International relations internships span the State Department, embassies, think tanks like Brookings and CSIS, international organizations like the UN and World Bank, NGOs, defense contractors, and congressional offices focused on foreign affairs. Start building language skills and policy knowledge by freshman year. Most competitive programs require applications six to twelve months in advance.
Amira studied international relations because she cared about how the world works. By junior year, she knew a lot about international theory but had no idea how to get a job at the State Department, the UN, or anywhere that actually shaped foreign policy. Her department was excellent at teaching Waltz and Mearsheimer but silent on how to convert that knowledge into a career.
The hidden anxiety for IR students is the gap between the grand-scale topics they study — war, diplomacy, trade, human rights — and the practical reality of breaking into institutions that deal with those issues. These institutions exist, and they do hire, but the pipeline is opaque and the competition is intense. Your internship is how you get your foot in a door that doesn't have a doorbell.
If you're weighing whether an international relations degree is worth it, the internship landscape shows where the career paths actually start. Our IR careers guide covers the full range.
When to Start Looking for IR Internships
IR internship timelines vary widely by sector, but the most prestigious positions have very early deadlines.
Freshman year: Start learning a second language seriously. Arabic, Mandarin, French, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese are all valuable for IR careers. Join the Model UN team, international affairs club, or campus foreign policy organization.
Sophomore year: Apply for summer positions at local nonprofits working on immigration, refugees, or international development. Begin researching the State Department internship process, which has a lengthy application timeline.
Junior year (September through January): Apply to the State Department Student Internship Program (Pathways), think tank internships (Brookings, CSIS, CFR, Carnegie), Congressional internships with foreign affairs committees, and international organization positions. Most deadlines fall between October and March for summer positions.
Senior year: Use your thesis research and internship experience to refine your career direction. Apply for post-graduation programs like the Pickering and Rangel Fellowships (State Department pipeline) if you're interested in the Foreign Service.
Where to Find IR Internships
U.S. State Department: The Pathways Student Internship Program places students in bureaus across the department — political affairs, economic affairs, public diplomacy, consular operations, and more. Some positions are in Washington; others are at embassies and consulates overseas. The application process is lengthy and includes a security investigation.
Think tanks (Brookings, CSIS, Council on Foreign Relations, Carnegie Endowment, RAND, Chatham House): Research internships at policy think tanks involve assisting senior fellows with research, writing policy briefs, organizing events, and analyzing foreign policy issues. These internships provide direct exposure to how policy analysis and recommendations work.
International organizations (United Nations, World Bank, IMF, WHO, USAID): The UN and its agencies offer internship programs, though many are unpaid. USAID hires interns through its own programs and through implementing partners. The World Bank and IMF hire graduate-level interns but some undergraduate programs exist.
NGOs and humanitarian organizations (International Rescue Committee, Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Oxfam): These organizations hire interns for research, advocacy, communications, program coordination, and field support. Many are based in New York, Washington, or Geneva.
Language proficiency is the single biggest differentiator in IR internship applications. A student with conversational Arabic, Mandarin, or Russian gets prioritized over a student with identical credentials but only English. If you can't study abroad, take intensive language courses and supplement with conversation practice. The State Department and intelligence agencies weight language skills heavily in their evaluations.
Congressional offices and foreign affairs committees: Interning on Capitol Hill, specifically with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, or a member of Congress who sits on these committees, provides insight into how foreign policy is made domestically.
Defense and intelligence (DOD civilian positions, ODNI, CIA): The defense and intelligence communities hire IR-trained analysts for geopolitical analysis, threat assessment, and policy advising. These positions require US citizenship and security clearances.
Where to search: USAJobs.gov, State Department careers page, each think tank's internship page, UN Careers (careers.un.org), Idealist.org for NGOs, Handshake, TomManatos.com for congressional internships, and your department's alumni network.
Paid vs Unpaid: The Reality
IR internships have a significant unpaid problem, particularly at the most prestigious institutions.
Many think tank internships are unpaid or offer only small stipends ($1,000 to $3,000 for a summer). UN internships are frequently unpaid, which has drawn criticism for creating a system accessible only to wealthy students. Congressional internships have historically been unpaid, though recent legislation has provided funding for some paid positions.
State Department Pathways internships are paid at GS-level rates. USAID internships are typically paid. DOD and intelligence community internships are paid through government pay scales.
The IR field's reliance on unpaid internships in Washington, DC — one of the most expensive cities in the country — creates a severe equity problem. If you can't afford an unpaid DC summer, explore paid alternatives: State Department Pathways, defense and intelligence positions, or NGO field offices outside DC. Also check whether your school offers grants specifically for unpaid internships in policy fields.
NGO internships vary widely. Large organizations like the IRC and Human Rights Watch increasingly pay interns. Smaller NGOs may not have the budget.
What Employers Actually Want From IR Interns
Research and analytical writing. Can you research a complex geopolitical topic, synthesize multiple sources, and produce a clear policy brief or analysis memo? This is the core task of most IR internships, whether at a think tank, government agency, or NGO.
