Planning Your Stay
We expect students to spend the entire internship at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). We realize that academic schedules vary significantly, and that course schedules may not coincide for every student. Unfortunately, we must limit students to a single starting date in June and require that students complete at least eight weeks of the 9-week program to ensure that students may fully participate in the experiences we offer.
All of your travel to and from STScI must be coordinated through our Human Resources department. You may not book your own travel. We will also cover the cost of round-trip transportation between your preferred airport and Baltimore.
Visiting STScI
Enrolling in Coordinated Housing
STScI will secure rooms at a local apartment complex close to the institute as one housing option. Staff at the institute help coordinate room assignments once we know which applicants are interested. If you choose this housing option, STScI will subsidize roughly one third of the housing cost. The remaining housing cost will be borne by the intern, and will be deducted from bi-weekly paychecks in equal amounts.
Finding Your Own Housing
There are many off-campus apartments near the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus available for summer sublets at reasonable prices, but there is no stipend for this housing option.
We recommend reviewing the online listings at the university’s Off-Campus Housing Office. We also add new students to an email distribution list to connect you with students from recent years so you may ask questions about their experiences finding offsite housing. Although the immediate area around the Homewood campus is regarded as one of the safer neighborhoods of Baltimore, like other areas across the country, it is not crime-free. Once you arrive, we will provide information about personal safety.
Local and Regional Transportation
You do not need a car while staying in Baltimore because it has ample housing, restaurants, shops, stores, banks, and entertainment within walking distance. You will also have access to the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jay Shuttle. Learn more about our location.
To get beyond the immediate campus area, you may use Maryland Transportation Administration (MTA) public transportation, which is primarily bus routes. If you would like to travel to nearby cities such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, or New York City, we recommend you review the options provided by Amtrak, the U.S. national rail system, which departs from Baltimore’s Penn Station in the nearby Mount Vernon neighborhood. Bus service is also available to various cities.
Dining
In addition to numerous local restaurants, STScI has an on-site restaurant, Carma's Cafe, which offers breakfast and lunch.
Access to Johns Hopkins University Facilities
STScI is located on the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University. STScI is an independent entity, run by a consortium of universities, but employees of the institute have access to the campus facilities. Students may borrow books from the Eisenhower library free of charge and may also use the athletic facilities, which require a fee.
Workspace and Computers
Our interns work together as a cohort in shared office space. Each student will have access to a laptop computer during this internship.