The CIA which means Central Intelligence Agency is the United States of America’s first line of defense. Inside this Intelligence Agency is important and delicate information about the country as well as ensure the security of this information, making sure it does not fall into the wrong hands. They provide aim intelligence on International countries and foreign issues to the president and other policymakers.
Student programs or CIA internships are offered to outstanding and unique students both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These programs are for students who are interested in helping the agency to safeguard the nation.
The CIA Internship cuts across various fields or disciplines. You’ll be working together with the agency’s experts in your field of study to secure the country while gaining real_life experience with the intelligence community.
If you’ve ever dreamt of being part of the intelligence community well here’s your chance to fulfill that dream.
This article covers everything you need to know about getting a CIA Internship either as a graduate or undergraduate, including links to sites and the starting salary.
Table of contents
What Is a CIA Internship Like?
The CIA which is an acronym for Central Intelligence Agency is one of the biggest federal agencies in the US, with lots of branches across the country employing diverse skill sets. The CIA agents who are federal employees collect and evaluate intelligence information for national security.
A CIA internship is basically a great opportunity that exposes college students to the way a government agency operates.
As a CIA intern, you won’t be involved in any spying duties but saddled with other little responsibilities in various departments and assisting experts in different fields.
The experience you’ll get as a CIA intern depends on what you’ll be doing. Some days it will be fun and sometimes it could get boring however remember you’re working for a top federal agency and confidentiality is one of the key factors.
What Can CIA Interns Do?
There are different roles that you can function in while working as a CIA intern, for instance as a graduate intern you can either work at the analytical offices or the Center for the Directorate of Intelligence. Your major tasks would be to research, analyze, write, and brief on International events.
CIA Interns are assigned lower tasks in different departments in the agency and they might not be involved in any espionage.
How Much Do CIA Interns Earn?
The CIA internship is a paid internship and the starting salary earned by an intern is $46,300 and above. Asides from this salary the agency may also cover your transportation and relocation cost to Washington DC.
You can’t intern from any location, you’ll be expected to move to the nation’s capital or its surrounding locations.
How Hard is it to Get an Internship With the CIA?
Getting an internship with the CIA is not a simple task, for one you need to get a clearance, and then the agency will have to decide if you’re qualified.
Getting an internship with the CIA is quite difficult because you must meet all the requirements like being a USA citizen, attaining scholastic requirements, be studying one of the CIA-approved majors, and having an interview at Washington DC.
Lots of students compete for a CIA internship and this makes the process last up to 9-12 months. One of the best ways of having an advantage over other applicants is to state any special skills or interests you have in the application paperwork.
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What are the Requirements For CIA Internship for Undergraduates and Graduates?
The requirements for landing a CIA internship for both undergraduates and graduates include:
- All candidates must be residents of the United States of America.
- You must be 18 years and above.
- Candidates must have acceptance at a four-year university or college pursuing an undergraduate degree as a full-time student as well as enrolled in or planning to take 12 credits per semester.
- A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4 point scale for college or high school.
- Candidates must have been accepted to or attended a 4 years accredited MSI
- All candidates must have at least one quarter or a semester of school to return to after interning with the agency.
- CIA undergraduates must work at least one or preferably two, 90 days sessions at the CIA before graduating.
- Graduates must work at least one 90 days session at the CIA before graduation.
- After graduation, fellowship recipients who successfully transit to full-time jobs at the CIA will be qualified to receive a $10,000 hiring bonus.
How to Apply For the CIA Undergraduates Internship
The program is very competitive therefore the following is a detailed guide on how to land a CIA undergraduate internship:
- The most important step is meeting all the requirements
- Provide an unofficial academic transcript from a college or high school.
- Submit a resume
- Fill out the scholarship program application.
- Provide an acceptance letter from a 4- year university or college
- Provide evidence that you can meet the financial requirements of the internship such as a copy of page one or two of your parent’s most recent tax returns showing the adjusted gross profit and this document should list you as a dependent if claimed on your parents’ tax return or a copy of page one or two of your most recent tax returns showing the adjusted gross profit.
