Intern to Serve Your Country

How far could a student internship at the U.S. Department of State take you? Just for starters, it would give you a coveted inside look at diplomacy in action, and the range of careers and responsibilities found in the Foreign Service and Civil Service. You’ll gain valuable work experience that you can apply to virtually every endeavor — whether you work in government or the private sector. Most of all, you will feel good about doing something worthwhile for your country.

Paid Student Internship Program

The Summer 2025 program cycle’s “Call for Applications” has now closed and no longer accepting applications. The Student Internship Program will release updates about future program cycles in January 2025.

Please sign up to receive updates for upcoming program cycles and for ongoing updates related to the program.

The U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program

This is a paid internship with the opportunity to work in various bureaus located in Washington, D.C. and at Department offices around the United States. This program is designed to provide substantive learning experiences in a foreign affairs environment.

While the duties of the U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program participants vary from bureau to bureau and office to office, it is not uncommon for these students to:

  • Participate in meetings with senior-level U.S. Government or foreign government officials
  • Draft, edit, or contribute to cables, reports, communications, talking points, or other materials used by policymakers in furthering U.S. foreign policy objectives
  • Support events, including international and/or multilateral meetings and conferences or
  • Engage directly with U.S. audiences in helping to explain the work of the Department of State or foreign audiences in helping to promote U.S. foreign policy and improve understanding of U.S. culture and society.

 

Most U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program opportunities are offered at the bureau level in Washington D.C. Students can work in one of the many offices which make up the respective geographic or functional bureaus. Also, there are a limited number of internship opportunities in in New York City with the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

  • Geographic Bureaus: Oversee policies for a given region of the world. Geographic bureaus 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), and Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA).
  • Functional 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). Other functional bureaus have responsibility for different critical operations and aspects of the administration of the Department of State, including Administration (A), Consular Affairs (CA), Diplomatic Security (DS), Legislative Affairs (H), Global Talent Management (GTM), and Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO).

To be eligible for the U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen
  • Have a minimum 3.2 GPA
    • 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. Note, a GPA must be entered for your application to be complete and for you to be considered for an internship with the Department.
Grade Point Average Table
GradeA+AA-B+BB-C+CC-D+DD-F
4.0 Scale4.04.03.73.33.02.72.32.01.71.31.00.70.0
4.0+ Scale4.34.03.73.33.02.72.32.01.71.31.00.70.0
  • Be able to receive either a Public Trust, Secret or Top Secret clearance
  • Be a Undergraduate (juniors and seniors) or Graduate Student
    • A student is an individual who is enrolled in a degree-seeking program in an accredited college or university
    • An applicant is considered a junior if he/she will have completed all sophomore credits (60 or more semester hours or 90 quarter hours) by the time the internship begins and will be entering at least the junior year immediately following completion of the internship
    • An individual is still considered a student if he/she has been out of school, between semesters or school years, for not more than five (5) months and have plans to return to school within five (5) months or less
    • An individual enrolled in school and receiving credit toward their degree for participating in the Student Internship Program is also considered a student
    • Students must be returning to school immediately following the internship in order to qualify for the program. In addition, students must attach an official or unofficial transcript to their application confirming they are a current student.
    • 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). 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.

Furthermore, you may be required to undergo random drug testing.

The U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program is a paid internship with the opportunity to work in U.S. Embassies and field offices 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.

  • Paid interns will receive compensation as a GS-04/Step 1 base pay, and be a temporary employee of the U.S. Department of State.
  • The internship service is not creditable for retirement benefits unless and until the intern is subsequently appointed into a federal career position.
  • The program covers reasonable travel expenses to and from the internship and assists with housing.

Those interested in applying for the U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program must begin by visiting the Student Programs section under the Intern tab of Home – careers.state.gov, clicking the “U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program” and continuing through the “Gateway to State.” The “Gateway to State” button will only be available when an application is open and active.  Applicants can also go directly to USAJOBS*, and search for the U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program.

Application Structure

There are five (5) sections:

  1. Eligibility
  2. Series Grade Questions
  3. All Grade Questions
  4. Documents
  5. Application Review

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. No applicant will be able to make changes to their application once the announcement has closed.

Application Navigation

An applicant is in the actual online application when they see “The U.S. Department of State” and “Diplomacy in Action” at the top of the screen. 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. 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. Applicants must then click on “Apply for this position now!”

Application Completion

Provide all required documents

If a country is not listed in the application, it is not accepting students for that season.

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. 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. If the transcript is not successfully attached to the application, the application will be rated ineligible.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload their transcript to their application. Technical difficulties tend to arise through the faxing process that lead to applications being received as incomplete after the closing of the announcement.

Application Reminder

Once applicants have started an application, they can access and edit that application at any time up to the closing of the vacancy announcement. Applicants must complete all sections of the application, attach the most recent transcript, and submit their application in order to be considered for the U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program.

 

Selection

Step 1: The SIP team receives the full application package of those eligible and then forwards to the Selection Committee for review.

Step 2: The SIP Selection Committee reviews and selects finalists, including providing recommendations for host bureau placement. This is determined mainly by the needs of the Department, informed to the extent possible by the finalists’ own interests and career aspirations.

Step 3: The SIP team reviews and confirms bureau selections and coordinates the official notification to students selected.

Step 4: The SIP team sends both finalists and alternate selectees conditional offer letters.

Step 5: 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. 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 (i.e. cleared alternate) may receive an offer to backfill the position.

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. Also, this process could be extended if they have dual citizenship, foreign contacts, immediate family or relatives who are not citizens of the United States and/or a foreign born spouse or if there is a security, suitability, or medical issue to resolve.

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. DS may be unable to process the security clearance if the student fails to meet the deadline.

Learn more about the security clearance process.

NOTE: If you would like to be notified when we open the application, you can sign up for email updates here. In the meantime, you may want to create an account and your resume on the USAJOBS website — and obtain a copy of your college transcript.

Application Processing Table
Application ProcessSummer InternshipFall InternshipSpring Internship
Application Open PeriodOctoberFebruary July
Application Review/InterviewNovemberMarch August
Selection/Non-Selection &
Notification		JanuaryApril September
Security ClearancesJanuary – JulyMay – November September – March
Interns Enter on DutyMay – JulySeptember – December January – March
Internship EndsAugust/SeptemberDecember/January April/May

*Be sure to access Join Our Talent Network to sign up to receive alerts regarding the availability of future opportunities.

Selection Process

4 Steps to Becoming a Student Intern