Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government

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This report describes Internet resources on internships, fellowships, and work experience
programs within the federal government. It is intended as a selective guide for students of all
levels: high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate. This report will be updated
annually.

Introduc tion ..................................................................................................................................... 1
General Government Resources......................................................................................................1
USA.go v ........................................................................................................................ ............ 1
Student Jobs/e-Scholar Page.....................................................................................................2
USA Jobs...................................................................................................................................2
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Programs.......................................................................2
Federal Career Intern Program..................................................................................................2
Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program..................................................................2
Student Educational Employment Program..............................................................................2
Executive Branch Opportunities......................................................................................................3
White House Fellows Program.................................................................................................3
White House Internship Program..............................................................................................3
Department of Agriculture (USDA)..........................................................................................3
Department of Education..........................................................................................................3
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)..................................................................4
Department of the Interior (DOI)..............................................................................................4
Department of State...................................................................................................................4
Judicial Branch Opportunities.........................................................................................................4
Supreme Court Fellows Program..............................................................................................4
Judicial Intern Program.............................................................................................................5
Legislative Branch Opportunities....................................................................................................5
U.S. Congress............................................................................................................................5
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)........................................................................................5
Congressional Research Service (CRS)....................................................................................6
Government Accountability Office (GAO)...............................................................................6
Library of Congress...................................................................................................................6
Other Opportunities.........................................................................................................................6
Smithsonian Fellowship & Internship Programs......................................................................6
The Washington Center for Internship and Academic Seminars...............................................7
Minority Opportunities....................................................................................................................7
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)...................................7
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Fellows Program.......................................7
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Internship & Fellowship Programs............7
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Internship
Program .................................................................................................................................. 8
Minority Access Internship Program.........................................................................................8
Morris K. Udall Foundation Native American Congressional Summer Internship
Program .................................................................................................................................. 8
Women’s Research and Education Institute Congressional Fellowship Program.....................8
Bibliogr aphy .................................................................................................................................... 8

Author Contact Information..........................................................................................................10

The federal government offers many opportunities for internships, fellowships, and work
experiences. However, there is no single centralized source for finding information on every
opportunity. This report describes the major and most popular Internet resources for such
opportunities and gives applicants a place to begin their search. The Internet resources provided
are not exhaustive.
Applying for an internship or fellowship is similar to applying for admission to a college or
university. The application process takes time and effort, often requiring essays and interviews.
Applicants should begin their search early and explore what best suits their interests and career
goals. Application deadlines and program durations vary from agency to agency. Because
competition is stiff in many internship and fellowship programs, with applicants often far
exceeding the number of positions available, one should apply to more than one program.
Opportunities are generally available in the spring, summer, and fall, with summer positions
being the most popular and the most competitive.
The terms “fellowship” and “internship” are sometimes used interchangeably in the names of
specific programs. Fellowships are generally intended for persons with advanced degrees or
substantial professional experience, and are usually salaried positions lasting nine months to a
year or more. Internships, which are either salaried or volunteer short-term arrangements, usually
require relatively little experience and are often filled by students. Although they are sometimes
confused with interns, congressional pages are high school students who serve the Congress as
messengers; for more information on the congressional page system, see CRS Report 98-758,
Pages of the United States Congress: Selection, Duties, and Program Administration.
The duties, responsibilities, and salaries (if any) of interns and fellows vary from program to
program. Most program responsibilities are substantive in nature and often involve challenging
projects. They may range from conducting legislative research for a congressional office to
biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health. Some programs or universities that offer
academic credit may require the intern/fellow to produce a report on the work experience and
obtain evaluations from program supervisors. In addition, some programs lead to federal job
placement. Recruitment programs like Presidential Management Fellows and the Student
Educational Employment Program may offer permanent employment after the successful
completion of program requirements. Because program details vary from agency to agency, it is
best to consult the appropriate website or to contact the program office directly.

