USAID offers both paid and unpaid internships for qualified students during the academic year.

We draw enthusiastic and forward-thinking interns from a wide variety of fields of study.

Interns generally work in one of USAID’s offices in Washington, D.C., supporting programs in fields such as economic growth, agriculture, education, health, environment, democracy and governance, conflict prevention, and humanitarian assistance.

Work as an Intern at USAID

The work assigned to an intern typically includes:

• Research
• Writing program memoranda
• Drafting documents
• Facilitating meetings and special events
• Attending program discussions in the Agency, at the Department of State, or on Capitol Hill
•  Communicating about program issues with USAID field Missions abroad, and with USAID’s many stakeholders and the general public

Paid Internship Opportunities

USAID offers two types of paid internships:

The first type allows current students to explore Federal careers through the internship, which offers valuable work experience directly related to your academic field of study. You may be eligible for permanent employment after successfully completing your education and meeting work requirements.

The second type provides work experience for current students in temporary jobs that do not convert to permanent employment.

To qualify for either program, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be currently enrolled in a high school, two or four-year college,  or university, vocational/technical school, or other certificate program, on at least a half time basis
• Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0, (students with lower GPAs may be eligible on a case-by-case basis)
• Have good academic standing at your academic institution
• Provide an official transcript of your grades
• Be eligible for a security clearance

Volunteer Opportunities

USAID also sponsors unpaid internships for college and graduate students, depending on the needs of our geographic bureaus and technical offices.  

To qualify for an unpaid internship, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be currently enrolled in a college or university
• Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0
• Meet other qualifications as stated in the application

Current Available Internships

NOTICE: Student vacancies are advertised as they become available. If no vacancies are listed, then there are no vacancies. Please continue to check the website for open vacancies.

Internships in the Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI)

The Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is currently seeking interns.

Internships in the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs 

Information on internships with the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs is available at the LPA Internships page.

Internships in the Office of the General Counsel

General Counsel: Information on legal internships for law students is available at the Legal Internships page.