- Be ready to attend an in-person interview at CIA headquarter in Washington DC, therefore make research on the agency and the position you applied for.
What is the Deadline For a CIA Internship For Undergraduates?
All candidates must go through the agency’s medical and security check. You’re required to apply 12 months before your desired start date because of the long processing time.
All Internship application for summer 2023 is closed. However, application for summer 2024 is open from 1 March – 30 June 2023. For adequate information, we advise you constantly check their official site.
What is The Best CIA Internship For Undergraduates and Graduates?
The best CIA internships for undergraduates and graduates include the following:
10 Best CIA Internships For Undergraduates including the starting salary for each CIA internship and the links to the application sites.
- Engineering
- Human Resources Analyst
- Support Integration Officer
- Accountant
- Finance Resource Officer
- Resources Officer
- CyberSecurity Officer
- Cartographer, Editor, Graphic, and Interactive design
- Human Resources Officer
- Directorate of Operations
#1. Engineering
Engineering CIA internship undergraduates focus on finding and identifying new technologies, materials, and techniques, they’re also in charge of designing, assembling, and fabricating forms of mechanical devices from initial concept to the last assembly, modification of commercial products, and customization of aftermarket services.
You’ll be working together with full-time employees in the Research and Development or quick turnaround environment on any number of different programs.
You need to be a full-time undergraduate student pursuing a STEM/STEAM degree at a recognized university and you must have completed at least one semester or quarter before applying.
Starting salary: $48,946.
#2. Human Resources Analyst
CIA undergraduates who qualify for this role will be working in the human resource department as an analyst.
You’ll be working together with a team to provide reports, workforce metrics, and analysis to widen management’s understanding of the workforce and inform decision-making.
Asides from structuring data and descriptive reports, you’ll provide highly analytical, actionable assessments, and apply data visualization methodologies software such as SPSS and tableau.
You’ll also be highly involved in strengthening the human resources strategic business partnerships by working together with customers and providing workforce analytics and strategic expertise.
After completing your internship, you’ll have the advantage of assessing opportunities for permanent positions.
To be qualified for this position, you must be an undergraduate in an accredited institution pursuing a degree in any of these fields or related fields business administration, human resources, psychology, statistics, data science, and mathematics.
Starting salary: $46,300
#3. Support Integration Officer
CIA internship undergraduates who qualify as a support integration officer, you’ll provide global interconnected support to help resolve tactical support issues, you’ll learn the business side of Intelligence.
As a support integration officer some major tasks you’ll perform includes, providing advice across diverse HR functional areas to include workforce planning, staffing, and selection, salaries, rewards, compensation, benefits, rewards, and recognition.
Provide financial aid across the agency, carry out outstanding communication and negotiations with different industrial and USA government partners, make use of proven programmatic approaches, and find creative ways to connect people and capabilities as one functional team to provide strong global support.
To qualify for this role you should have versatile and organized leadership skills, great customer service skills, an idea of administrative discipline, excellent communication skills, great interpersonal skills, sound judgment, and quick decision-making skills.
You should be studying a 4- year undergraduate degree in any of these fields or something related, accounting, business administration, hospitality, logistics, marketing, communication, operations, and contract management, customer service, etc. Knowing one or two foreign languages is a plus.
Starting salary: $46,300.
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#4. Accountant
As an accountant CIA undergraduate intern, you’ll be in charge of preparing, analyzing, and reporting financial statements. You’ll also be responsible for payroll compilation and tax accounting.
Working alongside experts in the field you’ll get the opportunity to hone your skills in different accounting functions.
You’ll assist the agency to achieve and sustain auditable financial statements and ensure financial transactions from different activities are accurately calculated, recorded, and properly documented for future reference.
