceX’s broadband internet system. You will work in teams that design, build, test, and operate satellites, consumer receivers, and the software that brings it all together at Starlink. Work profiles include roles in Components Engineering, Integration and Test Engineering, Materials Engineering, Structures Design, and other units. Additionally, you will get to network with other interns and SpaceX employees through social and professional events.
One other option—Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you want to pursue independent research under the guidance of a mentor, consider applying to Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, which are selective programs founded in partnership with Harvard and Oxford researchers. In the past, 4,000+ students applied for just 500 spots in the research program. You can learn about the application and available programs on the application form here.
Also, you can check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation—a non-profit research program for talented low-income students. Last year, it offered 150 students full need-based financial assistance.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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