15 Internships for College Students in Mississippi
Internships can do a lot for you in college: they add practical experience to your resume, help you test out a career path before graduation, and make your academic work feel more relevant to the jobs you may want later. They also allow you to build professional habits early, whether that means working on deadlines, collaborating with a team, or learning how organizations operate beyond the classroom. For many undergraduates, internships are one of the clearest ways to strengthen their profile while gaining experience in a field they are seriously considering. In a state like Mississippi, that can mean exploring opportunities in research, manufacturing, healthcare, public service, technology, or communications while also building local connections.
If you’re open to considering remote/online internships, then you can check out paid programs here! And if you’re worried about having less experience, check out our blog here!
Why should I do an internship in college?
An internship gives you more than a line on a resume; it helps you become a stronger candidate for future jobs, research roles, and graduate opportunities by showing that you can apply what you have learned in a real setting. You may develop technical skills, communication ability, problem-solving habits, and a better understanding of workplace expectations, all of which can improve your employability after college. Internships also help you clarify your interests, which matters just as much as building experience, since learning what kind of work suits you can shape your coursework, future applications, and long-term plans.
To make that search easier, we compiled a list of 15 internships for college students in Mississippi that offer meaningful work, credible mentorship, and strong professional value. The programs below stand out for the quality of the experience they provide, the skills they help you build, and the relevance they can add to your college and early career trajectory
Quick Look
15 internships total spanning state archives, federal space research, biomedical science, public revenue and finance, civic engagement, and pharmacy, hosted by organizations including NASA's Stennis Space Center, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and two Mississippi INBRE programs
Both Mississippi INBRE tracks (Research Scholars and Applied Health Scholars) offer identical $6,500 stipends at USM's Hattiesburg campus, while UMMC's SURE program offers $4,000 and the NSF REU at Ole Miss offers $6,000
Several state government internships are unpaid or don't disclose pay, including the Mississippi Legislature Visitor Services Internship and Congressman Trent Kelly's office, both of which can be completed for academic credit or as an educational placement
Two Mississippi Department of Revenue internships appear on this list with distinct tracks: one focused on accounting, auditing, and IT, and the other specifically for communications and design students
The earliest deadlines are the NSF REU Politics of Place (early December) and Congressman Trent Kelly's summer session (January 15), so students targeting research or congressional placements should begin preparing materials in the fall
1. Mississippi Department of Archives & History – Summer Internships
Location: Jackson, Mississippi (MDAH campus; all internships are in-person)
Stipend: $2,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not formally published
Dates: June 1 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Current undergraduate and graduate students and recent graduates within two years of completing their degree
In this internship, you join one of MDAH's five divisions - Administration, Archives and Records Services, Historic Preservation, Programs and Communication, or Museums - to delve into an array of projects under the mentorship of MDAH staff. Over 160 hours, you work on project-based or practical-experience assignments spanning archives, archaeology, education, and museums. Your specific responsibilities vary by placement within the state's archival and historic-preservation system. You also receive behind-the-scenes access to state museums, archives, and historic sites, along with professional development workshops. The experience builds research, organizational, and communication skills while immersing you in the most extensive collection of Mississippi-related archival, archaeological, and historic materials.
2. Ladder University Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25%; 70–100 students
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort
Eligibility: Undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks
Through Ladder, you are matched with an early-stage startup and take on project work tied to the company’s real priorities rather than simulated assignments. Your responsibilities depend on the team, which means the experience can lean toward business, technology, policy, sustainability, or another functional area. The structure pushes you to manage deliverables, respond to feedback, and contribute in a setting where needs can change quickly. Alongside the startup placement, you receive guidance from a Ladder Coach who helps you stay accountable and reflect on your progress. You also get a closer look at how founders make decisions, test ideas, and balance competing demands with limited resources. The experience concludes with a final presentation that lets you show what you built or supported over the course of the internship. Apply now!
