As a political science or international relations major, one is often burdened about how best to utilize their respective degree and how he or she can launch a career in this field.

It is no wonder so many choose one of Washington DC’s top-rated national security and international relations internship programs at The Institute of World Politics.The Institute of World Politics is one of the few graduate programs offering a degree dedicated to security studies and statecraft. Designed to meet the needs of those who are already in their profession of interest and for students just starting their career, The Institute of World Politics encompasses practitioners as well as academics, often referred to as scholar-practitioners.

IWP interns are teamed up with one of our scholar-practitioners according to their desired career tracks.  The program is structured in a manner that makes the intern a more competitive and marketable professional in his or her field.  In doing so, interns are set-up to work in 2 areas administrative and research.  Recognizing the importance of developing an intern’s personal and professional growth, we often encourage and incorporate interns to work as an integral part of the Institute’s staff.

IWP accepts both IWP students as well as non-students to the internship program.  However, acceptance into the internship program does not guarantee admission into the Institute’s academic program. Due to the large number of applications received per semester and the limited number of positions available, IWP encourages all highly-qualified applicants to apply as early as possible. Priority is given to those whose qualifications closely match the criteria of the internship program and those who display a strong interest in the Institute. The minimum qualifications are as follows: one should be at least a rising junior in college, have a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and have effective interpersonal and communication skills, as well as excellent research and writing abilities.

Dedicated to upholding our professional atmosphere, the IWP internship program seeks candidates which have developed a professional demeanor and a poised personality. In order to meet the diverse needs of the scholar-practitioners, IWP interns are matched according to their level of experience, interests, interpersonal skills, research capabilities and other factors.  The candidate is advised to be prepared for a phone interview and an in person interview used to assess his or her qualifications and character.

To apply, please download the application and send it along with a resume and references, official academic transcript, and a brief writing sample (5-10 pages) related to international relations or national security:

Mr. Michael Cohn
Director of Operations
The Institute of World Politics
1521 16th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Phone: 202-462-2101
Fax: 202-464-0335

 Internship Application

The Institute of World Politics accepts internship applications on a rolling basis.