Intern Program FAQs (for students)
The Basics
Welcome to our intern FAQ page! Here you'll find information about the DDOT Summer Internship program.
How does the program work?
DDOT runs our internship program in partnership with Howard University. Interns work on DDOT projects at DDOT locations, and are paid through HU. HU handles the recruitment and hiring process, while DDOT selects the projects (with input from HU). DDOTs Research Team are the administrators of the program, but each intern will have their own individual manager during their time at DDOT.
We have ten research intern positions available each summer, where interns will work with a particular manager and team within DDOT on a predetermined project. Interns have worked in many different divisions across the agency, including but not limited to our engineering teams, our urban planners, HR & Training, Performance Management, Green Infrastructure, our transit teams (including Circulator and Capital Bikeshare), and more! These internships last from June-August, and a handful of interns will be able to continue into the semester as needed/interested.
We also have a few non-research internship positions each summer, depending on the need/interest of DDOT managers. There are usually about 2-3 of these, and interns in these positions may work on non-research projects and do a variety of different tasks for their assigned team.
What are some of the projects interns have worked on?
Our low-income fare trial project
Post-pandemic congestion stabilization
Permeable pavement monitoring
Freight projects
Public space equity
Equity scorecard
Pedestrian safety
MoveDC
Metrobus Priority and Circulator
Curbside projects
GIS projects
...and more!
Don't see your question answered here? Contact Katie, at kathleen.crabb@dc.gov
When are applications open?
Summer internship applications are posted in late winter and are due in early spring (usually going live in late February and coming due in late March). Interviews are done during the spring and matches made by April, generally. Semester internships are posted starting in August but can appear throughout the year.
Find current postings on the Howard University Transportation Research Center website.
To be notified when internships are posted, fill out our interest form.
What are the application requirements?
Students will be required to provide their resume, current GPA, valid transcript, email address, and contact number when applying.
Interns from Across the Country
Check out this map, and see interns that have come near and far! In the last five years, we have had the most interns from UMD (25), GW(21) & HU(17), as well as 24 interns from 3 different HBCUs.
Testimonials
Florence Dwyer, Transportation Planner (Summer 2021 Intern)
What Made You Want to Work at DDOT?
"Two main things made me want to work at DDOT: the people and the exciting projects. Everyone I talked to at DDOT during my internship was so kind and helpful, and I could tell that everyone was passionate about the work they were doing. So, it was really nice to be around people who cared about the work they were doing."
David Lipscomb, Curbside Manager (Summer 2018)
How Would You Describe Your Intern Experience?
My internship experience was great because I got to jump into to some interesting projects and advance them. Moving into planning was a career change for me, and I was anxious about getting experience quickly to increase my opportunities and earning power. The internship gave me experience and exposure that catapulted me into the critical role of Curbside Manager.