3. NASA Pathways Internship – Stennis Space Center
Location: John C. Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, MS
Stipend: Paid (GS pay scale)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; cohort size varies by session and agency funding
Dates: Spring session (January–May); Summer session (May–August); Fall session (August–December)
Application Deadline: Varies as per session
Eligibility: U.S. citizens; minimum 2.9 GPA; enrolled at least half-time in an accredited institution; must complete at least 480 work hours before graduation; at least 16 years of age
NASA Pathways is built as a longer-term professional pipeline, so the experience is designed to develop depth instead of a single short-term assignment. You take on work connected to your academic background and contribute across multiple semesters in a more sustained way than a standard summer internship. Depending on your placement, that may mean supporting engineering, systems, scientific, IT, or operational work tied to NASA’s broader mission. The rotational structure helps you understand how large technical organizations distribute work across teams and how projects evolve. You are expected to contribute consistently, build familiarity with internal systems, and grow into more responsibility as you continue.
4. Mississippi Legislature Visitor Services – Internship Program
Location: Mississippi State Capitol, Jackson, Mississippi
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; arranged individually, no fixed cohort
Dates: Academic term, coordinated individually through the Intern Learning Plan with the Visitor Services supervisor and sponsoring professor
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: College and university students age 18 or older; seeking academic credit only; requires a sponsoring professor and a signed Intern Academic Credit Agreement
In this program, you serve as a Visitor Services intern at the Mississippi State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark, focusing on welcoming guests and interpreting the building's history and government functions. Working alongside staff and volunteers, you greet visitors, conduct guided tours, and answer questions about the Capitol and the State of Mississippi while maintaining political neutrality. You build practical skills in public relations, communication, hospitality, and historical and architectural interpretation that connect to fields like education, history, and communications. Before starting, you complete a required orientation and coordinate an individualized Intern Learning Plan with your sponsoring professor and supervisor. The role pairs hands-on public engagement with structured academic credit in a professional government setting.
5. Mississippi INBRE Research Scholars
Location: University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Hattiesburg campus
Stipend: $6,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size dependent on funding and preceptor lab capacity each summer
Dates: June 1 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Undergraduate students over the age of 18; Mississippi residents and U.S. citizens; currently enrolled at a qualifying higher education institution based in Mississippi (list provided); passed two science courses with a lab component prior to the start of the program
The Mississippi INBRE Research Scholars program gives you direct experience with faculty-mentored scientific research in a university lab setting. As an intern, you spend the summer developing a defined project and learning how research questions are framed, investigated, and interpreted. The STEM internship for college students in Mississippi is supported by professional lectures and discussions that introduce you to research careers, graduate education, and the broader scientific landscape. As the program progresses, you are expected to move from data collection into abstract development and scientific communication. Faculty and peer mentoring are built into the experience, offering a more holistic approach. The internship ends with a formal poster presentation.
6. Mississippi INBRE Applied Health Scholars
Location: University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Hattiesburg campus
Stipend: $6,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size not specified
Dates: June 1 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Undergraduate students over the age of 18, Mississippi residents and U.S. citizens; Must be currently enrolled at a qualifying higher education institution based in Mississippi (list provided); Must have earned 30 credit hours by program start
In this program, you work with a faculty mentor on a research project connected to areas such as public health, psychology, exercise science, anthropology, or data-driven health analysis. The experience is hands-on, but it also asks you to think carefully about how research methods translate into real questions about health outcomes and populations. Throughout the program, lectures and mentoring sessions help you connect your summer project to larger academic and professional pathways. You also develop skills in abstract writing, research interpretation, and communicating findings to an audience. The summer concludes with a poster presentation that allows you to share your work in a formal research environment.
7. Enterprise Mobility – Fall Sales Management Trainee Internship
Location: Jackson, MS, covering the Jackson Metro, Flowood, and Ridgeland markets
Stipend: $15 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; no fixed cohort size
Dates: July 27 – October 25
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Current senior enrolled full-time in a bachelor's degree program or Master of Business Administration with a graduation date of December or earlier; at least one year of cumulative experience or involvement within the past four years in sales (commission sales or sales with set goals or bonus potential), or alternatively in the military, collegiate athletics, or an academic leadership role; valid driver's license with a good driving record and no drug- or alcohol-related convictions in the past five years; authorized to work in the U..S. without requiring sponsorship
In this internship, you take on the same challenges as the company's first- and second-year professionals. You build marketable sales skills by serving rental customers, closing transactions, and developing marketing strategies that grow the branch's business. You also learn to manage a fleet of vehicles and build working relationships with customers and coworkers in a fast-paced, team-based environment. Alongside daily operations, you complete structured intern projects and take part in friendly performance competitions with your peers. Throughout, you sharpen your leadership, customer service, and business operations skills that feed directly into Enterprise's full-time Management Trainee career path.
