The Stokes Scholarship Program is an official funding opportunity offered by the CIA to U.S. students. The program offers needs-based tuition coverage with an opportunity to gain real-world professional experience within the Intelligence Community while studying toward your degree. Participants will intern in the WMA and gain mission-critical skills.
The Stokes Scholarship, as well as other CIA programs for students, such as internships and co-operation programs, offer unique and rewarding experiences. Continue reading to explore programs’ details, eligibility requirements, and application processes to unlock unique CIA opportunities for you.
Stokes Scholarship Details and Requirements
The Stokes Scholarship Program is available for undergraduate and graduate students. To be eligible, a student must be a U.S. citizen, demonstrate financial need, and pass the CIA background investigation and physical/psychological examinations.
The requirements for the program are as follows:
- Students must demonstrate financial need proven by the adjusted gross annual household income (AGI) up to $120,000 or up to $50,000 if the student has not been a dependent during the previous tax year.
- After receiving scholarship funds, students must sign a Continued Service Agreement, which implies working at the CIA (1.5 years for every year in the program).
- Students are obliged to work full-time for at least 12 weeks each summer in the WMA until they graduate and carry on the work as a full-time officer post-graduation.
- Students must remain in a full-time study form through the entire program and maintain a minimum of 3.0 GPA.
- Students must submit their transcripts every semester within 30 days of completion.
- Students must continue to major in the field that aligns with the position for which they were selected.
- Students must demonstrate good attendance, conduct, and performance at school and work.
Failure to comply with any of these requirements may result in the termination of participation in the program.
CIA Summer Internship Opportunity for Undergraduate Students
Apart from scholarships, the CIA also offers year-round internship opportunities for undergraduate students. Internship programs allow students to land paid positions and acquire invaluable work experience in a range of fields, including:
- Economics
- Engineering
- Foreign language
- Information technology
- Finance
- And others
Some students may also participate in the CIA’s cooperative programs. These programs imply working on an alternating semester basis for a minimum of three semesters until graduation. Summer work sessions might also be included. To start a co-op program, students typically need to meet their school’s specific requirements to receive co-op credit. Students will also have to cooperate with their schools to acquire academic credit.
Eligible Majors for the CIA Internship
The CIA offers opportunities to students across different majors. In this part of our review, we’ll look at the specializations that are eligible to participate in internship programs.
Science and Technology Programs
- Software engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Aerospace engineering
- Computer engineering
- Acoustic engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Computer Science
- Material science
Digital Innovation Programs
- Economics
- Data analytics
- Mathematics
- Computer engineering
- Computer science
- Cyber security
- Computer forensics
- Management information systems
- Computer networking
- Engineering (general)
- Electrical engineering
Support Programs
- Finance
- Accounting
- Business administration and management
- Human resource management
- Supply chain management
- OS/Cyber security
- Security engineering and cyber defense
- Contracts/acquisition/procurement
- Communications
- Graduate student in the MBA program
Analytical Programs
- Economics
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- History (Military History)
- Foreign languages (Chinese, Korean, Farsi, Urdu, Arabic, Russian)
- International affairs/relations
- Psychology with international affairs
- Global affairs
- Computer science
- Data analysis/science
- Sociology/anthropology
- Statistics w/regional studies
- Intelligence/security studies
CIA Stokes Scholarship Application Procedure and Deadlines
If you’re interested in participating in the CIA Stokes Scholarship program, you need to submit a fully completed Stokes Scholarship application form along with the required documents. All applications are submitted via the CIA careers website, where you can also find all the key information about the program and processes.
Applications are accepted annually, between August and September, for the following year. Participation begins from the following year due to the length of the CIA’s security and medical examination processes. Funding is provided after the start of the work tour.
With an application, students must provide the following:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship;
- 1040 tax form;
- A resume;
- Transcripts/acceptance letters.
Currently, the CIA is not accepting applications for the Summer 2026 program.
Conclusion
The CIA student internships, co-op, and scholarship programs were designed to help ambitious students work side by side with the top experts in their field and gain real-world experience. This is a rewarding experience that allows you to serve the nation and contribute to the CIA’s mission. And it’s also a great opportunity to receive additional funding for your education.
At this time, the applications for Summer 2026 are already closed. However, the application window opens annually between August and September. So, if you’re interested in joining one of the CIA’s opportunities, now is the perfect time to prepare and get ready to apply next year.