Computer Engineering Internships: 2027 Hardware and Embedded Guide
Computer engineering internships in chip verification, FPGA, firmware, and embedded software at Qualcomm, Lockheed Martin, and General Motors.
4 min read
Computer engineering internships cover the work between circuits and code: chip verification, FPGA emulation, digital hardware, firmware, and embedded software. When we checked the computer engineering field page on Intern Insider on November 7, 2026, it listed 6,366 open internships. Intern Insider pages refresh about once a day, so treat that as a snapshot. This guide focuses on the hardware and embedded side, with open roles at Qualcomm, Lockheed Martin, and General Motors.
Where computer engineering internships sit#
That 6,366 figure is broad. It counts every listing tagged for computer engineering students, which includes general software roles and field engineering seats that also accept other majors. The roles below are hardware, verification, firmware, and embedded roles whose postings name computer engineering or a closely related degree.
Nearby pages are useful too. In the same November 7 check, the electrical engineering field page listed 7,125 open internships, and many hardware roles accept either major. The computer science field page listed 7,582. If you want pure software roles, our computer science internships guide goes deeper on that side. Our electrical engineering internships guide covers power, controls, and circuits.
Chip design and verification#
Verification interns check that a chip design does what its specification says before it is built. Expect testbenches, simulation, and a lot of debugging.
The Qualcomm design verification posting's education requirements ask for study toward a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, engineering science, computer science, or a related field, availability from May or June 2027 to August or September 2028, and an expected graduation date of November 2028 or later. The FPGA emulation posting lists RTL, Verilog, System Verilog, digital design, and Linux, and says school projects with FPGAs are a nice to have. It asks for study toward a bachelor's degree in computer engineering, engineering science, computer science, or a related field, availability from May or June 2027 to August or September 2027, and an expected graduation date of November 2027 or later. Qualcomm also says its intern hiring model can route one application to other internship teams, so read the profile options on the Qualcomm posting before you submit.
Digital hardware and firmware#
The Lockheed Martin digital hardware posting asks for a bachelor's program in electrical, computer, or systems engineering, plus digital hardware design experience from internships, class projects, or side projects. It also mentions bench instruments such as an oscilloscope or multimeter, and it states that applicants must be United States citizens because the position requires a government security clearance. The General Motors radar posting is a 2027 summer internship for students pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical, computer, or systems engineering. It is on site five days a week and names Milford and Warren, Michigan as locations. The Qualcomm firmware role asks for a bachelor's, master's, or PhD program in computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, or a related field, strong C and C++, and an understanding of operating systems concepts. It is a 16 month internship with the same availability and graduation dates as the design verification role.
Embedded software#
Software Engineer (Embedded) Intern at Lockheed Martin, Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Embedded Software Engineer Intern at Lockheed Martin, Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Embedded software suits computer engineering students who are stronger at code than at circuits. The first Lockheed Martin role asks for a bachelor's program in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field and familiarity with C++. Linux experience is listed as a desired skill. The second asks for enrollment in a bachelor's or master's program in engineering or a related field, basic proficiency in Python, C++, or Java, and the ability to obtain a security clearance.
More openings sit on the Qualcomm, Lockheed Martin, General Motors, and Texas Instruments company pages.
What to put on your application#
Hardware postings ask for evidence of hands-on work. The Lockheed Martin digital hardware posting, for example, accepts design experience from internships, class projects, or side projects, and the Qualcomm FPGA posting mentions lab equipment and school FPGA projects. A few things are worth showing:
A digital design or computer architecture project with a short write-up: what you built, which tools you used, and what broke.
FPGA or microcontroller work, even from a course lab, with the board and language named.
C or C++ you wrote for a constrained device, not only for a desktop.
Lab skills, such as using an oscilloscope or logic analyzer, stated plainly.
Our tech internship resume guide covers how to describe projects like these in a few lines.
Timing and terms#
Most of the roles above start in summer 2027. The two Lockheed Martin embedded roles and the General Motors role are titled as summer 2027 internships, and the Qualcomm roles start in May or June 2027. Canadian roles at Qualcomm run 4 or 16 months, so check that the length fits your school's co-op or internship rules. Some defense roles, such as the Lockheed Martin digital hardware internship above, require United States citizenship, and the Lockheed Martin embedded software internship asks for the ability to obtain a security clearance. Read each posting before you apply. For a wider view of when summer applications open, see our guide to summer 2027 internship timing.
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