This CIA undergraduate internship will expose you to valuable federal accounting policies. You should study an accounting, finance business administration, and management course or any other related course at an accredited institution.
Starting salary: $46,300
#5. Finance Resource Officer
This CIA internship will give you the opportunity to work with a well-organized, accomplished, and diverse team, where you’ll be providing maximum financial support for mission requirements.
Financial resources officers are some of the most trusted and financially accountable employees in the agency.
They’re tasked with the responsibility of analyzing and processing financial transactions to ensure the integrity of the agency’s finance. Working with experts in the agency, you’ll learn how to use different systems and process numerous financial transactions.
You’ll need your analytical skills to monitor general ledger accounts, review reports, prepare financial statements based on federal and agency regulations, as well as perform other tasks like contract payments, bill payments, and cash flow analysis.
You should be pursuing a degree in business management, business administration, accounting, and finance.
Starting salary: $46,300
#6. Resources Analyst
During this internship, you’ll work with an accomplished diverse team of resource management experts to strategically plan, develop, analyze, and prioritize internal program budgets in support of the agency’s mission objectives.
Resources Analyst serve as trusted advisers to mission leaders, you will help make internal business decisions, develop, and implement methodologies to evaluate the impact of investments, and help make suggestions that will assist mission leaders to meet changing mission priorities.
You should pursue a graduate degree in business administration, mathematics, economics, marketing, finance, or any other related field to qualify for this internship.
Starting salary: $44,279
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#7. CyberSecurity Officer
Cyber Security CIA undergraduate interns ensure the security of the agency’s important data. They work together with Cyber Security Officers to protect the intelligence data and systems using first-class tools, techniques, and knowledge of the agency’s information technology to monitor, evaluate, and manage IT threats.
You’ll assist the cybersecurity officers in performing tasks like analyzing existing and future systems across the agency, reviewing security architecture, performing audit and security compliance checks, conducting Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) activities, implementing and supporting network defence and a lot of other activities peculiar to this role.
You should be an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in any of these programs mathematics, computer science, cybersecurity, information assurance, or any other related field to qualify.
Starting salary: $46,300
#8..Cartographer, Editor, Graphic, or Interactive Design
CIA Internship Undergraduate students serving under any of these roles will work together with agency experts to support intelligence analysis for the President of the USA, policymakers, and other tasked editor intern’s top officials.
Cartographer interns are to research, design, and produce thematic and reference maps in support of CIA finished intelligence.
Editor interns are tasked with the responsibility of producing and publishing products, as well as editing, creating, and processing text and graphic products for web, mobile, and hard copy distribution.
Graphic design and interactive design interns conceptualize, design, and develop visual solutions for a wide range of formats.
In addition to these roles, you’ll also be attending different meetings and projects. You should be pursuing an undergraduate degree in geography, English, geoscience, graphics, interactive or UI/UX design, communication, journalism, or any related field to get this CIA internship.
Starting salary: $46,300
#9. Human Resources Officer
CIA undergraduate interns who work in this role operate in different functional areas such as recruitment, payroll, rewards, leadership, and development. You’ll be working together with HR officers and business partners in providing different information, guidance, and support to internal employees and managers.
Your work can include policy formation, Curriculum development, customer service, and program management. Qualifications for full-time undergraduates pursuing a degree in human resources management, sociology, psychology, human capital management, etc.
Starting salary: $46,300
#10. Directorate of Operations
This CIA undergraduate internship program gives you the opportunity to assist the Directorate of Operations mission of collecting human intelligence on critical foreign developments.
You’ll be working at the nation’s capital Washington DC, where you’ll be performing duties similar to that of a collection management officer or staff operations officer.
You’ll be working together with experts in the field to enhance the collection and dissemination of foreign intelligence used by USA defence, national security, foreign policy officials, and intelligence analysts.
Interns are fresh students are the time of application who want to pursue a directorate of operations career upon graduation. Applicants who apply early have higher chances of completing all the requirements and securing a position than late applicants.
