Graduate and undergraduate students who attend CUNY have the opportunity to partner with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority through a paid internship program. Last summer, the program received 16,216 applications for just 150 slots during its first year. By the fall, a second application session began on a part-time basis.

Through the Research Foundation of CUNY students who are employed full-time can receive benefits, including medical coverage. Currently, 84 interns are completing the program’s first full year by working with the MTA.

“CUNY helped me obtain an internship at the MTA, and I feel confident that the MTA will provide me with the resources and mentors to grow,” LIRR Program Management Intern Javier Inga said.

The MTA has linked to a diverse pool of talent thanks to CUNY’s extensive variety of colleges in each of the five boroughs and its wide range of programs. Students in New York City get hands-on experience with North America’s most active transportation system, which transports over 15.3 million people daily.

Students are employed by RFCUNY, and the MTA provides funding for the program. All MTA agencies have internship openings, with positions in categories such as law, finance, technology, project management, environmental science, engineering, real estate, station operations, safety, transportation and communications.

“This internship was such a learning experience,” MTA Safety Analyst Connie Yang said. “I believe it was a significant turning point in my career, and it was a stepping stone that led me to where I am now.”

Yang is set to earn a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from Baruch College this May. She worked as a full-time employee in the Safety Management Office at MTA Headquarters from July 2022 to March 2023 after serving as an intern for the LIRR Operational Support Group.