U.S. Department of State Student Internship Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide

The U.S. Department of State offers various internship opportunities for students seeking to gain valuable experience in diplomacy and foreign policy. These internships provide a coveted inside look at diplomacy in action, exposing students to the range of careers and responsibilities found in the Foreign Service and Civil Service. Interns gain valuable work experience applicable to both government and private sector endeavors. The Department of State’s Pathways Internship Program encompasses the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP) and the Internship Experience Program (IEP).

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program, applicants must meet certain requirements. Generally, the program is open to U.S. citizens enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate school and professional academic levels.

Specific eligibility criteria include:

Student Status: Applicants must be full- or part-time continuing college or university juniors, or graduate students (including graduating seniors intending to go on to graduate school).
GPA: A minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or the letter grade equivalent is typically required, although some specific internships may require a higher GPA, such as 3.0. If your school does not issue Grade Point Averages (GPAs), please work with your registrar office to understand the markings associated with each course on your transcript to use the GPA Calculation Table.
Academic Discipline: Students from any academic discipline may apply.
Return to School: Students must be returning to school immediately following the internship to qualify for the program.
Post-Graduate Studies: You are eligible to apply for this 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).
Medical Insurance: For overseas assignments, applicants must present evidence of medical insurance coverage.

Note: Some eligibility questions are exclusionary. Applicants will only be notified after the closing of the announcement if their application is disqualified based upon responses to these questions. Please carefully read the program eligibility requirements before applying.

GPA Considerations

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0, or the letter grade equivalent. If your school does not issue Grade Point Averages (GPAs), please work with your registrar office to understand the markings associated with each course on your transcript to use the GPA Calculation Table.

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Application Process

The application process for the U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program involves several steps:

Create a USAJOBS Account: New USAJOBS users must create a USAJOBS account and build a resume using the USAJOBS Resume Builder. Applicants must create (not upload) a USAJOBS resume in order to move forward to the actual application.
Apply Online: Once a profile has been created and a resume built, they can click the "Apply Online" button on the right-hand side of the vacancy announcement. After this, applicants will be taken to another screen to identify and highlight their resume to certify that the information submitted is true and made in good faith.
Required Documents: Applicants must provide proof of student status in the form of an official or unofficial transcript. If using official transcripts, applicants must attach them to their application per the instructions provided in the application. The application offers candidates two methods to attach their transcript to their application: by fax or by upload. Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload their transcript to their application.
Application Review: After the application filing period, agencies review their listings and contact selected candidates for interviews. There is no specific timeframe an applicant can expect to be contacted by agencies. However, agencies typically contact candidates several weeks before the end close of the application period for a given session.

Once applicants have started an application, they can access and edit that application at any time up to the closing of the vacancy announcement.

Internship Selection Process

The Student Internship Selection Process consists of several steps:

SIP Selection Committee Review: The SIP Selection Committee reviews and selects finalists, including providing recommendations for host bureau placement.
Security Clearance Initiation: Selectees (finalists and alternate selectees) are initiated in the security clearance process by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). DS Clearance Coordinators will assist selectees on their security clearance application.
Final Offer: Once finalist selectees are granted a security clearance, the SIP team extends the cleared student a final offer letter to include their assigned host bureau. In the event that a finalist selectee does not receive a security clearance or declines their offer, a waitlisted student is considered.

Students tentatively selected for the internship program must undergo a background investigation and receive either a Public Trust, Secret or Top Secret security clearance. The clearance process can take up to 150 days to complete from the time the forms are received by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). Investigations may take substantially longer if students have had extensive travel, education, residence and/or employment overseas. These issues could include a current or past history of drugs or alcohol abuse, as well as a recent history of credit problems. Further information regarding issues of dual citizenship and foreign influence is available. Although these problems will not necessarily preclude students from receiving a security clearance, they will lengthen the time required to complete the clearance process. The appropriate security forms needed to complete the application for security clearance will be included with your notification of acceptance. When you receive information to proceed with your security clearance application, please complete, sign, and return all materials by the date indicated.

Internship Opportunities

The U.S. Department of State offers a variety of internship opportunities across different bureaus and locations. These opportunities are available in Washington, D.C., at Department offices around the United States, and at embassies and consulates throughout the world.

