Top 10 Urban Planning Summer Internships for College Students

Summers between semesters can be a time to relax for most college students, but you may also want to prepare for the job market.

It’s also the best time to get study abroad opportunities and internships.

For interns who wish to pursue a career in urban planning, an internship provides valuable practical experience and in-depth knowledge of the field.

This article highlights the current Urban planning summer internship for college students in 2024.

Stay with us.

As an urban planner, getting a summer internship is one way to earn work experience and even income at the same time.

Studying abroad is one of the best ways to learn how planners cope with different situations, and a field internship is a great opportunity to experience the work of urban planning and development.

Internships help you develop your skills while showing you the ins and outs of working in a particular field.

In this article, you’ll see details of urban planning internships and the easiest way to find a summer internship that suits your needs.

The table of content will help you navigate this article easily.

When Should I Apply for a Summer Internship?

When is the best time to apply for an internship?

It varies.

If you are interested in an accredited internship, you must verify the application deadline with your school.

For instance, if you’re studying urban planning, there are specific times designated by your department too for an internship. This is in a bid to prepare you for the real world out there.

However, it is a good idea to apply for internships in advance, up to six months before the start date.

Don’t worry if you are late in the process, as many internships, especially unpaid, can be arranged up to a month before the summer or semester you’re heading to.

If you want to earn, the most common period for employers to select candidates for paid internships is between January and March.

Many colleges have resources available to help fund students who will work an unpaid summer internships. Check with your college’s career office for these fall deadlines.

Read Also: 10 Best Architecture Internships Abroad In 2024

How Can I Enroll for Urban Planning Summer Internship?

When starting your career, few things are as important as getting some internship experience under your belt.

Internships are a great opportunity to develop your skill set while showing you the ins and outs of working in a particular field.

Here are seven important tips to keep in mind when applying or looking for an Urban Planning Summer Internship.

#1. Start Your Research Early

If you want a summer internship, start preparing well in advance.

For instance, as an urban planning intern, you can engage with communities and find the best way to meet the community’s infrastructure and handling growth needs.

Hence, it’s important to start your research at least six months later.

On the other end, start early if you want to work with a company. Because early applicants have an advantage in the process since employers are likely to notice them first.

Some urban planning internship positions have deadlines, so starting early ensures you take advantage of every opportunity.

Those that Read this Article, End up Reading: Intern At a Startup: Easy Step-by Step Guide to be so Successful

#2. Reach Out To Professional Industries

Urban planning is an interesting career. Hence you will find several people indulging in it.

However, as an intern that wants to become top-notch in this field, I always look out for professional industries.

Don’t just settle for any company. Go for those popular industries that have made a noble name in the world or country.

This can help build your CV. Also, it exposes you to work opportunities after college better.

Also Read: What Are Gap Year Internships | Paid Opportunities, How It Works

#3. Use your Professional Network

Networking can help you find opportunities more effectively.

People in your network may know of un-listed or not yet public internships.

If you have contacts in the industries you are applying for, consider contacting them and asking if they know the opportunities available.

Consider asking teachers, school counselors, or classmates for other places to look for summer internships.

You can also use your professional network to collect letters of recommendation that can add more value to your application.

Consider asking someone who can support your skills, goals, and qualifications to write a recommendation you can submit along with the rest of your application materials.

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#4. Create an Effective CV

One of the keys to getting a quality internship is having a great CV.

Therefore, before applying for positions, it is important to ensure that your CV is up to date and includes your relevant skills and experience.

A CV is the first impression potential employers will have of you.

Hence, having a solid CV will not only get employers noticed, but it will also help you understand what you can bring to the internship and what you still need to learn.

Even if you don’t have much work experience, there are ways to write a resume highlighting your qualifications for the internship.

A student resume can include relevant courses, hobbies that give transferable skills, or personal traits that will help you professionally.

Check Out: 10 Best Business Analyst Internships in NYC

#5. Know the Application Deadlines

When landing an internship, time can be just as important as having a great CV and knowing what to look for.

If you are applying for an internship in a structured field like urban and regional planning, it means knowing the relevant deadlines and sticking to them.

In the urban planning field, summer internship opportunities are open for applications during the fall semester, and places are usually offered to applicants before winter break.

Knowing the application deadline will help you prepare your CV properly.

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#6. Apply for Multiple Internships

The best way to ensure that you find an internship that is right for you is to keep your options open and apply for a wide range of internships.

While it may seem a bit overwhelming at first, it’s actually quite easy to do once you have your resume ready and know what types of roles to look for.

Even if you don’t receive responses, keep submitting requests.

You can also take this opportunity to see if there are elements you can reinforce on your resume.

For example, you may be able to write a more effective mission statement or skill list.

#7. Prepare for the Interview

Once you have submitted your applications, it is time to prepare for the interview.

The best way to do this is to research the most frequently asked interview questions, such as “Tell me about yourself” and “What are you passionate about?”

Then come up with an answer that gives the interviewer a clear idea of who you are and what you can contribute.

Those that read this article, end up reading: What Can I Get From Unpaid Internships In 2024?

How Much Does Urban Planning Summer Internships Pay?

