Student Internships

Who can apply?

To be eligible for a student internship at ESA:

• You must be a student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master’s level. You must have student status and be enrolled at university for the entire duration of the internship. PhD students or post-docs should check out the Research Fellowship Programme page. 
• You must be a citizen of one of the ESA Member States, Associate Members, European Cooperating States or Canada as a Cooperating State. The full list of eligible countries is published in the footer of each ESA vacancy.

What do we offer?

• An enriching and highly valuable experience that could open doors to a career within Europe’s space sector, renowned research institutes or, of course, ESA itself.
• An international, multicultural and friendly working environment.
• A placement lasting between three and six months at an ESA establishment.
• Internships are unpaid, however a monthly allowance is granted. 

Useful information

• Only one internship can be undertaken at ESA.
• Student interns are responsible for their own health insurance, accident insurance and travel expenses.
• Student interns are responsible for finding their own accommodation.

Internship disciplines

• Mechanical engineering (optical, propulsion, thermal, mechanisms, structures, materials, robotics)
• Electrical engineering (RF, power & data systems, antennas, microelectronics, EMC, components)
• System engineering
• Telecom and integrated applications
• Software engineering
• Ground segment systems and operations
• Product/quality assurance and safety
• Applied mathematics
• Earth observation and environmental science (geophysics, meteorology, climatology)
• Planetary and space science (astronomy, astrophysics, solar physics)
• Life and material sciences
• Law (contracts, procurement, international public law)
• Finance (project control, cost analysis, auditing)
• Communications and public relations
• Human resources
• Information technology
• Facility management

Life at ESA

When you join ESA, you become part of an international, multicultural team of people from across Europe who share a passion for space. While each ESA site has its own feel, all are friendly and welcoming places to work. Interns can take advantage of on-site services such as coffee bars, canteens and sport facilities, and they can take their pick of a wide variety of social clubs and events to participate in. 

For more information about ESA sites, check out ESA Establishments.

Recruitment process

How to apply for a student internship opportunity

Opportunities are published in November each year and remain open for a month. You can set up a job alert to be informed as soon as the opportunities are published!

• Once published, you will be able to browse the list of ESA opportunities on our recruiting site. 
• Select the opportunity that most interests you and fits best with your academic background and aspirations. Due to the high number of applications received each year, we can only accept a maximum of two applications per person. Please note that there is no limit in the choice of topics within one opportunity. Should you apply to more vacancies in this call, all your applications will be disregarded. If your profile is well-suited to another position, we will share it with the hiring manager.
• To apply, you first need to register and create your candidate profile with your CV and motivation letter.
• Once you have applied, you will be able to track the status of your application by logging into your candidate profile.

Recruitment timeline

• November: call for applications
• December - February: shortlisting and selection of candidates
• February: earliest start date for internships. The start date is set by mutual agreement between ESA and the university and takes into account the preferences stated in your application form. In principle, you can start on any first working day of a month between February and December of the same year. All candidates will be informed of the outcome of their application.  

Our tips for your application

Before applying, read the details of each position thoroughly and focus your attention on the one that is most in line with your interests and background.

Share your motivation, interests and enthusiasm in your motivation letter – but keep it clear and concise! Answer the questions in the application form carefully: they are important for us to learn more about your profile.

If you have any further questions, feel free to write to us at ESA.Student.Internships@esa.int.

ESA Academy

Looking for more learning and hands-on opportunities?

ESA Academy is open to university students from undergraduate to PhD level coming from ESA Member States, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

ESA Academy is run in close collaboration with European universities and is designed to complement academic education. Its objective is to enhance university students’ educational experience and help them develop both practical and theoretical know-how and expertise in a wide range of disciplines through projects, training and engagement initiatives, such as scholarships, conference sponsorships and more.

Find out how ESA Academy can complement your university studies.

Find your path at ESA

ESA offers a number of entry-level programmes targeting students (Master or PhD), recent graduates and young professionals, alongside its vacancies for experienced professionals. One of them could be your path to space! Quickly find out which programme could be the best fit for you by following the pathways at ESA on our entry-level flowchart.