Internship Programs

The Hegi Family Career Development Center offers internship programs for undergraduate students at SMU: Unpaid Internships, Engage Dallas Internships, and ACCESS Internships.

These programs give students practical experience at various organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including private companies and non-profit organizations. Additionally, if you're passionate about social impact, some non-profit internships provide funding assistance.

 

ACCESS Internship Program

ACCESS Internship Program

The Achieving Career Competence, Exposure, and Strategies for Success (ACCESS) Internship Program matches students with an internship with one of our partner organizations in the DFW area.

Engage Dallas

Engage Dallas Internship Program

Engage Dallas is a place-based community engagement initiative via SMU's Residential Commons to address community needs focusing on South and West Dallas. The Engage Dallas Internship Program is a resource exclusively for SMU students completing summer internships at nonprofits and other organizations that typically offer unpaid internships.

Summer 2026 Internships

This is a 10-week internship program where students will work on average 15 hours per week. This is a paid internship program; students are paid four times throughout the duration of the internship.

2026 Application Timeline

Please note that the ACCESS and Engage Dallas Internship Programs will follow the same timeline listed below. 

Student Internship Applications Open:  February 26, 2026

Student Internship Applications Deadline:

Priority deadline:
Official deadline:

 

March 15, 2026
March 30, 2026
Students notified of internship decisions: April 7, 2026
Student internship orientation:  April 29, 2026
Internship start date: June 1, 2026
Internship end date: August 7, 2026
Student internship debrief & celebration: August 27, 2026

 

Application Process

Students interested in applying for the ACCESS Internship Program or the Engage Dallas Internship Program may do so by completing Part One of the application via SMU 12twenty.

Upon submission of Part One, applicants will automatically receive instructions to complete Part Two of the application process via Qualtrics. Both parts of the application MUST be fully completed and submitted by the March 30, 2026 deadline to be considered for placement in the 2026 Hegi Internship Cohort. We encourage students to apply by the priority deadline of March 15, 2026. 

The ACCESS and Engage Dallas Internship Programs are open to all currently enrolled SMU students returning to SMU in the Fall 2026 semester.

 

What Students Are Saying

Engage Dallas

"Working at Heart House this summer gave me the professional and leadership development skills that I needed. I was able to gain real-world marketing experience and help create a campaign for North Texas Giving Day. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities given to me through Heart House."

Javon Brown, Senior, Marketing Intern with Heart House Dallas 

ACCESS Internship Program

"The internship has provided me a lot of opportunities to get a foot in the door of the professional world, such as how to build connections, manage and oversee projects, and conduct yourself in the professional world."

Joyce Sun, Sophomore,  Heroes Intern with Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center

 

Unpaid Internship Program

The Unpaid Internship Program is designed to provide limited financial support to students who have accepted an unpaid internships for the Summer. This initiative aims to ease the financial burden associated with pursuing valuable internship opportunities to enrich your educational journey. Applications open during the spring semester.

 

Applicants must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Enrollment as a full-time undergraduate student
  • Required to continue as a full-time student for the consecutive fall semester 
  • Signed unpaid internship agreement for the Summer from the hiring organization (only current year summer internship offers are considered eligible)