The OF&S Student Intern Program provides meaningful, paid internship opportunities for Rice students while supporting strategic projects across the university. Through the program, students gain real-world experience, build professional skills, and contribute to work that advances university priorities.
For the 2026–27 academic year, the program is expanding campus-wide. Units across Rice are invited to submit proposals for projects that would benefit from student support and provide a strong learning experience.
Program Overview
Selected interns will support project-based work during the fall and spring semesters. Internships are centrally funded by OF&S’s Operational Excellence unit and are expected to average 10 hours per week.
Strong internship projects should:
- Support a strategic priority, initiative, or operational improvement
- Provide meaningful, project-based work for a Rice student
- Help the student build professional skills and experience
- Be scoped appropriately for the academic year
- Include clear supervision, regular feedback, and opportunities for learning
Proposal Process
Units interested in hosting an intern should complete the internship proposal form outlining the project opportunity, student experience, and anticipated impact.
Proposals should focus on meaningful, project-based work that provides students with professional growth opportunities while supporting strategic priorities, operational improvements, or initiatives aligned with Rice’s mission and Momentous framework.
As you complete the proposal form, please:
- Answer all questions thoroughly and thoughtfully
- Clearly explain the strategic importance or impact of the project
- Describe work that is substantive and appropriate for a student intern
- Consider how the project will provide a meaningful learning experience
- Ensure the proposed work can reasonably be completed within the academic-year structure and approximately 10 hours per week
Strong proposals:
- Include clearly defined projects, goals, and deliverables
- Provide opportunities for collaboration, problem-solving, research, analysis, communication, or creative thinking
- Identify how the student will gain transferable professional skills
- Demonstrate supervisor readiness to support the student through onboarding, regular check-ins, mentorship, and feedback
Please note that projects focused primarily on administrative or repetitive tasks (such as routine filing or data entry) are generally not a strong fit for the program.
Complete the Proposal Form by July 31, 2026 if you're interested in participating.
Information Session Recording & Slides
An information session was held to provide an overview of the program, explain how the proposal process works, share examples of past intern projects, and answer questions.
Watch the Info Session Recording
View the Info Session Slides
Need Help?
Questions about the program or proposal process can be directed to the Intern Program Team at opex@rice.edu.
We are happy to help you think through potential project ideas, proposal requirements, or whether your project may be a good fit for the program.