Internship periods in Singapore: when each university and poly is free
University students in Singapore are free for internships from about mid May to early August, and for a few weeks in December. Many degrees also build in a long internship during term: NTU's 20 week Professional Internship, SIT's 8 to 12 month Integrated Work Study Programme, SUSS's 24 week Work Attachment. Polytechnic students do their main internship in the final year, usually about 20 weeks starting in March or September.
If you are hiring, that means posting two to three months before the window you want. If you are a student, it means knowing which window your course gives you before you start applying. The details, school by school, are below. All dates are for the 2026/27 academic year, as each school published them.
At a glance
| School | Long holiday | Internship built into the course |
|---|---|---|
| NUS | 9 May to 1 Aug 2027 | Depends on the faculty: 8 to 24 weeks |
| NTU | About 8 May to early Aug 2027 | 10, 20 or 30 weeks, set windows |
| SMU | 3 May to 15 Aug 2027 | 10 weeks, required to graduate |
| SUTD | Trimesters | 16 weeks minimum, required |
| SIT | Trimesters | 8 or 12 months, required |
| SUSS | May to June special semester | 24 weeks in total, required |
| Polytechnics | Sep to Oct, Mar to Apr | Final year, about 20 weeks |
NUS
The long vacation runs from 9 May to 1 August 2027, with a shorter break from 6 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. Whether an internship is required, and for how long, depends on the faculty. Business students need at least 8 weeks to graduate, with 16 and 24 week options. Computing runs a 12 week internship over the May to July special term and a 24 week one during term. Engineering's Industrial Attachment is 20 weeks, and its vacation attachment 12.
Sources: NUS calendar 2026/27, NUS Business, NUS Computing, NUS Design and Engineering.
NTU
NTU builds internships into its degrees and publishes fixed windows for them. The 20 week Professional Internship runs from 20 July to 4 December 2026 or from 11 January to 28 May 2027. Engineering, Computing and Maritime students can do a 30 week version from 11 January to 6 August 2027. The 10 week Professional Attachment runs from 10 May to 16 July 2027, and it is the only window for Business and for Art, Design and Media. The long vacation is roughly 8 May to early August 2027.
Sources: NTU internship schedule 2026/27, NTU calendar 2026/27.
SMU
Every SMU undergraduate needs a 10 week internship to graduate. Most do it in the summer vacation, from 3 May to 15 August 2027. SMU also lets students intern for 5 weeks in December, or for 24 weeks during term, from January to June or July to December.
Sources: SMU calendar 2026/27, SMU internship programme.
SUTD
SUTD runs trimesters and requires an internship of at least 16 weeks. Third year students intern from 18 May to 4 September 2026 or 23 August 2026 to 3 January 2027, and then from 17 May to 3 September 2027. Longer internships of six to eight months, from January to August, are also possible.
Sources: SUTD internships, SUTD calendar.
SIT
Every SIT degree includes the Integrated Work Study Programme, a paid placement of 8 or 12 months in the second or third year, starting in January, May or September. Most 2027 placements run from May to December 2027, or May 2027 to April 2028. Because it is so long, companies treat an IWSP student much like a junior hire.
Sources: SIT IWSP guidelines for employers, SIT IWSP brochure.
SUSS
Full-time SUSS students need a Work Attachment to graduate: at least 24 weeks in the second or third year, either in one block or in several blocks of 8 weeks or more. The May to June special semester is kept for attachments. SUSS publishes its windows on its own site, so check there for exact dates.
Source: SUSS Work Attachment.
Polytechnics
Polytechnic students do their main internship in the final year. It counts towards the diploma and usually lasts about 20 weeks, starting in March or September. The school matches most students to companies itself, so companies register with the school months ahead rather than advertise. Ngee Ann, for example, opens registration for its March 2027 intake in October 2026.
- Ngee Ann: 6 to 22 weeks depending on the diploma, up to a year for some. Optional holiday internships are open from the first year. Source
- Singapore Poly: mostly 22 weeks, from 16 March to 14 August 2026 or 14 September 2026 to 12 February 2027. A 44 week option exists. Source
- Temasek: the Student Internship Programme is mostly 20 weeks, in the final year. Source
- Republic: the 20 week Industry Immersion Programme in the third year is needed to graduate. The next window is 15 March to about 1 August 2027. Source
- Nanyang: 12 to 24 weeks. Twelve week internships start in March, June, September or November, and 24 week ones in March or September. From the April 2026 intake, students can choose 3, 6 or 12 months. Source
Polytechnic holidays are short: about six weeks from early September to 18 October 2026, and from early March to 18 April 2027. Holiday internships for poly students have to fit inside them.
If you are hiring
- For the May to August holidays, post between February and April. Banks and large firms recruit for these months the year before, from July to October, so smaller companies compete for the students who are still looking in spring.
- For a long internship during term (NTU, SUTD, SIT, SUSS, the polys), contact the school's career office, or post the role where students are looking and say the dates plainly.
- Say your dates in the listing. "12 weeks from 18 May" lets a student check it against their term in seconds. "Flexible" makes them ask.
- Not sure what to offer? How much to pay an intern has the figures by field, and the schools' own suggested ranges.
If you are a student
Check your own course's rules before anything else: the dates, the minimum length, and whether the school has to approve the company. Then start looking about three months before your window. Our guide on how to find an internship covers where to look and how to apply.
Dates change from year to year, and schools sometimes move a window. Always confirm with your school's career office. Checked against each school's published dates on 4 October 2026.