Language skills. Proficiency in a strategically valuable language — not just tourist-level conversation but the ability to read news sources and analyze documents — sets you apart dramatically.
Understanding of institutional context. Do you know how the State Department is organized? Can you name the major UN agencies and their mandates? Do you understand the difference between a bilateral and multilateral negotiation? Employers expect IR interns to have baseline institutional knowledge.
NACE data shows that government and nonprofit internships, while often lower-paid than private sector positions, provide strong career launching effects for students pursuing public service careers1. In international relations specifically, early internship experience at key institutions creates relationships and institutional knowledge that are nearly impossible to acquire later.
Cultural sensitivity and global awareness. This should be obvious for IR, but employers want interns who can work respectfully across cultural differences, understand different perspectives on global issues, and avoid imposing one worldview as universal. Study abroad experience, language skills, and diverse coursework all demonstrate this quality.
How to Stand Out in Your Application
Study abroad in a non-English-speaking country. Immersive language experience in a strategically important region demonstrates the kind of cross-cultural competence that IR employers value. A semester in Amman, Beijing, or Bogota carries more weight than a semester in London.
Write policy-relevant research. Turn your best course paper into a policy brief format. Submit it to student policy journals or post it on your personal website. Having a writing sample that demonstrates analytical thinking about real-world policy problems is essential for think tank and government applications.
Get security clearance-eligible. For government and defense positions, US citizenship is required and a clean background is essential. Drug use, financial problems, and foreign contacts are all investigated. Understanding these requirements early helps you avoid disqualifying factors.
Build quantitative skills. IR programs are often qualitative. Take statistics, econometrics, or a data analysis course. Think tanks and government agencies increasingly need analysts who can work with data, not just qualitative arguments.
For think tank internship applications, read the recent publications of researchers at the institution and reference specific reports or analysis pieces in your cover letter. Explaining which analyst's work interests you and why demonstrates that you've engaged with the institution's actual output, not just its reputation. Think tank hiring is often driven by individual researchers who want interns aligned with their specific research agenda.
What Nobody Tells You About IR Internships
The State Department hiring process is very slow. From application to start date can take six months or more, including security investigations. Apply much earlier than you think is necessary, and don't assume silence means rejection — the bureaucratic timeline is genuinely long.
Think tank interns often do unglamorous research tasks. You'll update databases, compile bibliographies, proofread reports, and organize event logistics alongside the analytical work. The research assistant role supports senior fellows' work, which means you're contributing to significant analysis even when the specific task feels mundane.
DC networking is a real and important activity. Attending policy talks, panel discussions, and receptions in Washington is how relationships in the IR field are built. If you intern in DC, attend everything you can. The person you meet at a Brookings event could be the connection that leads to your next opportunity.
The Foreign Service exam is just one path into the State Department. Many students fixate on the Foreign Service Officer Test as the only route into diplomacy. The State Department also hires civil servants, limited non-career appointments, and specialists through different processes. The Pathways Program, Pickering Fellowship, and Rangel Fellowship are all alternative entry points.
IR skills transfer to the private sector more than students expect. Multinational corporations, consulting firms with international practices, defense contractors, and risk assessment firms all hire people with IR training. The geopolitical analysis skills you develop are valuable to any organization operating across borders.
FAQ
What federal agencies hire IR interns?
The State Department, USAID, Department of Defense (civilian positions), CIA, NSA, DHS, and Commerce Department all hire interns with international relations backgrounds. Apply through USAJobs.gov and each agency's specific internship program. Most require US citizenship and a security investigation.
Are think tank internships worth it if they're unpaid?
If you can afford the opportunity cost and the specific think tank aligns with your career goals, yes — the institutional knowledge, professional network, and writing experience are difficult to replicate elsewhere. If you can't afford it, seek paid alternatives. Your career won't suffer from taking a paid government internship instead of an unpaid think tank position.
Do I need to speak another language for IR internships?
Not for all positions, but language skills dramatically improve your competitiveness. State Department positions prioritize candidates with strategic language skills. Think tanks value analysts who can read foreign-language sources. NGOs working internationally need staff who can communicate with local populations. Invest in language study early1.
Can IR majors get private sector internships?
Yes. Consulting firms (especially those with international practices), multinational corporations, defense contractors, risk assessment firms, and international trade companies all hire IR majors. The geopolitical analysis, research, and cross-cultural communication skills transfer directly to private sector contexts.
When should I apply for State Department internships?
The State Department Pathways program has specific application windows that are announced on its careers page. Applications typically open six to nine months before the internship start date. Given the lengthy security clearance process, apply as early as possible. Check the State Department careers page in early fall for summer internship deadlines.
- International Relations Degree Guide — Overview
- Is It Worth It?
- Career Paths
- Salary Data
- Requirements
- How Hard Is It?
Footnotes
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National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2024). Internship & Co-op Report. NACE. https://www.naceweb.org/talent-acquisition/internships/ ↩ ↩2
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Political Scientists. BLS. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/political-scientists.htm ↩
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social Scientists and Related Workers. BLS. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/social-scientists.htm ↩