Major League Hacking (MLH) Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025
Major League Hacking (MLH) Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025: Major League Hacking (MLH) Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025, in the fast-evolving world of technology, where innovation is constant and demand for skilled engineers is growing exponentially, practical experience has become just as valuable as academic qualifications. Recognizing this shift, Major League Hacking (MLH) has designed a transformative initiative—the MLH Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025. This remote, intensive fellowship is tailored for students and recent graduates looking to break into the niche yet highly essential domain of Production Engineering, also known as Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) or DevOps.
The Summer 2025 Production Engineering Fellowship builds on the previous successes of the program by providing a structured, mentorship-driven learning environment. Over a 12-week period, participants work in collaborative groups on real-world projects under the guidance of professional mentors from partner organizations. The program goes beyond basic coding, diving deep into Linux system administration, infrastructure as code, automation, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), containerization, and system monitoring.
What sets the MLH Fellowship apart from traditional internships is its open-source-first mindset.
Fellows contribute to meaningful projects that benefit communities and organizations around the world. Combined with the support from experienced engineers and peer collaboration, the program provides a robust foundation for launching a career in production engineering. The remote format makes it accessible regardless of geographic location, offering a truly global learning opportunity.
As the demand for SRE professionals continues to rise, the MLH Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025 stands out as an ideal gateway into one of the most impactful and high-growth roles in tech today.
The Major League Hacking (MLH) Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025 is a prestigious, fully remote, 12-week program designed to equip aspiring technologists with real-world experience in Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and DevOps. This fellowship offers participants the opportunity to collaborate on open-source projects, receive mentorship from industry professionals, and gain practical skills essential for a career in production engineering.ScholarshipAir+2fellowship.mlh.io+2Major League Hacking+2fellowship.mlh.io+2Major League Hacking+2fellowship.mlh.io+2
Overview of the MLH Fellowship
The MLH Fellowship is an alternative to traditional internships, focusing on hands-on learning through contributions to real-world projects. Participants, known as Fellows, work in small groups called “Pods,” engaging in daily stand-ups, pair programming sessions, and code reviews. The program emphasizes collaboration, mentorship, and practical experience over theoretical learning.fellowship.mlh.io+2fellowship.mlh.io+2Major League Hacking+2fellowship.mlh.io+1fellowship.mlh.io+1
The fellowship runs multiple batches throughout the year, with the Summer 2025 batch scheduled from May 19 to August 8, 2025. Fellows are expected to commit 20-30 hours per week, making it accessible for students and professionals alike. fellowship.mlh.io+1fellowship.mlh.io+1fellowship.mlh.io
Production Engineering Track: A Deep Dive
The Production Engineering track is tailored for individuals interested in SRE and DevOps roles. It combines software and systems engineering to ensure services are reliable, scalable, and efficient. Fellows in this track gain experience in:LinkedIn+5Major League Hacking+5fellowship.mlh.io+5LinkedIn+6fellowship.mlh.io+6Major League Hacking+6
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Linux System Administration: Through the Linux Foundation’s LFS201 course, Fellows learn to administer, configure, and upgrade Linux systems.fellowship.mlh.io
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Scripting and Automation: Developing scripts to automate routine tasks and improve system efficiency.
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Monitoring and Troubleshooting: Implementing monitoring tools and diagnosing system issues to maintain uptime.
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CI/CD Pipelines: Setting up continuous integration and deployment pipelines to streamline software releases.fellowship.mlh.io
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Networking and Security: Understanding network configurations and implementing security best practices.ScholarshipAir+4Major League Hacking+4fellowship.mlh.io+4
These skills are critical for roles in modern tech environments, where maintaining system reliability is paramount. LinkedIn+4fellowship.mlh.io+4Major League Hacking+4
Collaboration with Industry Leaders
MLH partners with top tech companies to provide Fellows with mentorship and project opportunities. Notably, Meta has been a recurring partner, offering Fellows insights into their production engineering practices. Through this collaboration, participants receive guidance from experienced engineers and work on projects that mirror real-world challenges. ScholarshipAir+4fellowship.mlh.io+4Major League Hacking+4
Application Process and Eligibility
To be eligible for the Summer 2025 Production Engineering Fellowship, applicants must:TFA Forms+1fellowship.mlh.io+1
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Be current university students or recent graduates (Class of 2024, 2025, or 2026).LinkedIn
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Demonstrate proficiency in programming languages, particularly Python.LinkedIn
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Have a foundational understanding of computer science concepts.