Starting salary: $46,300
10 best CIA internships for graduates including the starting salary for each CIA internship and the links to the application sites.
- Computer Science
- Cyber Operations and Mission Enablement
- Data and Systems Management
- Engineering
- Human Resources Analyst
- Intelligence Analyst
- Foreign Language Specialist
- Digital Targeting and Data Exploitation
- Technical Research
- Support Integration Officer
#1. Computer Science
This CIA graduate internship will allow you to team up with experts workers in the Research and Development department of the agency or a quick turnaround environment on different programs to develop tools and techniques used in new and emerging software and hardware developments.
You’ll be able to use and develop your knowledge of operating systems, mobile platforms, communication technologies, and computer networks.
Full-time students pursuing a graduate degree in courses like networking, mathematics, machine learning, computer science, artificial intelligence, computer engineering, etc can apply for this role.
Starting salary: $81,861
#2. Cyber Operations and Mission Enablement
As a cyber operation and mission enablement CIA intern you’ll start, conduct, and support new and continuing intelligence missions through the design, deployment, development, operation, management, and maintenance of international system, hardware, software, and application.
Jobs you’ll likely handle under this CIA internship include IT engineer, utility engineer, field IT engineer, cybersecurity researcher, digital forensics engineer, etc.
Courses that will get you qualified for this internship include electrical engineering, information science, and technology, cybersecurity, computer science, and engineering.
Starting salary: $56,780_$73,426.
#3. Data and Systems Management
Data and Systems Management CIA Interns have the responsibility of empowering intelligence missions by digitally managing and organizing the agency’s data and programs, securing agency’s information, enhancing the business processes, guiding data and data management standards and making the best policies and standards for the optimal use of digital resources.
Likely roles you might get include technical project engineer, data engineer, data lifecycle specialist, etc.
Full-time students pursuing any of these graduate degrees such as information science and technology, political science, business administration, management information systems, or any related field can apply for this CIA internship.
Starting salary: $56,780_$73,426
#4. Engineering
This CIA graduate Internship is majorly for engineering graduates who’ll be working together with full-time intelligence experts in Research and Development on different programs that aim at discovering new technologies, materials, techniques for designing, assembling, and fabricating all forms of mechanical equipment from initial concept to final assembling, modification of commercial products and customization of aftermarket services.
Full-time graduates pursuing a degree in biology, engineering, cybersecurity, chemistry, fibre and textile science, geographic information systems etc. or any other similar fields can apply.
Starting salary: $81,861
#5. Human Resources Analyst
Human Resources Analyst CIA Interns will work on teams together with the full-time intelligence HR analyst practising data-driven human resources through analysis and writing and a briefing on human capital data assets.
You’ll main human capital data and dashboards with the aid of analytical tools like SPSS, SAS, S, and tableau.
Cia Internship graduates will become used to the agency and intelligence environment by practising in different meetings and projects. It gives you and the agency the chance to access opportunities for permanent positions after the completion of your CIA internship.
Full-time graduates of statistics, economics, social sciences, mathematics, computer science can apply.
Starting salary: $57,351
See also: 15 High Paying Computer Engineering Internship 2023
#6. Intelligence Analyst
As an intelligence analyst intern with the CIA, you’ll be working on a team with full-time intelligence analyst experts studying and evaluating information from every available source, after which you analyze it to provide timely, accurate, and aim assessments to customers like the president, and other policymakers in the USA.
Besides your analytical skills, you’ll get familiar with the intelligence and agency community by getting involved in different meetings and projects.
It also allows you and the agency access opportunities for permanent employment after the completion of the CIA Internship.
Courses that will get you qualified for this internship with the CIA include cybersecurity, economics, geography, area studies, engineering, computer science, etc.
Starting salary: $57,351_$81,861
#7. Foreign Language Specialist
Foreign language specialists working for the CIA as interns will design online learning courses materials, and provide language instructions at all proficiency at every level, implementing the use of the best modern tools and technologies to make the learning experience great.