The federal government’s official Web portal provides an A-Z list of all federal agencies and
departments.
http://www.usa.gov/ Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies /i ndex.sht ml
USA.gov also offers a “Federal Government Jobs” website at
http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Work_for_the_Government.shtml

The e-Scholar website, a joint project of the Office of Personnel Management and the Student
Financial Assistance Office of the U.S. Department of Education, provides students with
information on various educational opportunities available within the federal government,
including internships, fellowships, apprenticeships, and cooperative programs.
http://www.studentj obs .gov/e -scholar.asp
Although this official U.S. federal government job website is a portal for finding permanent
positions within the federal government, it also provides students with links to federal internships,
student programs, and volunteer opportunities.
http://www.usaj obs.opm.go v/

This program’s goal is to aid agencies in attracting and recruiting top individuals into various
occupations at grade levels GS-5, GS-7, and GS-9. Normally, individuals are appointed to two-
year internships. Upon successfully completing their internships, interns may be eligible for
permanent positions in an agency. Those interested in this program must contact specific agencies
directly.
http://www.opm.go v/careeri ntern/index.htm
The Presidential Management Fellows Program was created to attract outstanding persons from
many academic disciplines to the federal government who are interested in, and committed to
careers in, the analysis and management of public policies and programs. Students who want to
be considered for the PMF Program have to be nominated by their school’s nomination official
(dean, chairperson, program director, or their designate) of their graduate program. Applicants
must finish a graduate degree (master’s, law or doctorate), in the academic year that they are
applying, from a school accredited by a body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department
of Education.
http://www.pmf.opm. go v/
This program offers federal job opportunities to students who are enrolled or have been accepted
for enrollment as degree candidates taking at least a half-time academic, technical, or vocational
course of study in accredited high schools, technical or vocational schools, two or four-year
colleges or universities, or graduate or professional schools. The program has two components:
the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) and the Student Career Experience
Program (SCEP). In the STEP component, the work does not have to be related to the student’s

academic or career goals. However, the SCEP component is designed to be directly related to the
student’s career goals. SCEP students may be converted noncompetitively to term, career, or
career-conditional positions after finishing their academic and work experience requirements.
http://www.opm.go v/emplo y/ student s/index.htm

Intended for young professionals who have demonstrated academic and professional excellence,
this program places recipients in Cabinet-level agencies, the Executive Office of the President,
the Vice President’s office, or in smaller federal agencies for one year. Fellows make domestic
and foreign trips to study U.S. policy and take part in roundtable discussions with leaders from
the private and public sectors. Applicants must have finished their undergraduate degrees and be
working in their chosen fields.
Tel: (202) 395-4522
http://www.white house.gov/fellows
This program provides unpaid opportunities to learn more about the daily processes of the White
House. The competitive program selects about 100 interns every spring, summer, and fall. Each
applicant must be a U.S. citizen, enrolled in (or recently graduated from) a college or university,
and at least 18 years old on or by the first day of the internship.
http://www.white house.gov/go ve rnme nt/wh-intern.html
USDA provides undergraduate and graduate students with paid internships in several
departmental offices, such as the Food and Nutrition Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service,
and the Office of Inspector General. Students work as assistants to scientific, professional,
administrative, and technical employees.
http://www.usda.gov/da/employ/i nter n.htm
The U.S. Department of Education offers internships in several departmental offices such as
Elementary and Secondary Education, Civil Rights, and Leadership and Teacher Development.
These unpaid internships are available year-round. Students must be enrolled in a high school,
trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other
accredited educational institution.
Tel: (202) 401-5344
http://www.ed.gov/students/prep/job/intern/index.html

The department’s website provides a portal to student programs available in several offices.
“Student Programs” http://www.hhs.gov/careers/students.html is a listing of internship
opportunities and research and training opportunities throughout the department.
The Emerging Leaders Program is described at
http://www.hhs.gov/careers/elp.html—this is a two-year program designed to let applicants
explore fields related to their academic background within HHS. The program involves rotations
within departmental agencies during the first year and then a fixed placement the following year.
Students must have one or more of the following degrees: bachelor’s (with work experience),
master’s, JD, or Ph.D.
The department operates three career intern programs, all described at http://www.doi.gov/hrm/
employ5.html:
The Office of the Secretary Management Intern Program covers functional areas, such as budget
administration, financial management, contracting, information management, human resources
management, equal employment opportunity, and policy management.
Tel: (202) 208-3757
The Governmentwide Acquisition Management Intern Program is a two-year internship designed
to develop federal contract specialists into procurement professionals and future government
business leaders.
Tel: (202) 219-2213
The Financial Management Career Intern Program is a two-year program designed to develop
future DOI financial leaders. Interns enter these programs at the GS-5, GS-7, or GS-9 grade levels
and are permanently assigned to jobs upon completion of the internships.
Tel: (202) 208-3757
The department’s website provides a portal to student programs, internships and fellowships
available within the U.S. Department of State. Opportunities range from the Summer Clerical
Program to the Thomas Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships. To help students choose the most
appropriate program for them, an online questionnaire is available to aid them in matching their
interests and career goals.
E-mail: Careers@state.gov
http://www.careers.state.gov/student

