U.S. Department of State

How far could a student internship at the U.S. Department of State take you? Just for starters, it would give you a greatly coveted inside look into Foreign Service, the positions and the responsibilities that are possible.

Think of it as test-driving a career before you decide what you're going to do with your life. You'll gain valuable work experience that you'll be able to apply to virtually every endeavor — whether you work in government or in the private sector. Most of all, you feel good about doing something worthwhile for your nation.

Intern in Washington, D.C/ or Overseas

At the U.S. Department of State, we like to say that we represent America to the world. As an intern here or abroad, you will be, too. The U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program is an unpaid internship with the opportunity to work in U.S. Embassies throughout the world, as well as in various bureaus located in Washington, D.C. and at Department offices spread around the United States. This program is designed to provide substantive experiences in a foreign affairs environment. More information will be available over the next few months. Please subscribe to receive email updates regarding this program.

For internship program details such as duties of an intern, participating offices and bureaus, types of internships, and housing information, please download the Student Internship Program Brochure (pdf).

Eligibility requirements

• U.S. citizenship
• Have good academic standing
• Successfully complete a background investigation
• Be able to receive either a Secret or Top Secret clearance (34kb, pdf).
• You may be subject to random drug testing.

Furthermore, you must be:

• A student. This means you have been accepted for enrollment, or are enrolled as a degree-seeking student in an accredited college or university
• A full- or part-time continuing college or university junior, or graduate student (including graduating seniors intending to go on to graduate school). An applicant is considered a junior if he/she will have completed all sophomore credits (60 or more hours or 90 quarter hours) by the time the internships begins and will be entering at least the junior year immediately upon completion of the internship.

IMPORTANT: You are eligible to apply for the Department's unpaid internship program if you have not yet completed your registration at a college or university for graduate or post-graduate studies (including law school) or are awaiting an admissions determination for graduate or post-graduate studies (including law school). However, if selected for an internship, you must provide proof that you have registered, or have been accepted for enrollment for studies in the semester or quarter immediately following the internship before you can begin your internship.

We seek a broad range of academic majors; in fact, regardless of your major there’s an opportunity for you.

For overseas assignments, applicants must present evidence of medical insurance coverage. All students must be available to begin their internship within the appropriate application timetable. Click here to download the  Student Internship Program Brochure  (pdf).

Compensation and Benefits

Unpaid Internships:

• May be able to earn college credit.
• Unpaid assigned to the U.S. qualify for MetroChek Transit Subsidy

The U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program is an unpaid internship with the opportunity to work in U.S. Embassies throughout the world, as well as in various bureaus located in Washington, D.C. This program is designed to provide substantive experiences in a foreign affairs environment. More information will be available over the next few months. Please subscribe to receive email updates regarding this program.

How to Apply

We are currently accepting applications for the 2013 Fall U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program. The deadline to submit completed applications is March 01, 2013. Please go to https://state.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/336405300 to start the online application process.

All applications are submitted online through the "Gateway to State" system, which also screens applications to make sure that they are complete, and that applicants meet the eligibility criteria.

You can also visit the Career Resources Download Center for a list of Position Descriptions.

For more information on how bureaus select interns, and more detailed information on the application process, please download the  Student Internship Program Brochure  (pdf).

Technical Difficulties: Please contact the helpdesk (mgshelp@monster.com) or phone (866-656-6830) if you are having technical difficulties. 

Internship Program

The Internship Program includes both the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP) and the Internship Experience Program (IEP). Both are targeted toward students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions from high school to graduate school and professional school levels. Both provide students with opportunities to explore Federal careers while being paid for the work performed.

• ITEP - Under this program interns are no longer eligible for non-competitive promotions. Those qualified must compete for higher grade level positions. The ITEP interns will be appointed for one year or projected graduation date (whichever is shorter) and extension may be made in one year increments only. ITEP interns are not eligible for benefits until completion of one year of continuous employment. Once this requirement is met, ITEP interns are eligible for benefits and must pay the full premium.