You’ll also prepare foreign language proficiency assessments regarding the Intelligence community standards.
It requires foreign language specialist CIA Interns to have advanced proficiency in any of these languages, French, Spanish, Greek, Korean, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, Chinese, German, and lots of other languages.
The CIA provides top-notch training for creative, energetic, and committed intelligent experts.
You’ll be working with the best language instructors to help deliver programs that provide intelligence experts with the foreign language communication skills and cross-cultural exposure they need to successfully live and work abroad.
You should be pursuing a graduate degree in a foreign language, linguistics, or education to qualify for this CIA graduate internship.
Starting salary: $46,882_$59,762
#8. Digital Targeting and Data Exploitation
During the digital targeting and data exploitation CIA internship, you will be collecting and exploiting digitally gotten data to deliver actionable targeting strategies and data-driven target products to inform operations, drive collections and assist the country’s national security needs.
Likely roles you might be offered under this CIA graduate internship include data scientist, data analysis officer, digital targeted, and open-source exploitation source.
To qualify for this CIA internship, you should be pursuing a graduate degree in any of these programs computer forensic, cybersecurity, data analytics, computer science or engineering, or any other related field.
Starting salary: $56,780_$73,426
#9. Technical Researcher
During the technical researcher CIA internship, you’ll be working together with the full-time staff of the agency in a Research and Development department focusing on finding and identifying new technologies, materials, and techniques that can be put into existing business areas.
You’ll be carrying out exploratory and applied science research and also providing technical guidance on how to properly use new, emerging, and current technologies.
You should be pursuing a graduate degree in any of these programs biology, artificial intelligence, chemistry, computer science, machine learning, physics, mathematics, etc. and any other related field to qualify.
Starting salary: $81,861
#10. Support Integration Officer
The support integration officer CIA internship exposes you to the business part of intelligence. Support Integration Officers are to drive International interconnected supports to missions through creativity, collaboration, and expertise.
You’ll assist in solving tactical support issues and apply or make new processes to suit office-specific business requirements. You should pursue a graduate degree program in business administration, communication, and public administration, or any other related field.
Starting salary: $57,351
Best 10 CIA Undergraduate Internships
- Engineering
- Human resouces Analyst
- Accountant
- Cybersecurity Officer
- Cartographer, Editor, Graphic or interactive Design
- Human resources Officer
- Support Integration Officer
- Financial Resources Analyst
- Resources Analyst
- Directorate of Operations
Best 10 CIA Graduate Internship
- Computer Science
- Cyber Operations and Mission Enablement
- Data and Systems Management
- Engineering
- Human Resources Analyst
- Foreign Language Specialist
- Digital Targeting and Data Exploitation
- Technical Researcher
- Support Integration Officer
FAQs
A CIA internship is basically a great opportunity that exposes college students to the way a government agency operates.
The CIA internship is a paid internship and the starting salary earned by an intern is $46,300 and above
All candidates must go through the agency’s medical and security check. You’re required to apply 12 months before your desired start date because of the long processing time.
All candidates must be residents of the United States of America.
You must be 18 years and above.
A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4 point scale for college or high school.
Candidates must have been accepted to or attended a 4-years accredited MSI.
All candidates must have at least one quarter or a semester of school to return to after interning with the agency.
CIA undergraduates must work at least one or preferably two, 90 days sessions at the CIA before graduating.
Graduates must work at least one 90 days session at the CIA before graduation.
Conclusion
Most people wish to experience what it feels like working with the CIA and students are not left out. You follow that dream by applying for one of these CIA internship programs and it’s available for both undergraduates and graduates.
However, the application for the summer 2023 CIA internship program has closed, you’re advised to keep checking the site for news and updates about the next internship, and while doing that get everything you’ll need for the internship ready to avoid missing out on anything. All the requirements for landing this CIA internship including every other important information are in this article.