Bureaus and Focus Areas

Students can work in one of the many offices which make up the respective geographic or functional bureaus.

Geographic Bureaus: These bureaus oversee policies for a given region of the world.
Functional Bureaus: These bureaus focus on specific issues and are responsible for policy areas which affect all regions and countries. These bureaus include the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), International Organization Affairs (IO), Political-Military Affairs (PM), and Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES).

Specific Internship Programs and Opportunities

Foreign Service Internship Program: This program provides students with an inside look at diplomacy in action and the range of careers and responsibilities found in the Foreign Service.
Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) Internships: These internships connect citizen college students with the needs of federal agencies, offering real experience in a virtual setting. The time commitment is about 10 hours per week during the school year, with opportunities ranging from data visualization to political analysis.
Colin Powell Leadership Program: This program recruits highly motivated individuals from a variety of backgrounds who aspire to and possess the potential to become future civil service leaders in the Department.
MBA Special Advisor Fellowship: This fellowship seeks to strengthen the Department's strategic management and operations capabilities through leading-edge solutions and academia.

External Internship Opportunities

Several organizations collaborate with the U.S. Department of State to provide additional internship opportunities in related fields:

OAS Internship Program: Interns work with the OAS, an international political organization that aims to resolve and prevent conflicts. Fluency in French, Spanish, or Portuguese is often required.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): CSIS interns participate in activities that support individual programs/departments, including research, writing, and project development. Ideal for undergraduate and graduate students with majors in international relations, political science, economics, or related fields.
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR): CFR interns help citizens better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. Open to graduate or undergraduate students.
Brookings Institution: Interns may work with Brookings’s staff in research areas such as Economic Studies, Foreign Policy, Global Economy and Development, Governance Studies, and Metropolitan Policy. Experienced undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA are eligible.
American Enterprise Institute (AEI): AEI is a research-based think tank in Washington DC. Internships are available for undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates with a demonstrated interest in international relations, political science, national security, or related fields.
Hudson Institute: Hudson Institute offers a variety of research internships through which interns work closely with a particular scholar to produce research briefs, memos, and articles.

Other Programs

Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program
Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program
Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship
William D. Clarke, Sr. Foreign Service Internship Program

Internship Details

Compensation and Credit

Monetary compensation may be available for some internship opportunities. Internships may also be eligible for course credit. "For credit" internships will require an understanding between your educational institution and the host agency.

Duration

The duration of internships varies depending on the session:

Summer Session: The summer session, beginning in May, offers student interns a condensed and intensive experience. Interns work for 8 to 10 weeks.
Fall and Spring Sessions: The Fall and Spring sessions are 12 to 13 weeks long.

Application Limit

There is no limit to how many internship opportunities you may apply. Applicants are encouraged to review available internship opportunities and select any internships they are interested in.

Benefits of Interning with the U.S. Department of State

Interning with the U.S. Department of State offers numerous benefits:

Inside Look at Diplomacy: Interns gain a coveted inside look at diplomacy in action.
Valuable Work Experience: Interns gain valuable work experience that can be applied to virtually every endeavor, whether in government or the private sector.
Networking Opportunities: Interns have the opportunity to work in various bureaus located in Washington, D.C. and at Department offices around the United States, and engage with a diverse network of public service employees.
Skill Development: Interns work with architects, IT professionals, policy experts, and engineers who have various educational and cultural backgrounds, global perspectives, depth of knowledge, and technical skills, along with exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Application Tips

Start Early: The Department of State is excited to announce a call for applications for the upcoming Summer 2025 Student Internship Program (SIP)! The application is now live on USAjobs.gov and the deadline to apply is Monday, October 7th at 11:59 PM (EST) or when 4,000 applications have been submitted.
Apply Before the Deadline: We strongly encourage all interested university/college students to submit your application before the deadline and take advantage of this paid opportunity (including housing and travel support).
Carefully Review Eligibility Requirements: Please carefully read the program eligibility requirements before applying.
Prepare Required Documents: Applicants must provide proof of student status in the form of an official or unofficial transcript. The transcripts must be attached to the submitted application.
Be Thorough in the Application: After you provide the above information, you will be shown a summary of your information, which you may print.

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