2025/ 2026 🇺🇸 U.S. Department of State Paid Student Internship Program

0 20 2 minutes read

Intern to Serve Your Country
Gain an inside look at U.S. diplomacy, contribute to foreign policy work, and develop valuable experience that applies to careers in both the public and private sectors.

Table of Contents

🌍 What the Internship Offers

A paid internship in Washington, D.C., U.S. embassies, missions, and field offices worldwide.
Substantive exposure to foreign affairs and diplomacy.
Opportunities to:
- Participate in meetings with senior U.S. or foreign officials
- Draft/edit cables, reports, and policy documents
- Support events such as international or multilateral conferences
- Engage U.S. and foreign audiences about U.S. policy, culture, and society

📌 Internship Assignments

Internships are offered in Geographic Bureaus and Functional Bureaus:

Geographic Bureaus (e.g., African Affairs, East Asian & Pacific, European & Eurasian, Near Eastern, South & Central Asian, Western Hemisphere).
Functional Bureaus (e.g., Democracy & Human Rights, International Narcotics & Law Enforcement, Political-Military Affairs, Oceans & Environment, Consular Affairs, Diplomatic Security, Global Talent Management, etc.).

Limited placements also available at the U.S. Mission to the UN (New York City).

💰 Compensation & Benefits

Paid at GS-04/Step 1 base pay (temporary employee status).
Program covers reasonable travel expenses to and from the internship.
Housing assistance provided.
Note: Service does not count toward retirement unless hired into a permanent federal career role later.

🎯 Eligibility Requirements

Must be a U.S. citizen
Minimum 3.2 GPA (verified via transcript)
Undergraduate juniors/seniors OR Graduate students (including law school)
Must return to school after internship (enrolled/accepted in degree program)
Eligible for a Public Trust, Secret, or Top Secret clearance
Cannot have more than a 5-month break between studies
Drug testing may be required

🔐 Security Clearance

Finalists undergo a background investigation (can take up to 150 days).
Factors that may delay the process: extensive overseas ties, dual citizenship, foreign-born relatives, credit or substance issues.
Clearance required before final offer.

📅 Application Cycles

Applications open 3 times a year (via USAJOBS):

Internship Term	Application Opens	Selection Notification	Start Date
Summer	October	January	May–July
Fall	February	April	Sept–Dec
Spring	July	September	Jan–March

📝 Application Process

Apply through USAJOBS (must build a USAJOBS resume).
Submit all required sections:
- Eligibility questions
- Series/grade questions
- Resume & documents (transcript required)
Incomplete applications (e.g., missing transcript) = ineligible.
Selection Steps:
- Application review → Selection Committee → Finalist placement → Conditional offer → Security clearance → Final offer.