15 Business Internships for Undergraduates in Minnesota
Doing an internship is one of the smartest steps college students can take to get ready for post-graduation. It gives you practical experience in a field you are interested in, letting you test out potential careers before you graduate. This kind of work enhances your resume and builds your professional profile with achievements. Because employers value that kind of initiative and on-the-job experience, doing an internship significantly improves your odds of getting hired after graduation. Business internships enable you to work within a professional setting to help you understand how areas like marketing, finance, operations, and strategy function in organizations.
Why should I do a business internship in college?
A business internship allows you to contribute to projects related to market research, operational planning, financial analysis, or customer engagement, helping you develop practical skills that extend beyond coursework. These experiences expose you to professional tools, workplace communication, and collaborative problem-solving in organizational settings. Internships can additionally expand your professional network by connecting you with managers, mentors, and peers across different parts of an organization. Over time, this combination of experience, skill development, and industry exposure helps you enter the workforce with stronger credentials and a clearer understanding of potential career paths.
Minnesota has major corporations, established financial institutions, and growing entrepreneurial ventures, which offer business internships across sectors such as retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and finance. To help you find the right option, we've identified 15 business internships for undergraduates in Minnesota that provide meaningful project work, mentorship, and exposure to business operations.
1. Carlson School of Management – Deluxe E-ternship Program
Location: University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Minneapolis
Stipend: $15.25/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~40–50 students per semester
Dates: Spring: January 20 – May 4; Fall: September – December
Application Deadline: Spring: Late November; Fall: Mid-to-late April
Eligibility: Current students at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits during the semester they will be participating in the program, and not studying abroad
The Deluxe E-ternship Program places you on an early-stage venture team where you contribute to projects tied to the company's actual growth priorities. Depending on the startup, your work may involve evaluating new markets, researching customer demand, assessing products or services, or helping shape business planning for a developing venture. Interns often gain visibility into multiple parts of the business rather than working in a narrowly defined role. You also interact directly with founders and small leadership teams, which helps you understand how entrepreneurial decisions are made under real constraints. Faculty and the entrepreneurship center support adds another layer of guidance as you move through project milestones.
2. Ladder University Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25%; 70–100 students per session
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
Application deadline: Varies depending on the cohort; Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: Undergraduates and gap year students who can work for 10–20 hours/week, for 8–12 weeks
The Ladder University Internship Program places you with a startup or nonprofit where you work on a real project tied to the organization's ongoing needs. Responsibilities vary by host team, but many students contribute to market research, operations support, product-related tasks, business analysis, or other project-based work that helps move the organization forward. Along the way, you work with a startup manager while also receiving support from a Ladder Coach, who helps you strengthen professional communication, organization, and problem-solving. Many participants conclude the experience by presenting their work to leadership, giving the internship a clear endpoint and a tangible final product. Apply now!
3. 3M Undergraduate Sales, Marketing & Analytics Intern - Transportation & Electronics Business Group (TEBG)
Location: 3M Headquarters, Maplewood, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; approximately 51–100 interns
Dates: Typically 10–12 weeks, running from early June through August
Application Deadline: March 22
Eligibility: Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree, or higher, in Marketing or Business Analytics from an accredited institution; Completed a minimum of junior year (6 semesters) by the start of the internship; Current cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; Completion of two of the required classes in the major, minor, or concentration
As a 3M Sales Enablement and Operations Intern in the Safety & Industrial Business Group, you learn the practical mechanics of supporting a global sales force. The program covers fundamental topics like sales strategy, channel outreach, and operational efficiency. You will conduct prospect research, qualify leads, draft targeted outreach content, and collaborate with marketing teams to build standardized sales training materials. You get direct exposure to 3M's specialized industrial division, gaining insight into complex manufacturing markets. By completing these tasks, you develop highly transferable skills in cross-functional communication, lead analysis, and strategic sales planning.
4. Chick-fil-A Business Intern
Location: Primarily Roseville, MN, Saint Paul, MN, and Arden Hills, MN (multiple locations across the Twin Cities and St. Cloud)
Stipend: $14.50 – $18.50/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 1–5 interns per location
Dates: Typically summer (May – August) or a 6-month/2-semester commitment (approx. August – May) for year-round leadership tracks
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduates (18+ years old)
In this internship, you participate in an 11-week summer program at the Atlanta corporate headquarters designed to provide hands-on experience in supporting the company's nationwide restaurant operations. The program covers fundamental corporate topics like strategic planning, inventory management, hospitality optimization, and localized marketing. During your internship, you will analyze business usage trends, draft full-cycle marketing plans, build systems to improve inventory accuracy, and review guest feedback metrics. The program strongly emphasizes servant leadership and focuses on directly supporting independent Owner-Operators. By completing these tasks, you develop highly transferable skills in data-driven decision-making, cross-functional collaboration, and operational workflow analysis.