Urban planner interns’ salary varies greatly. This means the salary of urban intern depends on the company where they work.

However, from research, the average pay range of an urban planner intern is as much as $37,842 a year.

According to ZipRecruiter, most Planning Intern salaries currently range between $27,000 to $42,000, with top earners making $85,500 annually across the United States.

Top 10 Urban Planning Summer Internships for College Students in 2024

#1. Jacobs – Urban Planning Summer Internship – 2024

Jacobs is a construction company that helps transform intangible ideas into innovative solutions to design the future today. As an urban planning intern in Dallas, TX, you will too.

As a member of our Environmental Services Group (ESG), you will help facilitate exceptional planning solutions by collecting, organizing, and evaluating physical data to develop written and graphical presentations for urban design projects.

You will work closely with the planning professionals and the entire design team.

So, start today to pave the way for your career with a company that inspires and empowers you to do your best work so you can grow, grow and be successful today and tomorrow.

Requirements

Jacobs is seeking an intern who:

• Is still pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in urban planning, landscape architecture, or urban design, with a program focused on physical planning from an accredited program
• Must be at least a Junior amount
• Experience working in ARC GIS, Adobe Creative Suite, and Microsoft programs.
• Must be a U.S. citizen

Ideally, you will also have:

• 3.0 GPA
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit, and Sketchup is preferred.
• A previous internship related to your field of study
• A portfolio of applicable recent work

Apply Now

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#2. World Endeavors – Urban Planning Internship Abroad

Looking for urban planning internship opportunities abroad? World Endeavors is open now. So, send in your application.

An internship at World Endeavors is interesting. Here’s what we mean.

World Endeavors urban planning interns can learn how cities are organized in different cultural, economic, and geographic contexts.

Meanwhile, some research and administrative support may also be part of the intern’s responsibilities.

For a college student, that’s the best work experience for an urban planning career.

World Endeavors has internship opportunities at three different locations, namely:

• Argentina
• Italy
• Thailand

Urban Planning Summer Internship Requirements

World Endeavors requires that incoming Urban planning interns must:

• have good communication and interpersonal skills,
• be organized, detail-oriented, adaptable, and keen in the field.
• have the willingness to complete a variety of tasks as needed, and
• have the ability to meet deadlines will help ensure a successful internship.

Apply Now

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#3. E & A Consulting Group, Inc – Urban & Land Planning Internship

E & A Consulting Group, Inc is seeking an intern within the Planning Department of our Omaha office for their 2024 Summer Internship Program with the opportunity to work during the school year.

Their urban planning team focuses on residential and commercial development, helping clients define a vision and the elements necessary to make it come true.

The ideal intern candidate will be self-sufficient and can communicate effectively with clients and team members.

Also, this candidate:

• Become familiar with the daily operations of the planning department.
• Gain hands-on learning experience through project work planning, job shadowing, and interaction with leadership.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in an accredited Bachelor’s program in Landscape Architecture, Architectural Design, and/or Horticulture
• Required sophomore work completed in May 2024
• Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office and AutoCAD
• Demonstrated problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• General understanding of engineering plans and documents.
• Ability to work effectively independently or in a team.

Apply Now

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#4. Tennessee Department of Transportation – TDOT Regional and Urban Planning Intern

TDOT is looking to hire summer urban and regional planning interns for its TDOT headquarters.

They offer a paid internship program to introduce students to the importance of transportation and public service.

Currently, they are hiring interns in the following areas:

• Long-term planning (complete planning)
• Long-term planning (data management and planning)
• Multimodal (public transport planning)
• Cargo planning (rail and transit)

Apply now to be a part of TDOT’s Sumer 2024 Internship Program!

Applications must be completed online and will be available until Tuesday, March 19.

This is part-time remote work. It is temporal due to COVID-19.

Requirements

COVID-19 Precaution(s):

• Remote Interview Process
• Personal protective equipment provided or required
• Temperature displays
• Implemented social distancing guidelines
• Virtual meetings
• Disinfection, disinfection, or clean-in-place procedures

Apply Now

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#5. Realinc, Office of Jason T. Hyman – Urban Planning Internship

Realinc, Office of Jason T. Hyman is a Third Ward Houston, TX-based real estate brokerage and planning company with over 40 years of experience selling and developing residential and commercial real estate.

Based on this, they differentiate themselves by being the stewards of the communities where we do business.

Hence, the company needs an urban planning intern to support the development and execution of various local tactical plans.

The intern will serve as an analyst focused on housing and economic development in entire Houston communities.

The candidate will also support housing and economic growth by conducting public policy research, engaging city partners, and analyzing data related to demographics and public funding.

Requirements

To Realinc, an ideal candidate should be an excellent communicator, both written and verbal, capable of working independently.

In addition to being a driven and creative problem solver, the ideal candidate must be able to perform in a dynamic environment and meet deadlines.

Finally, the candidate must be organized, composed, and comfortable to be a student of the industry.

Apply Now

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#6. City & County of San Francisco – City Planning Intern – 2024 Summer Internships

The San Francisco Planning Department is seeking sixteen (16) bright and enthusiastic interns to work full-time with staff on various planning projects this summer (June 7, 2024 – August 27, 2024).

