Student internships

ESA offers student internship opportunities from three to six months to students in their final or second-to-last year of a Master's degree in technical and non-technical domains. Learn everything you need to know in this article.

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.

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

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.

ESA Academy

Looking for more learning and hands-on opportunities?

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

Check out ESA Education for teachers and the ESA Kids website for the very youngest. You can also explore ESA Education's training courses and workshops on the ESA Education and Community Platform.

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14 OCT. 2021