General Internships

Overview | Current Openings | Selection Process | Department/Internship Descriptions | Apply
 

When Offered:

Fall, Spring and Summer semesters

Where Offered:

All positions are at OPIC's office in Washington, DC.

Mandatory Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment (at least half-time) in a relevant college degree program (diploma, certificate, etc.) either at the graduate or undergraduate level at the time the internship would be served. Full-time enrollment is required when positions are paid.
• No felony convictions
• If a male born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System
• Must meet the departmental requirements for the positions being applied for

Length of Internship:

Internships typically last about 12 weeks. Departments can usually accommodate students' scheduling needs. Starting and ending dates are somewhat flexible, but start and end dates must be established prior to the candidate's start date.

Number of Positions Available:

OPIC typically selects approximately 30 interns for the Fall and Spring semesters, and approximately 35 for the Summer semester.

Terms and Compensation:

Summer:

• Full-time only
• Non-paid internships only 
• (Under 5 U.S.C. 3111, a student volunteer is not a Federal employee for any purposes other than injury compensation and law related to the Tort Claims Act. Service is not creditable for leave or any other employee benefits.)
• May also be performed for academic credit
• Eligible for a transportation subsidy

Fall and Spring:

• Full or part-time
• Volunteer positions only; no compensation
  (Under 5 U.S.C. 3111, a student volunteer is not a Federal employee for any purposes other than injury compensation and law related to the Tort Claims Act. Service is not creditable for leave or any other employee benefits.)
• May be performed for academic credit
• Eligible for a transportation subsidy 

Recruitment Periods:

Applications for a given internship period will be considered during its recruitment period only.(For example, applicants may not submit an application during the Spring recruitment period, and specify in their cover letter that they wish to be considered for a Summer internship.) Applications will only be considered for the advertised recruitment period as indicated on the online “OPIC Internship Application.”

Spring 2012 Semester:

• Application Period: Thursday, December 1, 2011 - Tuesday, January 31, 2012
  • Selections are made throughout the Application Period.
  • Internship Start/End Dates: Monday, January 9, 2012 - Friday, April 27, 2012

Summer 2012 Semester:

• Application Period: Wednesday, February 1, 2012 - Friday, March 30, 2012
  • Selections are made throughout the Application Period.
  • Internship Start/End Dates: Monday, May 7, 2012 - Friday, August 31, 2012

Fall 2012 Semester:

• Application Period: Wednesday, August 1, 2012 - Friday, September 28, 2012
  • Selections are made throughout the Application Period.
  • Internship Start/End Dates: Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - Friday, December 14, 2012

NOTE: Students are required to work a minimum of 12 weeks.

Additional Information:

• Graduate students are given first consideration for internships.

• Intern candidates should possess good oral and written communications skills as well as computer proficiency. For many positions, specialized computer and database system skills are required. Some positions may require foreign language skills.

• OPIC is an equal opportunity employer.

• OPIC provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Intern Program Coordinator. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.

A Message to Foreign National Students:

While the Federal Government gives strong priority to hiring United States citizens and nationals, students on a F-1 visa who are citizens of an allied country may apply for unpaid internships with OPIC as part of their optional practical training.

The student's school must, however, determine whether or not the student can intern with the agency, verify a number of criteria including F-1 Visa, Updated I-20, and I-94 forms, and sponsor the student.

If you have additional questions, please email OPIC's Intern Program Coordinator at internships@opic.gov