How would you like to be at the frontline of U.S. diplomacy? With the U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program, you can witness the inner workings of the U.S. foreign affairs agency first-hand while you’re still in your junior year.
With internships available in Washington, D.C., and New York City, you can gain a unique sneak peek into the day-to-day life of senior foreign affairs officials. And, of course, this is a great opportunity for you to test-drive a career within the federal government if you’re considering it.
Here’s everything you should know about the U.S. Department of State’s Student Internship Program.
What Is the Student Internship Program?
The U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program is a paid internship opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. It allows you to work at one of the agency’s many offices and bureaus, most of which are located in Washington, D.C. Internships are available in fall, spring, and summer and typically last two to four months.
While internships typically take place at the State Department’s offices in Washington, D.C., some will take you to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York City. Each geographic and functional bureau has its own office at which you can complete your internship.
Geographic bureaus oversee policies for a specific region and include:
- African Affairs (AF)
- East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP)
- European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR)
- Near Eastern Affairs (NEA)
- South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA)
- Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA)
Functional bureaus deal with specific issues and foreign affairs policies addressing them. Those include:
- Bureau of Democracy
- Human Rights and Labor (DRL)
- International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)
- International Organization Affairs (IO)
- Political-Military Affairs (PM)
- Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES)
Some functional bureaus instead enable and manage the inner functioning of the State Department. They include:
- Administration (A)
- Consular Affairs (CA)
- Diplomatic Security (DS)
- Legislative Affairs (H)
- Global Talent Management (GTM)
- Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO)
You can learn more about the State Department, its mission, and structure from the program brochure.
Looking for internship opportunities abroad? The State Department also offers internships at U.S. Embassies and its field offices around the globe under its USFSIP program
What to Expect from It
Your exact duties during the internship will depend heavily on the office where you land. That said, interns often assist the State Department’s staff with:
- Organizing and holding meetings with senior U.S. or foreign government officials
- Drafting and editing materials for policymakers (diplomatic cables, reports, talking points, etc.)
- Holding international meetings, conferences, and other events
- Promoting the understanding of the U.S. foreign policy and the State Department’s work among U.S. audiences
Who Is Eligible for the Internship?
As this isn’t your typical internship opportunity in the private sector, the eligibility criteria are quite strict. To qualify for the program, you need to:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Have a GPA of at least 3.2
- Be eligible to receive a security clearance (Public Trust, Secret, or Top Secret)
- Be an undergraduate (junior/senior year), graduate, or post-graduate student
- Be ready to undergo random drug testing
You’re considered a junior if you completed 60+ semester hours by the start of the internship. It’s possible to apply before you pass that milestone, but you have to provide proof you earned those credits before the internship starts.
Note: The program doesn’t set the range of acceptable majors, so don’t get discouraged if your major doesn’t directly concern international relations or policymaking.
If you’re a future graduate or post-graduate student but you haven’t enrolled in a program yet, you can still apply for the internship. That can be the case if you’re waiting for the decision of the admissions board or simply haven’t registered yet. That said, you’ll also have to submit proof you’re enrolled in a graduate or post-graduate program if you’re selected for the internship.
Note: If you’re not eligible for the internship program but fill out the form anyway, you’ll be notified about your ineligibility after the announcement is closed.
Benefits and Compensation
The Student Internship Program used to be an unpaid internship a decade ago, but today, you should expect to be paid according to the GS-04/Step 1 base pay. For the duration of your internship, you’ll essentially be considered a temporary employee of the State Department.
Note: The internship won’t count toward your retirement benefits.
On top of that, if you don’t currently live in the location where you secure an internship, the program will cover your travel expenses to and from it. Plus, if you need accommodation, the U.S. State Department also offers assistance with housing.
How to Apply: Modalities & Timeline
You can apply for the internship via the USAJOBS portal or the U.S. State Department’s Careers website. The application consists of five sections: eligibility, series grade questions, all grade questions, documents, and application review.
If you apply via USAJOBS, you’ll have to first create your resume on the platform. On top of that, you’ll need to attach proof you’re a student and your academic transcript.
To learn more about the selection process, check out the State Department’s brochure.
Important: You can’t modify your application after submitting it. So, double-check everything before hitting the Submit button. That said, you can save your progress and return to the application while you’re working on it.
As for the timeline, here’s what it looks like for summer, fall, and spring internships:
If you want to get updates on the program cycles and updates to its rules, you can subscribe to the State Department’s dedicated newsletter.
In Closing
Securing an internship at the U.S. Department of State is harder than landing one in the private sector, but it’s worth it. If you’re curious about how the U.S. manages its foreign affairs on a day-to-day basis, no other internship program will put you right in the thick of it.
So, plan your application well ahead, subscribe to the agency’s newsletter to stay up-to-date on the available opportunities, and take your chances!
