Brookings Internship Program for Degree Seeking Students- The Brookings Internship Program is an opportunity for degree-seeking students to engage in career exploration and development, as well as a chance to learn new skills.
The mission of the Internship Program is to provide a pre-professional, meaningful, and practical work experience related to the student’s field of study or career interest. Internships may be within a Brookings research program (e.g., Governance Studies, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Metro, Economic Studies, or Foreign Policy) or one of Brookings’s central business units (e.g., Human Resources, Executive Office, Finance, Development, Facilities, Communications).
The type of work varies by intern position and may include projects related to research, administrative tasks, communications, and more.
Interns are embedded within the day-to-day work at Brookings and alongside the curated learning experiences for the intern cohort, they are encouraged to partake in internal and external events, local networking opportunities, social and community programming, staff professional development, and may join employee-led professional networks and affinity groups during their internship. When available, all open internships can be found here.
INTERNSHIPS AT A GLANCE
All Brookings interns are paid, either by Brookings or via external partnership1 coordinated in advance of their start. The typical internship lasts 12 weeks and can be hybrid (located in the DC Metropolitan area; requiring at least one day in office based on research program’s or business unit’s schedule) or remote. Interns are required to be physically located in the U.S. for the duration of the internship.
NOTE: Remote interns may NOT work from the following states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
The most up-to-date information on internship application launch and deadlines, selection dates, and cohort start, and end dates can be found on the Internships page of the Brookings website. The approximate timelines are below:
COHORT RECRUITMENT BEGINS COHORT START COHORT END
Summer January June August
Fall May September December
Spring September January April
ELIGIBILITY
Brookings internships are open to:
- Current undergraduate and graduate students
- Individuals of any background and level of experience
- International students who have a visa status sponsored by their college or university, or are authorized to work in the U.S.
NOTE: To allow as many students as possible the opportunity to intern at Brookings, current or previous interns are not eligible to intern again.
APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS
All applications must be received in advance of the posted deadline to be considered. Applications are not accepted until the internship is posted online. Complete applications include:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Transcript (official or unofficial)
- If required in the position description: Writing sample
All applicants receive a confirmation email once a complete application is received. In instances where applications are incomplete, applicants are notified via email and are instructed to log back into their Candidate
Profile in Brookings’s Applicant Tracking System, iCIMS, to complete and resubmit their application.
If selected as an internship finalist, individuals must provide:
- Contact information for two (2) references OR two (2) letters of recommendation
- If the internship is through an external partnership: Written documentation of eligibility (i.e., letter from the university or organization confirming such with the amount of external funding provided).