It will be a valuable and rewarding experience for those interested in planning and wanting introductory work experience or college credit.

Interns will research, collect and analyze data and prepare draft documents for planning work related to

• housing,
• historical and cultural resources,
• zoning compliance,
• social and racial equity,
• COVID recovery,
• urban design, and
• many more.

Requirements

It requires completing two years (equivalent to 60-semester units or 90 quarter units) from an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s degree in planning, architecture, urban studies, or a specific related field of the internship.

Applicants may be required to submit verification of eligible education and experience at any time during the recruitment and selection process.

If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verification of foreign education credits or equivalency of degrees, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=456

Apply Now

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#7. Garver – Urban Planning Summer Internship 2024

Garver planning team is looking for a motivated student to join their team as an urban planning intern in the Fayetteville, AR office for the summer of 2024.

Interns will be responsible for:

• Assisting in developing and writing studies and planning reports, such as detailed plans, transportation plans, sub-area plans, downtown plans, overlapping districts, and recreation plans.
• Assist in evaluating zoning changes, ordinance changes, site plans, permits, exemptions, or other proposals.
• Getting work experience and training in industry-related design software such as ArcGIS.
• Participating in client meetings, public meetings, and visit planning sites.

Garver Launch this internship program to enrich your summer vacation with Garver’s hands-on intern development program.

Throughout the Garver Launch internship program, you will:

• Have a dedicated mentor from day one who will help train and guide you during your internship.
• Network with other Garver Launch interns and business professionals.

Requirements

• You must have completed the second year to obtain a degree in Urban Planning or a related degree (i.e. Landscape Architecture, Public Administration, Geography, etc.) by Summer 2024
• Great interest in urbanism as a career
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of ArcGIS is a benefit but not required

Apply Now

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#8. CEA Internships Abroad – Urban Planning Summer Internship

CEA Internships Abroad aligns each Internship and Graduate Essential Skills seminar course so that the National College and Employers Association (NACE) deems them career-ready.

The CEA guarantees internships for qualified students according to the willingness of each student to participate in an internship abroad.

Assessment of readiness will take place throughout the placement process before departure and internship.

However, more details will be provided to accepted trainees.

Below is an example of some competency and skill development that a CEA internship abroad has included in previous internships.

Each internship will focus on the unique goals of the intern and the industry that will be identified throughout the interview and training process.

Industry-Specific Competency and Skill Development:

• Research the local government laws, codes, and regulations that affect the project and compare them to common practices in the United States.
• Clearly articulate ideas to clients through engaging written communication and visual aids.
• Understand a client’s vision and conceptualize it in a design.

Apply Now

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#9. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) – Urban Design Summer Intern – SOM

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) is one of the world’s leading architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning firms.

It has over a 75-year reputation for design excellence and a portfolio that includes some world’s most prestigious architecture.

Since its inception, SOM has been a leader in the research and development of innovative technologies and also giving internships to college students.

SOM San Francisco’s Summer Internship Program will run from June 6, 2016, to August 12, 2016.

However, the dates are flexible based on the student’s school schedule.

In addition to work experience in structural engineering, trainees will have the opportunity to participate in the Introductory Summer Professional Program.

Requirements

• Applicants must be enrolled in a master’s program or a student training program in urban planning / urban planning, urban design, or landscape architecture; graduates will not be accepted into the summer internship program.
• Expert user of GIS, mapping and illustration software, data analysis, and visual analysis tools
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Additional computer knowledge/skills include using word processing and email programs, AutoCAD, REVIT, highly desirable Adobe applications.

Apply Now

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#10. WSP USA – Planning Intern – 2024

WSP USA is the United States operating company of one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services companies.

This is a group of engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisers, and construction management professionals dedicated to serving local communities.

WSP is launching a search for a planning intern for its Tempe, Arizona office for the summer of 2024.

Get involved in projects with their planning team and be part of a growing organization that meets clients’ goals and solves their challenges.

WSP offers a full range of benefits, including health, dental, vision, disability, life and retirement savings, focused on health and financial stability throughout an employee’s career.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Current status as a junior, senior, or graduate student in progress actively enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate planning (or related) program
• Knowledge or experience in community planning and licensing.
• Experience with basic computer software including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
• Motivated with strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding funds, resources, and business conduct and adhere to the WSP Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Proven track record in workplace safety and ability to comply with WSP health, safety, drug/alcohol, and harassment policies

Preferred Qualifications:

• Local candidates are preferred. Please note that there is no resettlement or housing assistance associated with this internship
• Previous internship experience, leadership experience, or relevant courses
• Knowledge of GIS applications/tools and/or graphic design software.
• Knowledge of public participation/online tools

Apply Now

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Conclusion

As an urban planner, getting a summer internship is one way to earn work experience and income simultaneously.

This article highlights the current Urban planning summer internship for college students in 2024.

References

• indeed.com – How to Find a Summer Internship
• thebalancecareers.com – The Best Time to Apply for an Internship
• wayup.com – Top 5 Things to Do When Applying for an Internship
• glasssdoor.com
• indeed.com

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