Students can apply for federal internships at a variety of federal agencies in the United States, ranging from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (EPA). Regardless of the agency, federal internships are available in a variety of subject areas. Some agencies, such as the FBI, offer internships that focus on the agency’s specific role. Other organizations offer more generic internships. Even if she isn’t interested in weather, a student interested in communications and the media can apply for a media internship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Undergraduate and graduate students can apply for the FBI internship program. Internships at the FBI are paid and last for ten weeks during the summer. Although a student can work in the Washington, DC office, the agency prefers students to apply to the field office closest to their home or school. Interns in the program will gain access to the FBI’s inner workings.
Students who want to work in the foreign service should apply for federal internships at the State Department. Graduate students and undergraduates in their junior year are eligible for state department internships. Some internships are unpaid, but a student intern may be eligible for a transportation stipend. Others are remunerated, such as federal holidays and Social Security benefits.
Internships at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Education are among the other federal internships available. A Department of Education student intern must be at least 16 years old. The DOE also hires high school students as interns. Internships with the DOE and the Department of Education are usually unpaid and on a volunteer basis, though a student may be eligible for school credit.
Students interested in media and communications, as well as students interested in oceanography and environmental science, can apply for internships at NOAA. Internships can be paid or for school credit, depending on the type of internship and the season. Interns in the media usually work in Washington, DC or Maryland, whereas interns in oceanography and marine biology work all over the country, including Alaska and the Chesapeake Bay.
Only students who are citizens of the United States are eligible for most federal internships. Most students will need an above-average GPA and to be enrolled at least part-time in school, though many internships are only open to full-time students. Students must also pass security clearances for a number of internships.