The application process includes submitting an online form, completing a coding challenge, and participating in interviews. Applications for the Summer 2025 batch opened on May 31, 2025. fellowship.mlh.io+4TFA Forms+4LinkedIn+4
Benefits of the Fellowship
The MLH Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025 offers a wealth of benefits that make it an unparalleled opportunity for aspiring production engineers, DevOps enthusiasts, and computer science students seeking real-world, high-impact experience. Whether you’re looking to break into the tech industry or advance your understanding of how large-scale systems function, the fellowship delivers substantial academic, professional, and personal growth. Below are the key benefits that set this program apart:
1. Hands-On Learning Through Real-World Projects
One of the most significant advantages of the MLH Fellowship is the opportunity to work on real-world production engineering challenges. Fellows are assigned open-source projects or simulated enterprise environments that mimic the work done by engineers at top companies like Meta, Google, or Microsoft. This hands-on exposure allows participants to gain practical skills in system monitoring, container orchestration, deployment pipelines, and automation—skills that are highly valued by employers but rarely taught in traditional academic settings.
2. Expert Mentorship and Guidance
Throughout the program, fellows are paired with professional engineers and industry experts who serve as mentors. These mentors provide technical guidance, career advice, and code reviews, helping participants sharpen both their hard and soft skills. Having access to seasoned professionals in the field allows fellows to learn best practices and avoid common pitfalls while building confidence in their abilities. This mentor-mentee relationship often continues informally even after the program ends, adding long-term value to participants’ networks.
3. Career Readiness and Resume Building
Completing the MLH Production Engineering Fellowship makes your resume stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. Fellows not only list the MLH credential, but they also showcase real project contributions on platforms like GitHub. These public repositories demonstrate a deep understanding of infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, and Linux systems. More importantly, they provide tangible proof of problem-solving and collaborative experience. Many past fellows have landed full-time positions or internships at leading tech firms immediately following the program.
4. Remote, Global, and Inclusive Format
The MLH Fellowship is conducted entirely online, making it accessible from anywhere in the world. This inclusivity ensures that students from underrepresented backgrounds or remote locations can participate without the barriers of relocation or visa requirements. The global nature of the cohort also means that participants interact with peers from diverse cultures and technical backgrounds, enhancing the learning experience and promoting global collaboration.
5. Structured Curriculum with Focus on Production Engineering
Unlike general software internships, this program is tailored specifically for production engineering, making it perfect for students who want to specialize in infrastructure, operations, and system reliability. Fellows follow a structured curriculum that includes topics such as:
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Linux administration and scripting
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Infrastructure as code (Terraform, Ansible)
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Docker and containerization
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Kubernetes for orchestration
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Observability tools like Prometheus and Grafana
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Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines
This highly focused training ensures that participants acquire deep domain knowledge and are equipped to take on roles in SRE or DevOps teams.
6. Community and Networking Opportunities
Fellows become part of a vibrant and supportive MLH community that continues to grow long after the fellowship ends. Alumni events, online communities, hackathons, and career fairs hosted by MLH help fellows stay connected and continue to grow. Many fellows find lifelong friends, collaborators, and even co-founders through the program. The network can be instrumental in securing future job offers, collaborations, or mentorship opportunities.
7. Stipend Support (If Applicable)
In certain fellowship tracks, MLH offers stipends to help support fellows financially during the program. While the amount and availability can vary depending on sponsorships and the fellow’s location, this benefit ensures that deserving candidates can focus on learning and contribution without financial stress.
8. Open Source Contributions and Public Recognition
Fellows contribute to real open-source projects, which are often featured or recognized by the broader developer community. This contribution not only enhances technical portfolios but also builds a public profile that can attract freelance opportunities, speaking engagements, or leadership roles in tech communities.
9. Pathway to Full-Time Roles
Many MLH Fellows are offered internships or even full-time jobs by program sponsors like Meta, GitHub, or AWS. Having “MLH Production Engineering Fellow” on your resume signals to recruiters that you’ve already undergone a rigorous, real-world training process, making you a lower-risk and higher-value hire. Alumni from previous years have gone on to work at companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and other top-tier tech employers.