8. The University of Mississippi Medical Center – Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)
Location: Jackson, MS
Stipend: $4,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~38 students
Dates: June 8 – July 29
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: All undergraduates, up to rising seniors; current high school seniors who are graduating prior to the start of the SURE program and have been accepted into an undergraduate program are also eligible; possess a valid US Social Security number
SURE places you in a biomedical research lab where you work closely with a faculty mentor on an active scientific project. Over the course of the program, you spend substantial time in the lab while also participating in seminars and discussions with faculty, graduate students, and postdocs. The research environment exposes you to the study of biomedical questions using advanced tools, experimental design, and collaborative lab practices. Many of the projects in this medical internship for college students in Mississippi are tied to major physiological and disease-related topics, so you also see how basic science connects to real medical problems.
9. Advanced Composites Institute Undergraduate Internship
Location: Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: Summer term (June–July); Fall term (August–December)
Application Deadline: Varies by term
Eligibility: Undergraduate students who are at least 16 years old
This internship introduces you to composite materials and advanced manufacturing through project-based work with clear technical outputs. You typically contribute to a small set of defined assignments, which helps you focus on execution, documentation, and follow-through over the course of the term. Depending on your role, the work may be lab-based, fabrication-oriented, or tied to systems that support production and workflow management. Regular advisor check-ins give the internship structure and help you refine both your process and your final deliverables. One strength of the program is that it combines hands-on technical exposure with expectations around organization and reporting.
10. Mississippi Department of Revenue – Summer Internship Program
Location: Primarily in Clinton area, MS
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies annually based on departmental needs and funding
Dates: Summer and Spring placements
Application Deadline: Summer: April 1; Spring: Mid-December
Eligibility: Must have completed sophomore year (minimum 58 credit hours), a declared major in Accounting, Communications, or or Information Technology/Computer Science; minimum GPA of 3.0, good academic standing; valid driver’s license
The Department of Revenue’s summer internship gives you a closer look at how state government work intersects with finance, compliance, technology, and public administration. As an intern, you may support accounting, auditing, IT development, infrastructure services, or related operational functions. The work is mentor-led, which means you are introduced to professional systems gradually while still taking part in meaningful tasks. In accounting and audit-focused roles, you build experience with reconciliation, analysis, and regulatory research that connects directly to coursework. In technical roles, the internship can involve issue resolution, documentation, testing, system maintenance, and exposure to enterprise-level infrastructure.
11. Mississippi Department of Revenue – Communications Interns
Location: Clinton, MS
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: Spring placement
Application Deadline: December 15
Eligibility: Completion of Sophomore Year (minimum of 58 credit hours); living in or attending college in the Jackson metropolitan area; declared major or recently completed degree in Communications, Graphic Design, Marketing, Digital Media, or related field; overall GPA of 3.0 or higher; good standing with the educational institution; valid driver's license
In this internship, you may help create graphics, prepare assets for online platforms, assist with video production, and contribute to internal or external communications materials. The experience is especially useful if you want to build applied skills in design, media production, and content development within a professional setting. The work spans multiple formats, so you get practice thinking about how information should be shaped for different audiences and channels. You also collaborate with staff across communications and marketing functions, which helps you understand how creative work fits into broader organizational goals. The role rewards initiative and attention to detail, particularly when managing visuals and deadlines.
12. MS Votes Summer Internship
Location: Sites across the Mississippi Delta, South Mississippi, and the Gulf Coast regions
Stipend: $15/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: Starts the week of June 1
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students located in located in the Mississippi Delta, South Mississippi, and the Gulf Coast regions; must attend in-person orientation and 3 mandatory political education trainings
MS Votes offers an internship grounded in grassroots organizing, civic engagement, and community-based project work. Your responsibilities can range from administrative support and database management to event coordination, communications, and voter outreach. Because the role includes training and political education, you are not just completing tasks but also building a deeper understanding of how advocacy organizations operate. The internship is especially hands-on in the field, with opportunities to help plan and run events from start to finish. You also work closely with staff leadership, which gives you visibility into strategy, operations, and movement-building work.
