- CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
- CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
- If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) is looking for enterprising students to participate in a Summer 2027 engineering undergraduate internship, Fostering Opportunities in Research & Government Engineering (FORGE). The goal of the FORGE – ARL program is to identify rising seniors, graduating in May 2028, with interest in full-time employment at ARL. Students will conduct research to enhance their readiness for successful and significant careers in national security.
Typical duties may include:
Support for engineering testing, data analysis, and data display
Hands-on work in a laboratory environment
Use of multiple computing languages, analysis tools, simulations, measurements
Networking with program sponsors
Students studying the following disciplines are encouraged to apply:
Mechanical Engineering with interest in robotics programming
Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering with interest in Aeroacoustics, AI for data analysis, fluid measurement techniques, or numerical methods
Mechanical, Aerospace, or Chemical Engineer with a focus in thermodynamics, structural design, or advanced materials
Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical, or related Engineering discipline with a focus in forward-thinking research and development (experimental or computational)
Electrical Engineer with an interest in signal processing
Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineers with an interest in guidance and control, and programing experience
Industrial Engineering or Math with interest in operations research and modeling of dynamic systems
Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or Computer Science with an interest in applied mathematics and software engineering for a future in advanced signal processing, embedded software development, and hardware design
Information Science and Technology or Computer Science with interest in system integration
Mechanical or Chemical Engineering with interest in thermodynamics, structural design, or advanced materials
To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume which includes GPA. The cover letter must address the technical disciplines within ARL you have interest in and why. Information about ARL can be found at www.arl.psu.edu.
You must be a rising senior. You may be subject to a government security investigation, and you must be a U.S. citizen to apply. Employment with the ARL will require successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen.
Your working location will be fully on-site, located in State College, PA.
ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intelligence Community (IC).
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL): Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.
EEO IS THE LAW
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.
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PA State Labor Law Poster
Penn State Policies
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Skills Required
- Must be a rising senior undergraduate student, graduating in May 2028.
- Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Submit a cover letter and resume including GPA.
- Must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance.
- Must successfully complete required background checks and a pre-employment drug screen.
Penn State University Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Penn State University and has not been reviewed or approved by Penn State University.
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Retirement Support — Employer contributions to SERS and the TIAA Alternate Plan are described as significant, with supplemental retirement options available. Feedback suggests these choices and contributions create strong long‑term value.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Full‑time employees accrue over 24 sick and vacation days annually, with additional university holidays and a winter break. Feedback suggests this depth of leave supports work–life balance.
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Inclusive Benefits Coverage — A 75% tuition discount extends to employees, spouses, and dependent children up to age 26 across resident instruction, World Campus, and Penn College courses. Feedback suggests this broad eligibility meaningfully enhances total rewards, especially for families.
Penn State University Insights
What We Do
There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across 24 campuses, our nearly 88,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom—it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world. From access to state-of-the-art resources to interdisciplinary pursuits in collaborative atmospheres, a Penn State degree is more than an education. The experiences and knowledge gained here will form the foundation for the lives our students build. Their contributions to the world begin with a Penn State degree. We Are Penn State.
