Washington D.C. Summer Internship Program

The National Council Fellowships: Washington, DC Summer Internship Program

National Council Internship and Summer Scholars Program

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ Washington, DC Summer Internship Program offers undergraduate and graduate students an eight-week professional, academic, and career opportunity internship with an organization in the nation’s capital. The program features a demanding mix of professional involvement, intellectual challenge, career exploration, and cross-cultural encounters designed to provide students with a rich and varied experience.

  • Professional work experience: Interns are placed with one of over a dozen Near East and Arab region-related organizations with offices in Washington, D.C., where they are expected to work 35-40 hours per week under the direct supervision of their host organizations. Internships are unpaid.
  • Academic seminars: Interns take part in twice-weekly seminar sessions designed to provide them with greater depth of knowledge about the Arab region, to underscore the cultural, economic, and political diversity of Arab states, and to explore the intricacies of Arab-U.S. relations. There will be a particular emphasis, though not exclusively, on Arabia and the Gulf.
  • Site visits: Interns receive a behind-the-scenes look at many of the central institutions of federal government, national security policymaking, international diplomacy, and international business.


Sponsorship: The program is administered by National Council professionals and staff, together with more than two dozen of America’s foremost scholars and leading foreign affairs practitioners. The programs, activities, and functions represented by the organizations and corporations that provide the professional work experience component of the program are varied. Included among placements in recent years have been educational development and exchange organizations, bimonthly and quarterly publications, humanitarian relief groups, broadcasting networks, area studies centers, international transportation companies, foreign trade associations, peace and justice advocacy groups, and a variety of non-governmental organizations.

Program Dates: June 2 – July 25, 2025

Application Deadline: All materials must be postmarked by Sunday, February 9, 2025.

Application Fee & Fellowship Stipend: A $25 non-refundable program fee must be submitted with the application. Internships are unpaid. Internship program participants, upon successful fulfillment of the program’s academic and internship requirements, receive a $1,000 fellowship stipend.

2025

  • Program Information

    How to Apply

    Interested undergraduate and graduate students, or recent graduates, are asked to submit the following materials online or via mail prior to the application deadline in order to be considered for acceptance into the Summer Internship Program:

    • Resume: Applicants must submit a copy of their resume/CV. Most students need only one page for a resume, which should be neatly formatted.
    • Letter of Interest: Applicants must submit one (1) letter of interest stating their specific interests in applying for the program and what they hope to get out of participating. The applicant should directly address their skills, experiences, and career goals. Applicants may mention any particular organization they are interested in being paired with for the 8 weeks.
    • Official or Unofficial Transcripts: Applicants must submit official transcripts for all university-level work. Candidates may submit an additional letter explaining special circumstances that may have contributed to low (under 2.5) or inconsistent GPA or an excessive number of dropped or failed classes.
    • Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must submit one (1) sealed letter of recommendation, or have the recommender mail them directly, from faculty members or others who know their academic work well. Letters can be mailed to the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations office or emailed to delaney@ncusar.org (email preferred). Emailed letters of recommendation must come directly from the faculty member’s or other recommender’s institutional email account, or they may be rejected.
    • Application Fee: Applicants must submit payment for the application fee online in the amount of $25.00. This fee must be paid in order for an individual’s application to be considered. Online payment is available at: https://ncusar.org/modelarableague/payment-portal/.
    • An Internship Program Application is available at: https://forms.gle/oDqaTpj6VrVkrWJe6.

    The (1) Resume and (2) Letter of Interest may be submitted online through the Google Form Application. They can also be emailed to delaney@ncusar.org.

    (3) Official Transcripts and (4) Letters of Recommendation may be mailed to the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations office [National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, Attn: Summer Internship Program, 1730 M St NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20036] or emailed to delaney@ncusar.org (email preferred).

    Special consideration will be given to applicants who have participated in the National Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League but this is not a requirement for selection. Supplementary materials such as newspaper articles or writing samples that are not required or requested will not be considered during the review of applications.

  • Online Application
  • Application Fee Payment

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The National Council also offers internship opportunities in the Council’s Washington, DC office during the academic year (fall – spring). Learn more here.

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