10. Personal Growth and Confidence Building
Finally, the Fellowship helps participants build confidence, resilience, and a problem-solving mindset. Working in fast-paced, collaborative environments where bugs, outages, and issues arise—as they do in real systems—teaches fellows how to manage pressure, communicate clearly, and lead with initiative. These are invaluable traits, both in engineering and life.
Participants in the MLH Fellowship gain numerous advantages:
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Real-World Experience: Working on projects that have tangible impacts prepares Fellows for industry roles.fellowship.mlh.io+1fellowship.mlh.io+1
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Mentorship: Guidance from professionals helps in skill development and career planning.fellowship.mlh.io
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Networking: Connecting with peers and industry leaders opens doors to future opportunities.
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Educational Stipend: Fellows receive a stipend to support their learning journey.fellowship.mlh.io+4Major League Hacking+4LinkedIn+4
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Career Support: Resume reviews, mock interviews, and job search assistance are integral parts of the program.fellowship.mlh.io+1fellowship.mlh.io+1
Testimonials and Success Stories
The impact of the MLH Production Engineering Fellowship is best captured through the experiences of those who have gone through the program. Alumni stories consistently highlight how the Fellowship has transformed their technical capabilities, confidence, and career trajectories.
Roa Brahimi, an alumna of the MLH Fellowship, shares:
“Before the Fellowship, I was unsure about my career path in tech. I enjoyed backend development but never explored infrastructure or systems engineering. The MLH Production Engineering track opened my eyes to the world of SRE. Through hands-on projects, daily stand-ups, and one-on-one mentoring, I learned to manage servers, automate processes, and troubleshoot real-world issues. Today, I’m starting a DevOps internship, and I owe that step to MLH.”
Another fellow, Jay Patel, explains:
“What stood out most for me was the collaborative environment. We weren’t just coding—we were solving problems together, like a real engineering team. The mentorship I received from industry veterans helped me understand concepts that weren’t taught in university. I went from writing basic Python scripts to building resilient systems on AWS. After the fellowship, I secured a full-time offer as a Site Reliability Engineer. MLH helped me bridge the gap between theory and practice.”
Some fellows have even gone on to mentor the next generation of participants. Fatima Yousaf, for instance, returned to the program as a peer mentor:
“Being a fellow gave me the foundation; being a mentor helped me solidify it. Watching others grow through the same journey I once did was incredibly fulfilling. MLH doesn’t just teach skills—it builds a community.”
These stories are not isolated. They reflect the consistent excellence of the MLH model in nurturing raw talent and shaping it into professional readiness.
Many alumni have credited the MLH Fellowship with accelerating their careers. For instance, Roa Brahimi, a past Fellow, shared, “Before the Fellowship, I wouldn’t have considered myself ready for roles beyond SWE. As part of the program, though, I had access to the resources and mentorship I needed to prepare for SRE roles, and now I’m starting a DevOps and Cloud Engineering internship!” LinkedIn+3fellowship.mlh.io+3fellowship.mlh.io+3Major League Hacking
Conclusion
Major League Hacking (MLH) Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025, the MLH Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025 is not just a training program; it is a career-defining experience for students and early-career technologists. At a time when real-world skills are the currency of employability, this fellowship offers a rare opportunity to gain meaningful, industry-relevant experience in a supportive and challenging environment.
Participants graduate from the program with more than just technical skills. They develop soft skills like communication, time management, teamwork, and the ability to work in distributed environments. These are the competencies that modern engineering teams value most. By working on open-source projects and learning from experts, fellows leave the program prepared to contribute from day one in any DevOps or SRE role.
Moreover, the Fellowship fosters a global, inclusive, and diverse community that continues to support its members long after the 12-week program concludes. With strong partnerships with tech giants like Meta and a curriculum grounded in real-world problems, MLH ensures that fellows are not only prepared for their first job in tech—but for a long, evolving, and successful career.
Whether you are a student looking to break into DevOps, a recent graduate exploring niche engineering fields, or someone curious about system reliability and infrastructure, the MLH Production Engineering Fellowship 2025 could be the launching pad you need. Applications are open, and the next success story could be yours.
The MLH Summer Production Engineering Fellowship 2025 offers a unique opportunity for aspiring technologists to gain practical experience, receive mentorship, and prepare for careers in SRE and DevOps. With its comprehensive curriculum, industry partnerships, and supportive community, the fellowship serves as a launchpad for future tech leaders.
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