5. UHC Sales Intern
Location: Minnetonka, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; cohort size not disclosed
Dates: June 2 – August 7
Application Deadline: May 10
Eligibility: Rising seniors (must be pursuing a Bachelor's degree with a graduation date after the internship); U.S. work authorization
In this internship, you will participate in a 10-week structured program focused on the Medicare business and the direct-to-consumer sales model. The internship covers core topics like health insurance fundamentals, the end-to-end sales process, and healthcare distribution. During the summer, your activities will include engaging in simulated selling competitions, shadowing professionals, and supporting agent interactions by managing member inquiries. The role blends a comprehensive corporate training curriculum with immediate, hands-on exposure to real Medicare prospects. Through these experiences, you develop highly refined presentation abilities and essential technical capabilities.
6. Lakeshirts – Business Administration Internships
Location: Detroit Lakes, MN
Stipend: $15/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; typically 2 interns per specific track
Dates: Typically 12 weeks, running May through August
Application Deadline: Late March / Early April
Eligibility: Undergraduates currently attending or newly graduated from a 4-year university pursuing a degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or related fields
As a Lakeshirts Business Administration Intern, you will immerse yourself in the daily operations of a massive, fast-paced custom apparel manufacturer. The program covers essential corporate functions by allowing you to choose between specialized tracks in Human Resources or Customer Service. Depending on your path, you will work on screening potential candidates, planning engaging employee events, managing detailed data entry, and executing customer communication. The program features an unapologetically non-corporate culture, complete with a relaxed dress code, dogs in the office, and a highly collaborative team environment. By engaging in these practical tasks, you develop sharp organizational abilities and front-line communication skills.
7. Tierra Encantada – Operations Intern
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Stipend: $18–$20/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small cohort sizes
Dates: 12 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduates currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration or a related field
As an Operations Intern at Tierra Encantada's Minneapolis headquarters, you will support operational excellence within a growing Spanish immersion early education franchise. The program covers key business areas like file management, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) alignment, and facility quality assurance. During the summer, you will restructure digital and physical file systems, audit existing SOPs to identify process gaps, and conduct on-site classroom quality audits across corporate centers. Additionally, you will analyze your audit data to present actionable improvements directly to leadership. This internship uniquely bridges corporate business administration with the operational realities of early childhood education. By completing these tasks, you will develop strong skills in process standardization, data analysis, and operational compliance.
8. Havis Inc. – Summer Intern Enterprise Facilities
Location: Burnsville, MN
Stipend: $20/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; typically 1–3 interns focused on Enterprise Facilities/Sales research
Dates: Late May/Early June – Early August
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Undergraduate students (including incoming freshmen) currently enrolled in Business, Marketing, or related fields; proficiency in MS Office is required
In this internship, you focus on business development by researching adjacent markets like enterprise fleets and logistics. During the program, you will perform hands-on activities such as identifying new business prospects, updating CRM systems with sales records, and preparing targeted proposals for client meetings. You will also spend time investigating how modern sales professionals incorporate AI tools to make their daily outreach tasks more efficient. You also get the opportunity to directly influence the strategic growth of a company looking to expand beyond its traditional public safety roots into untapped international spaces. Ultimately, this experience equips you with market analysis, lead generation, technical CRM management, and strategic communication skills.
9. Shift – Sales & Business Internship
Location: Minneapolis, Rochester, Mankato, and St. Cloud, MN
Stipend: $1,000 – $5,000/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 10–15 students per market/region
Dates: Summer (Late May – August); typically 10–12 weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduate students or recent graduates
In this internship, you will engage in direct, door-to-door sales within the home services and pest control industry. This program covers the practical fundamentals of territory management, customer acquisition, and direct marketing strategy. You will prospect local neighborhoods, pitch services to homeowners, negotiate contracts on the spot, and manage your own daily performance metrics. The program removes you from a traditional corporate desk and places you entirely in the field, offering a highly autonomous environment with performance-based earning potential. Through this grassroots approach, you will build mental resilience, learn rejection handling, and develop highly persuasive communication skills.
