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.
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.
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:
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).
