Internship MDT Engineering Intern

Montana Department of Transportation; Helena (MT); Hybrid; USD 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Montana Department of Transportation invites students to join its Summer Engineering Internship program. Interns will work on active and planned highway projects across Montana, with a mix of field and office duties and potential telework options.

The program emphasizes problem solving, teamwork, and hands-on experience in a dynamic transportation environment. Applicants must be enrolled in a college, university, or tech school, with preference for juniors or those having at least 60 credit

Qualifications

• Must be enrolled in College, University, or Tech School pursuing an engineering degree.
• Prefer student applicants entering junior year or with at least 60 completed credit hours.

Responsibilities

• Assist in design and planning for ongoing and future highway projects.
• Perform field reviews and prepare reports for construction and inspection.
• Support geotechnical, materials, and design teams with data collection and analysis.
• Coordinate with MDT staff across districts; travel may be required.

Skills

Problem solving

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Education

Engineering major enrollment

Tools

GIS mapping

Job description

MDT Internship Program provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of problem solving, innovation and teamwork. Interns engage in Montana’s transportation projects that have a direct impact on Montana’s traveling public! Interns will collaborate with area experts and gain invaluable hands‑on experience. Our internships focus on training and integrating the interns into our current workforce of over 2,000 people across Montana who are all providing a vital role to ensure everyone arrives at their destination safely.

Recruiting for summer Engineering Internship positions! All applicants must be enrolled in a College, University, or Tech School. If applicant is not currently enrolled in a College, University or Tech School the application will not be considered for a position unless the applicant is within six months of their graduation date. Applicants with less than 60 credit hours may be considered.

Engineering Intern positions will be located throughout Montana and some telework may be an option for several positions.

Duties

• Engineering Interns perform work related to active construction projects or planning and design for future projects on Montana’s highways. Duties may include but are not limited to field reviews, writing reports, construction oversight on roads and bridges, material testing, sampling, surveying, GIS mapping, paving, seal and cover, striping, earthwork, gravel placement, grading inspection on‑site visits to active projects and monitoring contractor's progress. The amount of travel will vary depending on location of job sites.
• Field Construction Interns will work on active jobs and assist in real‑time problem solving.
• Pre‑construction interns will contribute to the design of future highway jobs.
• Construction: 50% office work and 50% field work (oversight of construction of roads and bridges: inspection, research new processes, procedures and materials, problem solving and developing recommendations for improvements, contract administration, specification improvements, review and interpretation of plans and designs)
• Geotech (includes field and office duties, assists Geotechnical personnel with engineering design work: subsurface investigations, laboratory testing evaluation, geotechnical design and analysis)
• Materials, Surfacing Design Unit (office work and field reviews, specials projects regarding pavement design and pavement preservation)
• Highways, Traffic and Safety and Design (office work, plan reviews, traffic counts, safety reviews, design work)
• Planning, Environmental (seeking degrees in: Environmental Science, Geology, Hydrology, Ecology, Natural Resources Planning and Design, or related field of study)

These internships will be filled out of Helena and our District areas. We will be hiring interns for the summer of 2026.

Recruiting for Engineering Interns to be hired from this posting; interns will work in various MDT offices across the state of MT.

Interviews will be conducted during the beginning of spring semester through video interviewing.

Regular work schedule will be 40 hours a week, Monday‑Friday. Construction Engineering interns have the potential to work over 40 hours a week (receive overtime pay) and some Saturdays depending on the contractors work schedule.

Interns will not receive benefits such as paid holidays, medical coverage, earned vacation, or sick leave.

Pay is determined by credit hours earned by the end of Spring semester 2027:

University/College (Bachelors Degree)

• 60-90 credit hours = $22.46
• 91+ credit hours = $23.25

Technical Schools

• Minimum of 30 credit hours = $23.25

Please follow the below link to view You Tube videos of 2024 MDT Intern experiences: https://youtu.be/KOPAUK_pmXg?si=65MQvOQBM2j3w3sk

Qualifications - External

Must be currently enrolled in College, University, or Tech School or can be in graduate school, pursuing an engineering degree at the time of application. Prefer student applicants to be at least entering junior year or have completed at least 60 hours. If an applicant is enrolled in a Tech School (2‑year program) the credit minimum is 30 credits hours. Related majors include but are not limited to Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering.