Published October 28, 2026.
Microsoft Explore is a summer internship for first- and second-year college students: 12 weeks in the United States, 8 weeks in India. You do not need a declared computer science major. You do need an introductory computer science course and one semester of calculus, or the equivalent, done by the time the program starts. Apply to the first-year posting or the second-year posting, not both.
If you have not finished that computer science course and that calculus course, this is not the application to force. Finish the classes, then apply in the window the posting lists. A strong interest in technology does not replace the coursework Microsoft wrote down as required.
Which application, and what the summer is
| Question | What Microsoft says |
|---|---|
| Length | 12 weeks in the U.S., 8 weeks in India |
| Year in school | First year, or second year. Separate applications. Do not submit both. |
| Second-year geography | United States, Canada, Mexico, or India |
| First-year geography | United States, Canada, or Mexico |
| Courses | Intro computer science and one semester of calculus, by the start date |
| Major | Not required. Interest in a technical field is what they ask for. |
| Where most roles are | Redmond, Atlanta, and campuses in India |
| The work | A pod, a shared project, and a piece of it that is yours |
Explore is for students early in college who want to learn software development on a real team. Microsoft’s later university internship is the one for students who already know which role they are chasing. Do not apply to Explore in your junior year because the name is familiar. Read the year-in-school line on the posting.
Meta University, which used to be the other early-college name families ask about, has taken its final class. Our note on that program is the short version. If Explore is the one that fits, spend the application on a project you can explain, not on a list of languages. Our internship interview guide is what to do after a company invites you.
Questions families ask
Who is Microsoft Explore for?
First- and second-year college students. The second-year application is for students in the United States, Canada, Mexico, or India. The first-year application is for the United States, Canada, or Mexico. Microsoft says not to apply to both.
How long is it?
Twelve weeks in the United States and eight weeks in India. It is a summer internship, separate from Microsoft’s later 12-week university internship for students further along.
Do you have to be a computer science major?
No. You do need an introductory computer science course and one semester of calculus, or the equivalent, finished by the time the program starts.
Where is it?
Microsoft says most opportunities are in Redmond, Washington, Atlanta, and campuses in India. Read the posting you are applying to. The program page is not a promise that every city is open this cycle.
What would you actually do?
The Engineering Foundations track is a pod project: software skills, product thinking, and how AI shows up in the work. You own a piece of a shared project. It is not a tour of every Microsoft team.
Sources
- Microsoft Careers, Explore Microsoft, length, who may apply, coursework, locations, and how the program differs from the later university internship.