Summary The U.S. Department of State Paid Student Internship Program offers U.S. citizen students a chance to participate in the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. Responsibilities The U.S. Department of State provides student interns with insight into the work of U.S. foreign policy and the administration of the U.S. Department of State and its diplomatic facilities around the world and domestically. Specific duties and responsibilities vary according to the domestic office or overseas post. Generally, interns may: participate in meetings with senior-level U.S. Government or foreign government officials; draft, edit, and contribute to cables, reports, communications, talking points, and other materials used by policymakers in furthering U.S. foreign policy objectives; support events, including international and multilateral meetings and conferences; engage directly with U.S. audiences in helping to explain the work of the U.S. Department of State or foreign audiences in helping to promote U.S. foreign policy and improve understanding of U.S. culture and society. Student interns may be required to do some routine administrative work. Requirements Conditions of Employment To qualify you must: Be a United States citizen at the time of application. Be at least 18 years old at the time of application. Be in good academic standing with at least a 3.2 GPA or higher. Be pursuing an associate, bachelor, or graduate degree and returning to your academic program upon completion of your internship. Be an undergraduate student with at least 60 credit hours earned at the start of the internship or a graduate or post-doc student. Be participating in an accredited academic institution on at least a part-time basis at the time of application for the internship. The individual may qualify as a "student" even if the individual has a break in classes, provided the break is no longer than five months at the time the individual begins the internship. Have not previously participated in the U.S. Department of State’s Student Internship Program or the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program (USFSIP). Qualifications Please see the "Requirements" section for a list of qualifications. Education Applicants should be pursuing an associate, bachelor, or graduate degree, on at least a part-time basis, with at least a 3.2 GPA or higher. Students with at least 60 credit hours earned by the time the internship begins are encouraged to apply for this opportunity. Applicants must also be a continuing student with the expectation and intention of returning to their course of study the semester/quarter immediately following the completion of the internship (i.e., returning to school in the Fall 2025). Proof may be requested. If your academic plans change after your application and you are no longer a continuing student or have a break in classes longer than five months before your internship begins, you will no longer be eligible for the internship. Additional Information IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON SECURITY CLEARANCES: The Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) advises that routine SECRET level clearances normally require 120 to 150 days to complete. Investigations may take substantially longer if you have a history of extensive overseas travel, education, residence and/or employment; or if you have dual citizenship, foreign contacts, immediate family, relatives, and/or a spouse or partner who is a citizen of a foreign country. In addition, if DS identifies a security, suitability, or medical issue, your investigation may require additional time to process and review. These issues could include, but are not limited to, a current or past history of drug or alcohol abuse, indications of a mental or emotional health condition, or indications of financial problems. You should consult the Adjudicative Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Access to Classified Information (https://www.state.gov/security-clearances) to review how these considerations could affect your application. Such issues may not necessarily preclude DS from granting you a security clearance, but they will likely lengthen the time required to complete the clearance process. We cannot guarantee that every potential intern will obtain a security clearance before the start of an internship, if at all. Because the timeframe between conditional selection for an internship and entry on duty is relatively short (six to eight months), DS may not be able to adjudicate a non-routine case in time for the student to participate in the scheduled internship. Reasonable Accommodation The U.S. Department of State encourages applications from students with disabilities. The Department provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Employee Relations, Disability/Reasonable Accommodations Division, at OAA@state.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. Equal Opportunity It is the policy of the Federal Government to treat all employees with dignity and respect and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination, whether that discrimination is based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity or pregnancy), national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, membership in an employee organization, age, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors.