Internships in Political Science and International Affairs
Center for American Progress:
Center for American Progress Various Internships: The Center for American Progress offers several internships, with most students opting for their hybrid option. Outside of application cycles, current students and recent graduates are encouraged to submit an application to their Internship Resume Bank to be considered for future open positions.
Institute for the Study of War:
ISW Various Internships: The Institute for the Study of War offers internships to current undergraduate students and recent graduates in the fall, spring, and summer terms. ISW focuses on current global conflicts, security threats, and national security, and is involved in regions all over the world. To learn more, please see their virtual flyer. Various internships are available for Summer 2025 focusing on different subjects, such as:
- Communications
- Geospatial Intelligence and National Security Technologies
- Information Operations Analysis Task Force
- National Security and Intelligence Analysis
- Petraeus Center for Emerging Leaders
Internships for the Summer 2025 session are due by April 11th, 2025.
American Enterprise Institute:
AEI Various Internships: The American Enterprise Institute offers internships to current undergraduate students and recent graduates in the fall, spring, and summer terms. Interns will have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with public policy issues and learn from renowned scholars and leaders in the nonprofit sector. Various internships are available focusing on different subjects, such as:
- Economic and Healthcare Policy
- Foreign and Defense Policy
- Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies
- Domestic Policy
- Media and Communications
- Government Relations
- External Relations
- Development and Fundraising
Heritage Foundation:
The Heritage Foundation Internship Program: attracts young conservative leaders of the highest caliber. We train, equip, and develop tomorrow’s young conservative leaders during their time at Heritage. Our interns are given substantive work, acquire policy expertise, and build marketable skills. Interns work with Heritage experts on foreign and domestic policy issues in such areas as energy and the environment, the rule of law, homeland security, and health care.
Department of Homeland Security:
Department of Homeland Security: Various internships or programs available on cycle for students to get involved and learn from the Department of Homeland Security.
Middle East Institute:
Middle East Institute Internships: The Middle East Institute offers various internships through their Middle East focused departments, Arts and Culture, Communications, Development, and Programs and Events. MEI provides a venue for scholars and senior policy analysts of diverse backgrounds and nationalities to work on contemporary issues regarding the region. Our Scholars are frequently sought by the media for their expertise and balanced analysis.
Washington Institute:
Research Internship: Full-time and part-time research internships at The Washington Institute are open to current undergraduates as well as recent graduates with a bachelor’s degree. Interns provide research and administrative support to Institute staff.
Wilson Center:
Wilson Center General Internships: The Wilson Center offers in-person, remote, and hybrid internships during the fall, spring, and summer terms. Internships are currently offered for their Research Assistant and Staff Assistant positions, and interested students are encouraged to contact the email of their webpage or book a consultation to learn more.
Truman National Security Project:
Truman National Security Project Internship: attracts passionate and accomplished young leaders who want the opportunity to contribute substantively to the work of the Truman Project while building their national security knowledge and professional skills. While unpaid, internships provide dividends through in-depth training and education sessions, essential skill building, and increased policy and political knowledge. Multiple Tracks within the internship (ie. Advocacy, policy, politics etc.)
National Defense University:
The National Defense University intern program participants are given the unique opportunity to interact with and learn from a community of professionals working together to educate senior military and civilian leaders. This is accomplished through teaching, research, and outreach in the following areas: national security strategy, national military strategy, national resource strategy, joint and multinational operations, information strategies, resource management, acquisition, and regional defense and security studies. Essentially, you can shadow a professor at NDU who shares your interests (ie. Nuclear security, Middle East, etc.)
Recent Student Internships in Political Science and International Affairs:
Fall 2024:
- Friends of the American University in Afghanistan
- Kamala Harris/Tim Walz Presidential Campaign
- U.S. Agency for International Development (ASAID) – Pacific Islands Mission in Fiji, the Parliament of Fiji, and the Fiji Ministry of Forestry Fisheries
- UMW Votes- Field Organizer
- Wild Virginia
Summer 2022:
- Spanberger for Congress
Spring 2022:
- Virginia Delegate Kathy Tran (D-Fairfax County)
- Student Advisory Committee for the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) in Richmond
- HR Tec – a federal government contractor
Fall 2021:
- Josh cole for Delegate Campaign
- Federal Communications Commission
- Gerlach for Fredericksburg City Council
- Northern Virginia law firm
Summer 2021:
- Ultra Electronics Congressional Affairs
- State Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania)
- Jennifer Carrol Foy (D) for Governor Campaign
- Stafford County Government
- State Senator Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax)
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Arlington
Spring 2021:
- Girl Scouts – Colonial Coast Service Unit Chesapeake
Fall 2020:
- Global Dimensions
Other Recent Internships
- American Federation of Teachers
- American-Israel Public Affairs Committee
- American Red Cross
- Brookings Institution
- Business/Industry Political Action Committee
- Central Virginia Housing Coalition
- CNN, Washington
- The Commonwealth Group
- Concord Coalition
- First Nations Development Institute
- Fredericksburg City Clerk’s Office
- Fredericksburg City Department of Planning
- International Campaign to Ban Landmines
- Italian Cultural Institute
- Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies
- Middle East Institute
- National Conference of State Legislators
- National Foreign Affairs Training Center
- National Association of Manufacturers, Washington, DC
- NationalJournal.com
- Organization of American States
- Paine Webber Inc.
- Philadelphia Partnership Community Development Corporation
- Prestige Cablevision of Spotsylvania County
- Rappahannock Legal Services Inc.
- Seniors Coalition
- Sister Cities International
- Spotsylvania County Administrator
- Spotsylvania County Commonwealth’s Attorney
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Legislative Affairs
- U.S. Department of State
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- U.S. Senator John Warner (R-VA)
- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX)
- U.S. Rep. Ric Boucher (D-VA)
- U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA)
- U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT)
- Virginia Department of Corrections
- Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement
- Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office
- White House — Presidential Personnel Office
- WHFS Radio, Landover, MD
- WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH
- WVEC-TV News Department, Channel 13, Norfolk, VA
- WNVC-TV, Alexandria, VA