Undergraduate students of the University of Colorado in good standing and enrolled in at least 12 credit hours (full time) are eligible to work at LASP. LASP hires undergrad interns for all areas and divisions including administration, science analysis, data processing, mission operations, software development, education, and engineering.
During the school year, undergrads can work up to a maximum of 20 hours per week (half time). During breaks (summer and winter), students can work a maximum of 40 hours per week (full time). Often during the summer, students are expected to work full time.
There are two types of undergraduate positions:
- Hourly (paid bi-weekly)
- Salaried (paid monthly)
Most undergrads are hired as hourly and are paid based on experience
LASP involves undergraduates in all facets of research, most prominently in the development and operation of spacecraft. LASP currently employs 59 undergraduates, the majority working in the Mission Operations Center. On the hardware side, students were responsible for the design, construction and testing of the Student Dust Counter on NASA's New Horizon mission. This model of student involvement is considered so successful that NASA has begun citing it as the archetype for similar efforts on future mission opportunities.
Lastly, and most importantly, students value the experience and training they receive with this type of opportunity available at so few universities.
Visit our employment page for a list of current openings.
