Microsoft’s University internship program places currently-enrolled students into paid, project-based roles across the company’s global offices, where they work on a real project alongside Microsoft employees and mentors. The umbrella covers several entry points: the core University internship (typically a ~12-week summer placement for penultimate- and final-year bachelor’s and master’s students), the Explore Program (a 12-week summer internship that lets first- and second-year students try out different software-engineering roles), the Discovery Program (a four-week internship in Redmond, Washington or Atlanta, Georgia for rising first-year students), and dedicated internships for PhD, MBA, and JD candidates. Most roles are STEM-focused, though some regions also hire for finance, digital, and business functions. Interns are treated as contributing members of the team and the program is a primary pipeline into full-time roles.
Benefits & funding
- Competitive pay (Microsoft sets different base pay ranges by work location; specific figures are published on each individual job posting, not the program page).
- University, Explore, and PhD interns: medical and vision insurance, paid sick time, paid US federal holidays, and software discounts.
- Puget Sound (Redmond-area) University, Explore, and PhD interns: a bus pass and a fitness-club membership.
- Discovery interns: paid sick time, paid federal holidays, software discounts, and a bus pass (no healthcare or fitness membership).
- Mentorship from Microsoft employees, executive engagement, community connections, and program events.
Eligibility
- Enrolled full-time in a bachelor’s, master’s, MBA, or PhD program; specific year-of-study requirements vary by region (many roles ask for penultimate- or final-year students).
- Must be returning to school after the internship — Americas roles require returning for at least one full academic term post-internship; several European regions require at least one additional semester remaining (final-year students who are within 12 months of graduation are accepted in some regions).
- Most roles specialize in a STEM degree; some regions also accept finance, digital, and business fields.
- Must have the legal right to work in the country of the internship; Microsoft does not sponsor intern visas.
- English fluency is required for most roles; local-language fluency may be needed for some customer-facing roles.
- Americas roles require candidates to be at least 16 years old, cannot be taking classes while interning, and cannot complete two back-to-back Microsoft internships.
- Open to candidates of any nationality — the gate is work authorization in the host country, not nationality.
Application process
- 1Browse and apply online to specific intern roles on the Microsoft careers site (apply.careers.microsoft.com); candidates must apply online to be considered.
- 2Complete initial screening for the functional role (for example, software engineer), then final-round interviews for placement on a specific team.
- 3Track progress in the Action Center on the careers site; allow up to 90 days to receive a decision. Recruiters continue accepting applications until all positions are filled.
Program timeline
Rolling
intern roles are posted year-round and reviewed on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.
Up to 90 days
typical time to receive a decision after applying.
Summer (Northern Hemisphere)
the core University and Explore internships run as ~12-week summer placements; the Discovery Program runs as a four-week placement.