10. Katapult Network – Sales & Marketing Internship
Location: Bloomington, MN
Stipend: $16–$20/hour base rate + uncapped sales commission
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; small cohort sizes
Dates: Summer (Part-time: 10–20 hours/week)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduates at an accredited university
As a Sales and Marketing Intern at Katapult Network, you will learn how business development operates from start to finish. The program covers fundamental topics like consultative sales, client engagement, and overarching business strategy. You will research open jobs to identify local decision-makers, manage calling activities in HubSpot, and contact sales leads to set executive meetings. The internship involves you actively pitching Katapult's highly specific niche, helping startups and organizations hire recent college graduates with zero to two years of experience. Through this hands-on work, you will build essential skills in navigating professional conversations, overcoming client objections, and cultivating long-term corporate relationships.
11. Ameriprise Financial Internships
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size varies by department
Dates: 10 weeks, typically from early June to mid-August
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Current undergraduate juniors graduating in December or May/June; have valid U.S. work authorization
Ameriprise Financial's internship program gives undergraduates the chance to contribute to projects that support core business functions within a major financial services firm. You may work in product and business solutions, sales operations, corporate finance, marketing, communications, or other business-facing areas that shape how the company serves clients and manages growth. The work is designed to be substantive, with interns supporting projects that require analysis, coordination, and collaboration across teams. In addition to project work, you gain access to experienced professionals and senior leaders, which helps you better understand the priorities of the financial services industry.
12. Medtronic Supply Chain & Supply Management Internship
Location: Minneapolis Area, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; ~400 students globally
Dates: 10 weeks from early June to mid-August
Application Deadline: October 13
Eligibility: Undergraduate college juniors majoring in Supply Chain, Logistics, or a related field; U.S. work authorization required
In this internship, you take ownership of a project and work with teams focused on areas such as supply and demand planning, sourcing, supplier strategy, analytics, and process improvement. The experience is designed around problem-solving, so students are expected to evaluate existing systems, identify opportunities, and contribute to improvement. The internship takes place within a healthcare technology setting, so you also gain perspective on how supply chain decisions support products used in clinical and patient-care environments. Interns collaborate with professionals from different backgrounds, which helps build a more complete understanding of how sourcing, planning, and operational execution connect.
13. Medtronic Finance Internship
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; ~400 interns
Dates: 10 weeks from early June to mid-August
Application Deadline: October 13
Eligibility: Rising junior or senior pursuing a bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related finance major; authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis
The Medtronic Finance Internship places undergraduates in a corporate finance environment where they contribute to analytical work that supports business planning and decision-making. You may work on projects involving financial analysis, modeling, internal audit activity, market review, or broader industry and strategy questions, depending on the team's needs. The role is designed to be hands-on, with students expected to engage directly with data and help interpret findings in ways that are useful to the business. The internship also gives participants a wider view of how finance functions inside a large healthcare technology organization. You collaborate with finance professionals while also taking part in networking and development opportunities that expand their understanding of the organization.
14. Sodexo – Campus Marketing Intern
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Stipend: $18 – $19/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 1–3 interns per campus site
Dates: Typically 10–12 weeks during the summer (Late May/Early June – Mid-August)
Application Deadline: April 13
Eligibility: Current undergraduate student at a Sodexo-partnered school pursuing a degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or Hospitality
In this internship, you dive into the business of high-volume dining and facilities operations. The program covers diverse topics such as brand promotion, consumer engagement, and strategic planning within a campus environment. You will be responsible for creating social media content, managing marketing collateral, executing special program promotions, and tracking customer satisfaction through bi-annual surveys. The program also features "POP Sesh" monthly training calls and industry expert panels that provide professional mentorship alongside your daily tasks. By participating in these initiatives, you learn critical skills in data-driven decision-making, event coordination, and cross-functional communication within a global corporation.
15. FreezPak Logistics – Sales Intern
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Stipend: $19/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not disclosed
Dates: June 1 – August 14
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Must be a graduating senior; business-related majors preferred
In this internship, you will explore the fast-paced world of cold storage and transportation brokerage from their Saint Paul hub. The program covers essential topics like cold chain management, market trend analysis, and lead qualification strategies. You will research prospective clients, manage customer relationship databases, and assist the sales team in drafting professional proposals and presentations. The role provides the opportunity to work for a rapidly growing, family-owned industry leader, offering a more intimate team culture than typical large corporations. By the end of the summer, you will have developed data-driven reporting, lead generation, and professional interpersonal communication skills.