Internships in international relations are subject to more stringent requirements than internships in other fields. Employers sometimes place the same or similar expectations on students as they do on employees. To be considered for one of these competitive assignments, students must maintain the highest possible grade point average. Although foreign language skills are not required, they will undoubtedly benefit interns in international assignments. Government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the international private sector could all provide opportunities.
Internships in international relations may be available through government agencies. In the United States, for example, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), an independent federal agency that uses information to protect the country’s security, offers student programs. An intern can learn firsthand about the country’s foreign policy while working for a government agency, and the internship may be financially compensated.
An internship with a top intelligence agency is likely to be competitive, and students may be required to commit to more than just a summer program. Human resources, finance, and business administration are some of the undergraduate majors that may overlap with CIA international relations internships. According to the CIA website, other areas of focus could include foreign language, political science, and foreign affairs.
Internships in international relations can also be found at non-profit organizations. Think-tank organizations that seek to combine ideas from various segments of the economy and other sectors to examine foreign relations as a whole are examples of these institutions. Although a student intern may not be paid for this type of work except for the possibility of a stipend, the experience could be extremely valuable. It’s also possible that the internship will take place in the same area where the student lives. Internships in international relations do not always take place in other countries.
Students interested in international relations may major in a variety of subjects, including technology and marketing. Interns can use the most up-to-date Internet technology to create marketing materials that are distributed globally. Web usage, patterns, and trends could be used to interpret the effectiveness of an international marketing campaign by technology majors or others.
Internships in international relations can also be found in administration. Interns may be in charge of coordinating and participating in events, as well as arranging live and Internet meetings between executives. In the meantime, interns make contacts in the industry and learn about current issues in international relations.