Undergraduate Research Internship – Computing

Position: Internship

Lab/Location: Redmond, New York City, New England

This program is for candidates who are passionate about technology and offer diverse perspectives. We don’t just value differences, we seek them out. We invite them in. We are a family of individuals at a truly global company, united by a single mission.

Overview

Microsoft’s mission: “Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more”. To achieve our mission, we need to create a workforce that represents the rich diversity of our customers. The Microsoft Undergrad Internship Program is a tool to do just that. Our mission, “To unlock everyone’s engineering talent so they can achieve more”.

The Microsoft Undergrad Internship Program is focused on developing talent and experience for careers in computing research.

The program is a 12-week summer internship program specifically designed for advanced undergraduate students. It offers the opportunity to do state-of-the-art research in one of our US-based Microsoft Research Labs. You will work with our researchers and extended network of visiting faculty, postdoctoral researchers, data and applied scientists, engineers, designers, and doctoral students to make important contributions to new and ongoing research. One of the program’s goals is to encourage participants to pursue advanced degrees in computing fields. Your on-the-job learning will be augmented with mentoring, community building, and networking opportunities.

Qualifications

By the start of the internship program (~May):

• Candidates must be rising junior or rising senior students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program majoring in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, information science or related major.
• Candidates must have at least two years of programming experience, completed courses in Calculus, Probability and Statistics and/or Machine Learning OR demonstrated training in at least one social science methodology.

We especially encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in engineering and computer science, including those who self-identify as a woman, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, person with a disability, and/or LGBTQI+.

Responsibilities

Interns put inquiry and theory into practice. Alongside doctoral interns, and some of the world’s best researchers, interns learn, collaborate, and network for life. Interns not only advance their own careers, but they also contribute to exciting research and development. During the 12-week internship, students are paired with mentors and are expected to collaborate with other interns and researchers, present findings, and are invited to contribute to the vibrant life of the Microsoft Research community. Research internships are available in all areas of research and are offered in the summer.

How to apply

Applications are no longer accepted for Summer 2025, please check back in September 2025.

You will be asked to provide the following application materials:

1. Choose a track: Research, Research Software Engineering, or Research Program Management
2. CV or Resume
3. Up to 2 Reference Letters
4. Two Essays
   1. Essay 1: Research interest statement (500 words or fewer)
      1. Select up to three desired research areas. (See section “MSR Research Areas” below).
      2. Answer the prompt: What draws you to the desired research area(s) you selected and what impact would you like to have in that space?
      3. Be sure to also describe:
         1. any relevant experience in this/these research area(s) or related technologies and
         2. how you expect to personally benefit from participating in this internship.
   2. Essay 2: Leadership in Diversity statement (250 words or fewer)
      1. Please describe ways you have contributed to increasing diversity and inclusion in your field and/or any unique challenges you may have faced and how you navigated those obstacles.

MSR research areas

• Algorithms
• Artificial intelligence
• Audio and acoustics
• Computer vision
• Data platforms and analytics
• Ecology and environment
• Economics
• Graphics and multimedia
• Hardware and devices
• Human-computer interaction
• Human language technologies
• Mathematics
• Medical, health and genomics
• Programming languages and software engineering
• Search and information retrieval
• Security, privacy, and cryptography
• Social sciences
• Systems and networking

Please see About Microsoft Research for more information.