Work, Internships, & Extracurricular Activities

Boeing, Northrop Grumman, NASA’s JPL and Langley, Virgin Galactic, SpaceX: all places (and lots of others) where AeroAstro undergraduates participate in incredible internship experiences.

All undergrad full-time students are eligible for off-campus internships. Full-time and continuing MIT undergraduates may participate in the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, which enables students to work on campus during the summer. Students may also explore summer opportunities through the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) and the Student-Alumni Externship Program. (Note: Touchstone login required.)

Students who have general internship questions, or specific concerns, may contact either faculty internship coordinator Professor Brian Wardle or Academic Programs Administrator Marie Stuppard.

Prospective Employers

To find out more about listing an AeroAstro student summer internship with your organization, please contact Marie Stuppard. She’ll work with you to publicize your opportunities to our students, and can aid in organizing a campus information session, a technical talk, or a meet-and-greet event. Employers are welcome to offer internships year-round, but it should be noted that many prospective employers advertise internship opportunities in the early fall. The majority of our students seeking summer internships will have accepted offers by the end of November.

Through MIT International Science & Technology Initiatives (MISTI), students may apply to spend the junior year (or a term) abroad where they enroll in the academic cycle of a host institution and take courses in the local language. Course 16 currently has an academic as well as a research exchange with Imperial College, London, and an academic exchange with the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Due to the current global health crisis, sponsored travel has been suspended until further notice. However, students may apply to MISTI for a remote internship or an experiential learning opportunity (ELO). Please visit MISTI for upcoming events and deadlines.

While MIT students don’t choose their majors until the end of their first year, AeroAstro enthusiastically welcomes first-year students who have an interest in aerospace. In the Spring, AeroAstro offers a class that first-year students are welcome to take: Introduction to Aerospace Engineering and Design (Class 16.00). In 16.00, student teams undertake a lighter-than-air vehicle project where they design, build, and race radio-controlled blimps. The course is led by former NASA astronaut, Professor Jeffrey Hoffman. 16.00 has no prerequisites, carries six units, and is letter-graded.

First-year students are also welcome to participate in department activities, including the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and student groups and clubs. They are invited to attend lectures and programs featuring guest speakers from the aerospace industry, NASA, the FAA, and other organizations, and to apply for summer internships through the Massachusetts Space Grant program.

If you’re a first-year student and would like to be notified of AeroAstro events and programs, write 
aaundergradinfo@mit.edu from your MIT email address and ask to be placed on our email list.

The Bernard M. Gordon — MIT Engineering Leadership Program helps MIT’s undergraduate engineering students develop the skills, tools, and character they will need as future leaders in the world of engineering practice. In either a one-year or two-year program, participants are immersed in interactive, hands-on experiential learning and benefit from intensive coaching and evaluation.

The Bernard M. Gordon — MIT Engineering Leadership Program helps MIT’s undergraduate engineering students develop the skills, tools, and character they will need as future leaders in the world of engineering practice.

Founded in 2001, MIT’s Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program (UPOP) is a year-long professional development program for sophomores focused on building the relevant and critical skills necessary for a career in industry, research, or academia. The program features 1:1 advising, interactive workshops, and exercises led by UPOP’s dedicated community of mentors, program alumni, employer partners, and staff.