Internships

Presidential Management Fellows program provides full-time paid internships with federal government agencies immediately following graduation from a graduate program. Nomination deadline generally is in October of every year.

White House Fellows, founded in 1964, is America’s most prestigious program for leadership and public service. White House Fellowships offer exceptional young men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. White House Fellows typically spend a year working as full-time, paid special assistants to senior White House staff, the vice president, Cabinet secretaries and other top-ranking government officials. Application deadline is generally in February of every year.

White House internship program provides an opportunity to experience day-to-day life at the White House while working on a variety of tasks and projects. In addition to normal office duties, interns attend weekly lectures, volunteer at special events, participate in tours, and contribute to a community service project in the Washington, D.C. area. White House internships are unpaid positions and participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation and housing. Approximately 100 interns are chosen each spring, summer and fall to participate in this highly competitive program.

Directory of federal government internships is a listing of internships offered by government agencies. As with any type of job, the best way to find out if the federal government is for you is to try it out. The internship gives the agency a chance to see if they want to offer you a full-time job when you graduate. In certain programs you can even get school credit while interning during the summer or during the school year.

Congressional Budget Office offers paid summer internship opportunities for graduate students. Students may be assigned to a variety of offices such as the budget analysis division, health and human resources division, macroeconomic or microeconomic analysis division, the national security division, and the tax analysis division.

Congressional Budget Office Health Policy Internshipoffers a paid opportunity for graduate students interested in health analysis and policy. CBO staffs this position in the fall, spring and the summer.

DC Internships is a listing of internships in the areas of political journalism, government-business, political affairs, and philanthropy and voluntary service.

U. S. Census Bureau would like to partner with you to attract and support a dynamic workforce. Deliver outstanding human resources support and services to meet customer needs. Nurture strong relationships with customers, stakeholders and each other.

USAJobs - Student jobs allows one to search government agencies that provide paid internships.  

Missouri Legislative Internship Program  provides students the chance to spend 40 or more hours a week, working on the staff of a member of the Missouri state legislature in Jefferson City. During this internship students will have the opportunity to network, earn class credit, interact with the media, explore career options and perfect written and verbal communication skills.  Interns will also receive a stipend to help them cover living expenses during the internship program.

North Carolina state government internship programoffers 100 paid internships available for 10 weeks each summer for undergraduates, graduate students and those in professional schools. Unpaid internships during the academic year can be arranged periodically, and part-time spring internships are sometimes offered. Please contact the internship coordinator.

The State of Oregon-Human Resource Services Administration offers a variety of internship programs both paid and unpaid primarily for college and university students. This is a statewide internship program that serves all state agencies. The basis of InternOregon is the former “Promise” program, which focused on attracting minority students to state employment from Oregon’s six major universities. While diversity is still a high priority, the Department of Administrative Services has opened the program to any student at any institution of higher education. Internships are offered year round and are project-based.

L. P. Cookingham Management Fellowship fellows rotate through the Kansas City manager’s office, the capital improvements management office or the public works department, office of management and budget, and one department of the fellow’s choice. The rotations are scheduled in three-month increments from June to August, September to November, December to February, and March to May. During these rotations, fellows work closely with departmental staff on a variety of projects.

The New York City Internship program offers many internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. To complement the work experience, all summer graduate and undergraduate interns participate in a special seminar series that features top city officials presenting overviews of municipal government, specific agencies and the latest issues confronting the city. To participate in the summer internship opportunities in city agencies, graduate students must be currently enrolled or accepted into a graduate program and undergraduate students must be enrolled in college or university.

City Hall Fellows are given a full-time, 12-month position in Houston, Texas or San Francisco, Calif., where students will work as full-time staff members in their assigned departments. Fellows also have the opportunity to spend 2-3 days in their state capital interfacing with state government leaders and will attend a three-day national convention in Washington, D.C., where they will compare and share their experiences with fellows from other cities and meet national policymakers and political leaders.

The Carter Center Internship Program The Carter Center is committed to waging peace, building hope, and fighting disease, and interns have the opportunity to work for Carter Center programs that contribute to this mission. The Carter Center provides a substantive learning experience that serves as a basis for interns to explore their career options and to develop professional skills. Internships are offered during three sessions per year to undergraduate juniors and seniors, graduate students, and recent graduates (graduated in the past 24 months). Prospective interns are those who have demonstrated superior academic ability and who have coursework, professional or personal experience, and career interests related to Carter Center programs. Interns are required to commit a minimum of 20 hours per week, although many choose to work up to 40 hours a week.

The Washington Center The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is an independent, nonprofit organization serving hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C. for academic credit.

The Institute for Humane Studies The Institute for Humane Studies has opportunities for paid internships in public policy, journalism, and production. The public policy internship places you in a Washington, DC think tank or state-based policy organization that is focused on advancing free markets and individual liberty. The program provides a stipend, workshops, housing, and travel reimbursement.

Citizens Against Waste in Government Offers a wide variety of opportunities to college students across the country. Unpaid internships are available on a year-round basis, and can vary in length from a semester to a few weeks in duration. Interns can choose to work part-time or full time, as hours of work are extremely flexible. Our daily work with Capitol Hill and the White House, as well as government agencies and think tanks, provides a close and invaluable look at how Washington works. 

The U.S. Department of State The U.S. Department of State offers several internships to both undergraduate and graduate students. Many of the internships are paid and offer benefits.  Internships are located in both the U.S. and internationally. The U.S. Department of State has a variety of internship and fellowship programs to fulfill your academic and professional interests.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) offers full and part-time internships in the fall, spring and summer for undergraduates, advanced students, and recent graduates who are interested in gaining practical experience in public policy. Interns will participate in the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy which supplements the work of CSIS interns with discussions on leadership in international affairs and key policy skills.

United Nations The United Nations offers internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students throughout the United States and Internationally. Internships throughout the United Nations system and for other international organizations are also posted on the website. The United Nations also offers a United Nations Headquarters Internship Programme which offers internships at United Nations headquarters located in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut and Santiago.