This program places individuals for a calendar year in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Federal
Judicial Center, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, or the U.S. Sentencing
Commission. The paid fellowships are open to individuals from various professions and academic
backgrounds. Applicants must have at least one postgraduate degree, two or more years of

exceptional professional experience, and multidisciplinary training and experience, including
understanding of the judicial process.
Tel: (202) 479-3415
http://www.fellows.supremecourtus.gov/index.html
This program is geared toward advanced undergraduates and graduating college seniors interested
in law, management, or social sciences. Interns work in the Office of the Administrative Assistant
to the Chief Justice. Internships are offered in the fall, spring, and summer and are unpaid. Tel:
(202) 476-3415
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/ jobs/jip/jip.html

Internships are available in many Members’ offices in Washington, DC, and in their district
offices, as well as in congressional committee offices. Internships are generally unpaid and
offered year-round. Applications are often found at each individual Member’s or committee’s
website, or candidates may contact the desired office directly. For lists of Member and committee
websites and office contact information, see the following Senate and House of Representatives
Home Pages.
Senate —http://www.senat e.go v
House of Representatives—http://www.house.gov
Fellowships in congressional offices are offered by many organizations—such as the American
Political Science Association, the American Planning Association, and the Institute of Electrical
and Electronic Engineers—which give persons exposure to public policy and the legislative
process. Placement for these fellowships is generally not done through the Members’ or
committee offices but instead through the sponsoring organizations. Because there is no
centralized listing of all available congressional fellowships, finding them via the Web is best
done by searching on the phrase “congressional fellowship.” Several congressional fellowship
programs, such as those sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the
Women’s Research and Education Institute, are described in the “http://www.twc.edu/internships/
index.htm
Minority Opportunities” section of this report. Some congressional fellowships are listed on the
“Fellowship Programs” page of StudentJobs.gov:
http://www.studentj obs .gov/d_fellowshi p.asp
The Congressional Budget Office provides Congress with budget-related information and
explains possible budget ramifications of proposed bills reported by congressional committees.
College students and recent college graduates can apply for paid 10-week summer internships, in
which they work on analyses in CBO’s various divisions. CBO also offers paid Economic Policy

Fellowships for applicants with Ph.Ds.
Tel: (202) 226-2628
Internships website: http://www.cbo.gov/employment/intern.shtml
Fellowships website: http://www.cbo.gov/employment/fellowships.shtml
The Congressional Research Service provides research and analysis in all policy issue areas upon
request to Members and committees. Internship opportunities are available year-round. In
partnership with seven organizations CRS offers a limited number of paid internships to
outstanding minority students. Volunteer internships are available primarily to graduate students,
postgraduate students, faculty, and other professionals. In addition, CRS offers special hiring and
recruitment programs under the Presidential Management Fellows Program, the Hispanic
Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Cooperative Education program, and the Law
Recruit Program.
http://www.loc.gov/c rsinfo/i nternships
The Government Accountability Office is a congressional auditing and investigative agency that
makes recommendations for more effective government operations. College students who are
U.S. citizens may be chosen to serve as paid or volunteer interns, generally for 10-12 weeks.
Tel: (202) 512-5811
http://www.gao.gov/ j obs/i nt ern.pdf
The Library of Congress offers unpaid and paid internship, fellowship, and volunteer
opportunities in several departments such as the American Folklife Center, the Conservation
Division, and the Hispanic Division. Go to http://www.loc.gov/hr/employment/index.php, then
choose “Internships, Fellowship & Volunteer Programs.”

The Smithsonian Institution provides various fellowship and internship programs and academic
appointments within its museums and research institutes. Program descriptions are available
online and in the annual print publication, Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study.
Tel: (202) 633-7070
Fellowship opportunities: http://www.si.edu/ofg/fellowopp.htm
Internship opportunities: http://www.si.edu/internopp.htm

The center’s internship program provides unpaid opportunities in the Washington, DC, area to
college students and postgraduates. Students are placed within the public (including the federal
government), private, and nonprofit sectors. Several internship programs are available for
minority applicants. Financial assistance is also available.
Tel: (202) 336-7600
http://www.twc.edu/internships/index.htm

