Scholarships and Internships Related to International Affairs and Foreign Policy in the U.S.

Catholic Charities runs programs dealing with refugee and immigrant assistance, including English as a Second Language Training (ESL) and other support services, in the six southern counties of New Jersey. Volunteers can help teach ESL classes to refugees who are trying to learn English and/or work with refugee children while their parents are in class. More information and contact information to apply may be found on their website. Depending on how many hours you work, you could earn credit through CHSS Match (CHSS Match Internship Website). Teaching ESL would be great experience for students who are considering applying for ESL positions abroad when they graduate (Fulbright, JET, etc.) and for students interested in a career in interpretation/translating.

Center for Strategic and International Studies - Center for Strategic and International Studies

A bipartisan, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and analysis, and develops policy initiatives that look to the future and anticipate change. CSIS emphasizes finding ways to sustain American prominence and prosperity as “a force for good in the world.”  CSIS offers full and part-time internships in the fall, spring and summer on a rolling basis for those interested in gaining practical experience in public policy. Applicants must be at least a college junior in good standing, an advanced student, or a recent graduate; have at least a 3.0 GPA; and be eligible to work in the United States. Interns are paid a monthly stipend

CIA Internships CIA Internships Website

The CIA offers a variety of well-paid internships in Washington D.C. during the summer for students interested in foreign affairs and national security issues. Many of the internships are for computer science or engineering majors, but they also have internships for students with majors in international studies (listed under "Analysts" and "Open Source/Foreign Media Analysis"), as well as other majors such as business and communication. These positions are very competitive; applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA, completed at least one year of college, and be willing to move to Washington D.C. for the summer. Applications are due at least a year in advance, preferably earlier because of the intense screening process. The CIA also has a program for freshmen who are interested in pursuing a career with the CIA's Directorate of Operations after graduation (Internship Program for Freshmen) as well as a need-based tuition scholarship program (CIA Undergraduate Scholarships).

Council for Foreign Relations - Council for Foreign Relations

An independent, nonpartisan think tank and publisher dedicated to helping its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens better understand global issues and the foreign policy choices the United States and other nations must make. CFR offers numerous internships for undergraduate and graduate students related to international relations, as well as research and editing, digital technology, and communications. 

Federal Diversity Internship Initiative Scholarship FDII

This highly selective program offers undergraduates and graduate students interested in a career with the federal government full-time internships during the summer (10 weeks) or semester (15 weeks), mainly in the Washington D.C. area. The scholarship, which is administered by the Washington Center, pays for the cost of the internship program, housing, travel to the location of the internship, and a stipend to offset living expenses; the Washington Center offers shared housing within close proximity to the internships. Applications for summer internships are typically due in early February.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies - Foundation for Defense of Democracies 

Nonpartisan policy institute dedicated exclusively to “promoting pluralism, defending democratic values, and fighting the ideologies that threaten democracy” through policy research, investigative journalism, strategic communications, and democracy and counterterrorism education. This organization offers a variety of unpaid internships throughout the fall and summer, concerning communications, Congressional hearings, research, area studies (Latin America, Middle East, and Turkey), military and political power, and national security.

Foreign Policy Research Institute Foreign Policy Website

The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) is a think tank based in Philadelphia that is "devoted to bringing the insights of scholarship to bear on the development of policies that advance US national interests." FPRI focuses on geopolitics, international relations, and international security. Their studies are broken down into eight separate programs: National Security, Center for the Study of Terrorism, Center for the Study of America and the West, Asia Program, Program on the Middle East, Project on Democratic Transitions, Think Tanks and Foreign Policy, and Program on Field Research. FPRI offers three types of internships for students. The first internship is the Operations Internship, which has students help with conference preparation, development, PR, and research for administrative projects. The editorial interns help to analyze articles, communicate with authors, and do general editing for the production of the quarterly journal Orbis. Research interns will work with a fellow at the institute who share similar interests. Research interns will help their scholar in conducting literature searches, maintain data files, and help produce materials. Intern produced work may be published on the FPRI website's Intern Corner.  These are very competitive internships, so interested students should have an outstanding academic record. Applications include a cover letter stating your research interests and which internship you're applying for, a one-page resume, and 3-10 page writing sample. The internships are offered for Fall, Spring, and Summer sessions and are unpaid, though work-study grants may be allowed. Email the prepared package to the internship coordinator at intern@fpri.org. Rowan students can earn credit through the CHSS Match Internship program (and possibly other internship programs depending on their major).

Middle East Forum Middle East Forum Website

Middle East Forum (MEF) is a conservative think tank that was founded in 1990. The MEF is a non-profit organization with its own journal, the Middle East Quarterly. The Forum focuses on combating Islamism, protecting the freedom of speech of anti-Islamist activists, and working to improve Middle East studies in North America. The MEF offers internships in a variety of fields for on-location interns in their office in Philadelphia and for distance interns who cannot make it to the office. The first type of internship offered is a Research Internship. This internship requires interns to assist writers in rigorously researching articles for popular audiences. These articles may be published in Campus Watch, Islamist Watch, and possibly in the Middle East Quarterly. Editorial interns learn the basics of publishing by working with the managing director of the Middle East Quarterly on a variety of tasks such as fact-checking, proofreading, and advertising. Writing internships allow interns to write an article with the assistance of the staff at the Forum and possibly place it. Web Publishing interns help maintain and develop the MEF website, Meforum.org. Finally, the Fundraising Internship teaches students how a non-profit organization raises funds from individuals, foundations, and others. All intern positions, which are very competitive, are available throughout the year and unpaid, though interns may be reimbursed for transpiration if they are ineligible work-study programs. If students are interested in applying for an internship position, they should email a cover letter and their resume to Thelma Prosser, the office manager, at prosser@meforum.org. Rowan students can earn credit through the CHSS Match Internship program (and possibly other internship programs depending on their major).

