U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program – Summer 2025 and Summer 2026 [apply by 9/8!]

Established in 2014, the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program (USFSIP) is a merit- and needs-based opportunity that offers two paid summer internships to expose undergraduate students to U.S. diplomacy and career opportunities at the Department of State.  The program is both professionally and academically beneficial as it provides writing training, diplomatic history, and hands-on experience in the daily operations of U.S. foreign policy.

Duties

Interns must commit to completing two consecutive summers. In the first summer (2025), participants come to Washington, D.C. for three weeks of orientation and training including: U.S. diplomatic history, Department writing, and professional development. In addition to the training, interns work for seven weeks on policy desks in regional or functional bureaus at the U.S. Department of State. The second summer (2026) is a ten-week assignment to a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas. In the intervening year, USFSIP interns must maintain at least a 3.2 GPA and take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) to gain a better understanding of the Foreign Service assessment process.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

To qualify you must:

1. Be a U.S. citizen at the time of application.
2. Demonstrate financial need via Student Aid Index (SAI) in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Submission Summary and/or Statement of Financial Need.
3. Have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or above.
4. Be a rising sophomore or junior when applying (i.e. be a rising junior or senior at the start of program).
5. Be enrolled as a degree-seeking undergraduate student in an accredited academic institution at least half time.
6. Must continue undergraduate education through Spring 2026.
7. Must be available during program dates of June 15, 2025 – August 23, 2025 (similar dates for 2026).
8. Must be able to obtain and maintain SECRET security clearance.
9. Remain in good academic standing (3.2 GPA or higher) for the duration of program.

Qualifications

Please see the below “Requirements” section for a list of required qualifications.

Education

To be eligible to participate, students must be entering their sophomore or junior year in an undergraduate degree program when applying. If you will be a freshman, senior, or graduate student – you are not eligible for this program.