Petraeus Center for Emerging Leaders Internship Summer 2025

ISW Internship Program Overview

ISW is offering remote, hybrid, and in-person internships for Summer 2025. Instructions to apply for the scholarship are below.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is committed to training the next generation of national security leaders through its innovative educational programs. ISW seeks motivated and experienced college students or recent graduates to join our intern team. ISW offers internships across diverse research portfolios and departments, including Russia, China, and Iran's proxy networks. ISW also offers internships in Geospatial Intelligence and Technologies and in National Security and lntelligence Analysis.

Why Work for ISW?

ISW believes that ground realities must drive the formulation of strategy and policy. In pursuit of this principle, ISW conducts detailed open-source intelligence analysis to provide timely and accurate information on current conflicts and security threats directly to policymakers and warfighters.

Interns at ISW have an unparalleled opportunity to analyze conflicts in ways that directly inform policy-makers on some of the most pressing issues facing American national security. Our interns work directly with analysts. They receive classroom education, regular leadership engagement, and a chance to work with cutting-edge technologies employed in business and the intelligence community. Interns have the opportunity to stand at the front lines of military research and policy development, tackling the latest crises in the headlines.

The ISW Internship Program is one of three core education programs housed within The General David H. Petraeus Center for Emerging Leaders, launched to identify, educate, and develop the future cadre of leaders committed to America’s national security. ISW views interns as an integral component of its team. ISW has worked with interns to draft, edit, and publish their own research under the mentorship of senior analysts. It has also hired many interns onto its staff.

ISW's General David H. Petraeus Center for Emerging Leaders provides an exciting opportunity for candidates interested in learning more about non-profit management with an eye towards national security and leadership development. Interns will be immersed in the hands-on experience of working at a non-profit think tank in Washington D.C. The intern will assist Petraeus Center staff with executing educational programs including the Hertog War Studies Program and Center events, such as book talks. The intern will also assist in generating marketing materials, database management, company initiatives, and special projects, as needed. The internship provides a great opportunity to train alongside a small and flexible management team operating in an engaging and fast-paced working environment. This is a full-time internship (five days per week), but part-time work will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Internship Duties and Responsibilities:  

• Assist the Education Programs Associate with special projects related to the educational programs’ initiatives.  

• Assist the Education Programs Associate with the planning and execution of the education programs.  

• Collaborate with the Education Programs Associate on event programming, including building curriculum for research team meetings and other professional development opportunities for ISW interns and alumni.  

• Prepare social media campaigns, including promotional materials, to support the educational programs’ recruitment and visibility.  

• Support database management as it relates to the educational programs’ initiatives.  

Qualifications 

• Candidates must be motivated college students or recent graduates with demonstrated interest and expertise in a related field; 

• Candidates must possess excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills; 

• Candidates must demonstrate strong time management and organizational skills; 

• Candidates must demonstrate graphic design experience with Adobe products (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat) and/or Canva;  

• Proficient in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Forms) or other software; 

• Candidates must display the ability to conduct complex tasks in a timely and efficient manner; 

• Candidates should be self-motivated, independent, creative, and capable of working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment; 

• Candidates must show commitment to - and interest in - the core mission and values of ISW; 

• Candidates should preferably be available to work full-time (i.e. five days per week) 

Summer 2025 Internship Program Dates: ISW internships starts on May 27, 2025. The program will run until August 22. Interns must both be authorized to work in the United States and be physically present in the United States during their internship tenure. Working remotely outside of the United States is not authorized. If you attend a US university on a student visa, you must be eligible for and obtain a CPT authorization before beginning at ISW. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until April 11, 2025.

ISW Scholarship Application

The Institute for the Study of War will offer intern candidates up to a $1,000 monthly living stipend as part of a scholarship program.* To be considered for the scholarship, candidates must upload a scholarship application as part of their internship application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until April 11, 2025. 

Candidates will be assessed based on the following criteria:

1. Ability to contribute as a member of one of ISW’s research, operations, business development, or external relations teams; and
2. Financial need, such that an unpaid internship would not be possible without assistance.

To be considered for the scholarship, candidates must upload a scholarship application as part of their internship application. 

Within the scholarship application, candidates should upload a 2- to 3-page cover letter which answers each of the following questions. (This should be a different cover letter than the one used for the internship application itself.) 

1. Which ISW internship is your top choice? Why do you believe you are qualified?
2. What do you believe to be the most pressing national security problem the US faces today? What solution(s) would you propose?
3. Where do you see yourself in your future career? How will an ISW internship help you get there?
4. Why have you chosen to apply for this supplemental scholarship?
5. Are you currently receiving federal financial aid and/or need-based aid from your university? Feel free to describe using as much detail as you are comfortable.

*Please note that up to $1,000 monthly scholarship is classified as taxable income.

Salary : $1,000