National Security Agency (NSA) Internships NSA Internship Website

The NSA offers a number of well-paid 12-week summer internship programs for students interested in a career in intelligence and national security. Many of the programs are for students with STEM majors, but they also offer several programs for students with majors such as international studies and political science, e.g. the Security & Counterintelligence Summer Intern Program (SCSIP), Intelligence Analysis Summer Program, and the Civil Liberties and Privacy Summer Internship (CLP). There's also a language program for students who are fluent in critical languages (Chinese, Arabic, Persian, etc.) as well as a program for business majors (Business Management & Acquisition Intern Program), and for communication majors (Summer Strategic Communications Intern Program (SSCIP)). These internships are very competitive. Requirements vary, but in general, applicants must be US citizens with at least a 3.5 GPA; they must also be able to pass an intensive screening, including a polygraph. Applications are typically due in September or early October.

Organization for International Cooperation - Organization for International Cooperation

A Marlton, New Jersey-based non-profit dedicated to supporting foreign policymakers, their advisors and negotiators and officials of multilateral institutions in attaining “unprecedented cooperation” and peace in the world.  The organization offers unpaid internships.

Pathways for Students and Recent Graduates to Federal Careers Pathways Website

This program offers paid internships to undergraduate students (and recent graduates) from a wide variety of majors and fields, including internships related to international affairs and international security. Specific position listings, each of which have different requirements in terms of major, etc., may be found at USA Jobs.

Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institutes: PPIA Program

The PPIA Junior Summer Institutes, hosted by Princeton University, Carnegie Mellon, U.C. Berkeley, and the University of Michigan, offer intensive summer programs for undergraduate juniors who are planning to pursue a career in public or international affairs. The program at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, for example, is a seven-week program where students explore domestic and foreign policy issues with professors and policymakers and develop "skills that are core to policy analysis; microeconomics, statistics, writing, public speaking and organization/time management." Applicants must show an interest in public service and be able to bring a diverse perspective to public and international affairs (e.g. the perspective of a student from a public university). Applicants must also be committed to complete their Masters in public or international affairs at one of the PPIA consortium schools, which are among the top schools in the country. The benefits of attending this program include fully paid tuition at the Summer Institute session, including a meal plan and housing. There is a stipend of up to $1500 with possible reimbursement on travel expenses. Accepted scholars are also eligible for a onetime $5000 scholarship if they are accepted to a public policy program at the Masters level. The application, which is typically due November 1, consists of a resume, personal statement, academic transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a copy of the applicant's financial aid for the academic year. Students who are interested in the program at U.C. Berkeley must also "specifically demonstrate involvement in working to improve historically underserved or underrepresented communities, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino/as, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders."

State Department Internships: U.S. State Internships Website

The U.S. State Department Internship offers opportunities for outstanding students to complete a summer internship related to US foreign policy in the Washington D.C. or in an embassy abroad. The deadline to apply is typically October. The problem is that State Department internships are unfunded, which puts them out of reach for most students, though some positions offer room and board; a Rowan student who won an internship with the Philliphines provided with room and board for the 3-month summer program. However, truly exceptional students might consider applying anyway, as if you do secure a State Department internship, you will be invited to apply for a few programs that offer funding. The Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellowship, for example, this link, provides $5000 for three exceptional students who secured an internship in U.S. Embassies in London or Paris, or the Secretary of State's Office in Washington, D.C. Similarly, the Council of American Ambassadors, this link, provides a $7995 scholarship for students chosen for a State Department internship to study foreign affairs at George Washington University. A couple of organizations also offer scholarships for minority students who obtain State Department internships, e.g. TLG/HECFAA Internship Scholarships.

State Department Virtual Student Foreign Service Internships: Virtual Student Federal Service Website

Students with outstanding academic records who are interested in foreign issues should consider applying for a Virtual Student Federal Service internship. Virtual internships--all work is completed at your computer at home--are available in a wide variety of government agencies for various projects that would interest students from many majors, including History, Political Science, Business, Education, Foreign Languages, Public Relations, Writing Arts, Computer Science, etc. Students apply to up to three positions, and if accepted, typically work 10 hours per week for the academic year. Students would generally be able to earn 3 credits per semester for the virtual internship through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) internship program, here. Applications for the Foreign Service internships are due in July; if accepted, contact the CHSS internship coordinator for information about how to sign up for an internship at Rowan.

Think Tank and Civil Society Program (TTCSP) Think Tank Website

The Think Tank and Civil Society Program (TTCSP) is a highly competitive internship for undergraduate and graduate students. The internship aims to provide experience to students in the areas of public policy research for domestic and international affairs. Candidates should be proficient in English, and the knowledge of Chinese, Russian, French, Spanish, and Arabic is highly preferred. Interns are usually matched with others into small groups who share similar interests to work on research and consulting projects that they are assigned. Positions are available for Fall, Spring, and Summer terms, and all interns are expected to work in and around the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia. All resumes and cover letters should be submitted to Dr. James G. McGann at jmcgann@wharton.upenn.edu. Rowan students can earn credit through the CHSS Match Internship program (and possibly other internship programs depending on their major).

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia World Affairs Website

The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia is a non-profit, non-partisan, and private educational organization dedicated to informing people on matters of national and international significance. The Council offers highly competitive internships in a variety of fields for the Fall, Spring, and Summer sessions. They offer different types of internships in programs, education, membership, etc. Application information is available on the websit, but all applicants should prepare a cover letter, resume, and a small writing sample as well as specifying the internship they are interested in. Rowan students can earn credit through the CHSS Match Internship program (and possibly other internship programs depending on their major).