APAICS offers paid and unpaid internship and fellowship opportunities to Asian Pacific
Americans to encourage participation in the political process. Selected students work with a
congressional office or government agency in Washington, DC.
Tel: (202) 296-9200
http://www.apaics.org/ programs .html
The CBCF offers two fellowship programs: the Congressional Fellows Program and the Louis
Stokes Urban Health Policy Fellows Program. Both aim to provide research and policy analysis
opportunities for persons with graduate or professional degrees.
Tel: (202) 263-2800
http://www.cbcfonline.org/Congressional_Fellows.html
The CHCI Summer Internship Program provides 32 undergraduates the opportunity to work in
congressional offices. Interns receive housing, round-trip transportation, and a stipend. The CHCI
Public Policy Fellowship Program provides a maximum of 20 graduate students, or recent college
graduates, with the opportunity to obtain experience in public policy. The range of placements
includes congressional offices, federal agencies, media, business federal affairs offices, advocacy
groups, and government-related institutions. Fellows receive round-trip transportation and a
stipend.
Tel: (800) 392-3532 or (202) 543-1771
http://www.chci.org/chciyouth/

The HACU National Internship Program (HNIP) recruits undergraduate and graduate students
from all academic majors for paid summer and semester internships at federal agencies and
private companies in Washington, DC and throughout the country. Interns may also receive
round-trip transportation and housing.
Tel: (202) 467-0893
http://www.hnip.net
This is a paid internship program for undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants are selected
by federal agencies and other participating organizations in the Washington, DC area. Interns may
receive assistance with housing and travel expenses.
Tel: (301) 779-7100
http://www.minorityaccess.org
The foundation offers Native American students the opportunity to work in congressional offices,
federal agencies, or the White House for 10 weeks. Interns receive round-trip transportation,
housing, and a stipend.
Tel: (520) 670-5187
http://www.udall.gov/
The program provides graduate and post-graduate students the opportunity to work for nine
months in congressional offices as legislative aides on policy issues that affect women.
Tel: (703) 812-7990
http://www.wrei.org/Fellows.htm

This selective bibliography lists more sources of information on internships, fellowships, and
summer job opportunities. The publications can be used to find additional work experience
opportunities, both inside and outside the federal government. These works may be available in
local libraries or school or college guidance offices. Publisher contact information, including Web
addresses, is also provided. Annotations identify publications that are issued annually. Other
publications are updated irregularly; check with publishers for information on the latest editions.
The Best 109 Internships (Princeton Review). 9^th ed. New York: Random House, Inc., 2003.

Information is given on more than 20,000 internship opportunities in such areas as law, the
environment, advertising, sports, computers, journalism, music, health care, publishing,
finance, education, and television.
Available from: Random House, Inc., Distribution Center, 400 Hahn Road,
Westminster, MD 21157
Tel: (800) 726-0600.
http://www.randomhouse.com/ catalog
Congressional Intern Handbook: a Guide for Interns and Newcomers to Capitol Hill.
Washington, D.C.: Congressional Management Foundation. Annual.
A “nuts-and-bolts guide to working in a Congressional office,” this publication includes a
chapter on “Finding a job or another internship” on Capitol Hill. This handbook is used in
many congressional offices.
Available from: Congressional Management Foundation, 513 Capitol Court NE,
Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20002
Tel: (202) 546-0100.
http://www.cmf web.org
Encyclopedia of Associations. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale. Annual.
This publication can be used to locate organizations by subject area. When standard
internship directories contain no entries for internships in a specific field, relevant groups
may be able to suggest contacts for internship opportunities. This work can be found in many
libraries in print, on CD-ROM, or in the Associations Unlimited subscription database on the
Web.
Available from: Thomson Gale, 27500 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535
Tel: (800) 877-4253
http://www.gale.com
The Internship Bible (Princeton Review). New York: Random House, Inc. Annual.
This publication provides information on more than 100,000 internships on almost every field
of study. It can be found at most bookstores.
Available from: Random House, Inc., Distribution Center, 400 Hahn Road,
Westminster, MD 21157
Tel: (800) 726-0600.
http://www.randomhouse.com/ catalog
Peterson’s Internships. Lawrenceville, NJ: Peterson’s. Annual.
Listed here are profiles of internship opportunities across the United States and abroad. It
includes indexes by geographic area, field of interest, and employer name. This work is
generally available in bookstores.
Available from: Peterson’s (a Nelnet Company), 2000 Lenox Drive,
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Tel: (800) 338-3282
http://www.pete rs ons.c om
Summer Jobs in the U.S.A. Lawrenceville, NJ: Peterson’s. Annual.
Provided in this directory are state-by-state listings of more than 55,000 summer work
experiences available to students, teachers, and others in a variety of fields. The index
includes access to opportunities for interns and volunteers.
Available from: Peterson’s (a Nelnet Company), 2000 Lenox Drive,
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Tel: (800) 338-3282
http://www.pete rs ons.c om
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