• IEP - Interns in this program are permanent excepted service appointments and do not have a Not to Exceed (NTE) dated. Interns are eligible for promotions, reassignments and benefits (e.g. FEGLI, FEHB). Each intern must have an Individual Development Plan (IDP) in place following acceptance as an intern. Additionally, any requests for training either, at the Foreign Service Institute or external courses, must be approved and funded by the employing bureau.

For specific inquiries on the Pathways Internship Programs (ITEP and IEP), please contact HRSC@state.gov

Learn more about this program at www.opm.gov >

Recent Graduates Program

This new program targets recent graduates of trade and vocational schools, community colleges, universities, and other qualifying educational institutions or programs. To be eligible, applicants must apply within two years of degree or certificate completion. Veterans who, due to military service, were unable to apply for positions, will have up to two years from their release or discharge from active duty, not to exceed six years after degree and/or certificate completion. Successful applicants will be placed in a one-year career development program.

Learn more about this program at www.opm.gov >

Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF): For more than three decades, the PMF Program has been the Federal government's premier leadership development program for advanced degree candidates. The Program focuses on developing a cadre of potential government leaders. Under the regulations proposed by OPM, the eligibility window for applicants is expanded, making the program more "student friendly" by aligning it with academic calendars.

Learn more about this program at www.opm.gov >

Read about the Diplomacy Fellows Program and other professional fellowships in the Professional Fellowships page.

Currently accepting applications.

If you are a student with a disability, the U.S. Department of State has opportunities for you. We have partnered with the Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment and Policy, and the U.S. Department of Defense, who administer the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) to hire college students with disabilities. The WRP is a recruitment and referral program that connects us to highly motivated postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities. We offer paid, full-time summer positions in Washington, D.C.

Eligibility requirements and How to Apply

To be eligible for the WRP, students must be current, full-time undergraduate or graduate students with a disability, or have graduated within one year of the release of the database each March. Students must also be U.S. citizens.

If you are an eligible student, share this information with your school's disability services or career services coordinator, and ask him or her to contact the WRP Coordinator at wrp@dol.gov. Please understand that we work directly with college coordinators, and cannot respond to inquiries from individual students.

The Council of American Ambassadors provides six fellowships in honor of Ambassadors Walter and Leonore Annenberg. The Fellowship program combines mentoring by former U.S. ambassadors, practical training through internships at the U.S. Department of State and, in cooperation with The Fund for American Studies, academic studies in international affairs at Georgetown University, as well as residential housing on campus. The Fellowship provides a $6,000 award to each student that is applied to cover the cost of summer program.

The Fellowships are open to undergraduate students:

• who have completed their junior year prior to the commencement of their internships.
• who possess a strong interest in pursuing a career in diplomacy or international affairs,
• whose backgrounds should reflect a high level of academic excellence and leadership in extra-curricular activities.

Compensation and Benefits

• Tuition paid for six credit hours at Georgetown University
• Eight weeks of paid residential housing on Georgetown University's campus
• The Fellowships are available only during summer sessions.

The U.S. Department of State will forward applicants chosen for internships in Washington, D.C., and who have authorized the Department to provide their information to other organizations, to the Council of American Ambassadors for consideration. The Council will invite eligible candidates to apply for the Fellowship and provide the application instructions.

How to Apply

For more information about this program, please visit www.americanambassadors.org. Inquiries may be sent to council@americanambassadors.org.

The Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellowships, sponsored by the College of William and Mary, will provide a $5,000 award for two U.S. college students to work in the U.S. embassies in Paris and London and one U.S. college student to work in a component of the Office of the Secretary. The Fellowships are available during summer sessions only.

The U.S. Department of State will forward applicants for internships in London or Paris or in a component of the Office of the Secretary, and who have authorized the Department to provide their information to other organizations, to The Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellowship Program for consideration.

Eligible candidates will be contacted with instructions on applying for a Harriman Fellowship. The Harriman Board has determined that only undergraduate students entering their junior or senior year and graduating seniors continuing their studies will be considered for a Fellowship.

How to Apply

Inquiries should be sent to: harriman@wm.edu or mailed to:

The Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellowship Program
PO Box 8795
The College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, VA 23187