13. NSF REU Site: Interdisciplinary Study of the Politics of Place (University of Mississippi)
Location: University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
Stipend: $6,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; 8–12 students per summer
Dates: 10 weeks; Typically late May to late July
Application Deadline: Early December
Eligibility: Undergraduates from any major; U.S. citizens or permanent residents; at least one semester of coursework remaining
This REU introduces you to interdisciplinary social science research through projects centered on race, power, identity, and place in the American South. You work with faculty mentors on a specific research topic while learning how different disciplines approach similar questions from distinct angles. The program places strong emphasis on research design, fieldwork, data analysis, and the challenge of studying complex social issues with rigor. Projects vary widely – you may engage with topics such as health disparities, immigration, criminal justice, regional identity, or community formation. Cohort activities and one-on-one mentoring add depth beyond the research itself, helping you build both confidence and academic direction.
14. Walgreens – Summer Pharmacy Intern
Location: Mississippi (store-based, within Walgreens community pharmacy locations)
Cost/Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: 12-week summer internship
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Enrolled in a school of Pharmacy program; fluent in reading, writing, and speaking English (except in Puerto Rico); willing to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends
In this program, you work as a community pharmacy intern in a Mississippi Walgreens under a registered pharmacist preceptor, supporting day-to-day patient care in accordance with state and federal regulations. You use pharmacy systems to look up patient and drug information and process prescriptions, assist with inventory tasks like ordering and checking shipments, and handle pharmacy phone calls that don't require the pharmacist. The experience is tailored to your school year, covering topics from prescription and over-the-counter medications to herbal products, disease states, and pharmacy law and ethics. You learn and apply pharmacy policies, procedures, and the Quality Improvement Program for reporting errors. Throughout, you build clinical, regulatory, and customer-service skills essential for future licensure.
15. Office of Congressman Trent Kelly – Internship Program
Location: Mississippi 1st District offices in Columbus, Eupora, Iuka, Hernando, and Tupelo
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small per-session cohort
Dates: Fall, spring, and summer
Application Deadline: Summer: January 15; Spring/Fall: Rolling basis
Eligibility: College students who have completed their sophomore year
In this internship, you serve in Congressman Trent Kelly's office, working alongside staff to learn how federal legislation moves through the U.S. House while supporting daily operations in an educational capacity. You research legislation for the Member and legislative staff, attend hearings and briefings, and answer constituent letters on various issues before the House. You also answer phones, run errands, and handle administrative duties that keep a congressional office functioning day to day. Through this work, you build practical skills in legislative research, constituent communication, and professional office procedures. You can apply for either the Washington, D.C. office or a Mississippi district placement, choosing the setting that best fits your goals.
Questions Students Often Ask About These Programs
1. Both Mississippi INBRE programs offer the same stipend and are at the same location. What's the actual difference between them?
The Research Scholars track is more broadly scientific, placing you in a lab to develop and carry out an independent research project across STEM fields. The Applied Health Scholars track is more specifically focused on public health, psychology, exercise science, or health-related data analysis. Both require Mississippi residency and enrollment at a qualifying Mississippi institution, so the right choice comes down to whether your interests lean toward general lab science or applied health research specifically.
2. I'm interested in government work but not sure whether to pursue a state-level or federal-level internship. How do the options on this list compare?
The Mississippi Legislature Visitor Services Internship and the two Mississippi Department of Revenue internships give you exposure to state government operations, from public engagement at the Capitol to finance and communications work within a state agency. Congressman Trent Kelly's office, by contrast, offers a federal legislative internship, where you support constituent services and legislative research either in Mississippi or Washington, D.C. If you're drawn to how state government delivers services directly, the state-level options are the better fit; if federal policy and national politics interest you more, Congressman Kelly's office is the clearer path.
3. A few of these programs, like NASA Pathways and the NSF REU, seem more research or technically intensive. Are there strong non-technical options here too?
Yes, several programs are well suited to non-technical majors. MS Votes offers hands-on experience in civic engagement and grassroots organizing, ideal for students interested in political science or communications. The Mississippi Department of Revenue's Communications track is specifically built for students in communications, graphic design, or marketing. The Mississippi Legislature Visitor Services Internship also suits students interested in public relations, history, or education rather than technical fields. Ladder Internships remains the most flexible option overall, matching you to a startup based on your interests regardless of major.