• The Darden Career Development Center provides a variety of career resources to help you in your search for a summer internship. The curriculum is also structured to allow you to take electives related to your summer internship in the final term of the First Year.

    Internships are a critical part of the Darden experience because they help you:

    • Gain experience in the job function and/or industry you plan to pursue after graduation 
    • Apply new knowledge and approaches learned during the First Year
    • Further develop skills that will help you in your full-time job search 

    If you are a career switcher, a summer internship is an important opportunity to try out and gain experience in a new job function and/or industry.

    Internship Statistics/Facts

    • Every year, over 95% of Darden students do a summer internship, and a large number of these students come back to Darden in the fall with full-time job offers.
    • 87% of students get their internships through on-Grounds recruiting (opportunities from companies who travel to Charlottesville to recruit Darden students).

    Internship Companies & Opportunities

    The following companies hired five or more Darden students for summer internships in 2017. 

    • Accenture
    • Amazon.com*
    • Bain & Company*
    • Barclays*
    • Boston Consulting Group*
    • Credit Suisse*
    • Danaher*
    • Dell*
    • E. & J. Gallo Winery
    • Ernst & Young*
    • Goldman, Sachs & Co.*
    • Google*
    • J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.*
    • McKinsey & Company*
    • Microsoft Corp.*
    • PwC*
    • ZS Associates*

    *Hired at least one student who does not have permanent U.S. work authorization.

    Visit Hiring Companies for a complete list of companies that have hired students for summer internships or full-time jobs. 

    Alternative Summer Internships

    • Darden i.Lab Incubator (i.Lab): The i.Lab provides a community of student and faculty support, as well as $13,000 in funding for a select group of students to start business ventures during the summer.
    • Batten Venture Internship Program: This program provides Darden students the opportunity to pursue summer internships with venture capital firms or start-ups around the country. To promote and support student involvement with these firms, the Batten Endowment provides a matching stipend to supplement a student’s summer salary.
    • Darden Nonprofit Internship Fund (DNIF): Students interested in doing an internship for a nonprofit organization can apply for a stipend through the DNIF to help defray summer living expenses.