About

The NSDII internship program is twofold; you will be an intern at both IWP and The Counterterrorism Group (CTG), either in Washington DC or 100% remote.  It is a unique internship program, sponsored and administered by the Institute of World Politics (IWP), a Graduate School of National Security, Intelligence, and International Affairs in partnership with CTG and schools that focus on diverse populations with degrees in Intelligence Studies, Geospatial Sciences, Political Sciences, & History, a Center for Defense & Homeland Security. The Internship recruits talented diverse populations who are pursuing a university degree to provide them with educational and research opportunities and experiences, career development, and training in national security, intelligence, international affairs, and foreign policy. Interns will build on their experience in the classroom to develop additional skills and gain education and training, professional experiences, and qualifications to make them competitive for professional positions/careers in national security, intelligence, international affairs, international development, and foreign policy agencies, organizations, and companies.   IWP’s Director of Career Services & Special Programs, Derrick T. Dortch, who is an HBCU Graduate and Veteran, will oversee the program and ensure the NSDII at IWP Intern has a successful experience.

 

IWP

During their tenure at IWP Interns will:

• Take national security, intelligence, and international affairs classes at IWP. 

• Conduct research and analysis on critical issues related to national security, intelligence, and international affairs.  

• Write papers, briefings, and articles on critical issues related to national security, intelligence, and international affairs.  

• Publish a minimum of one paper in a national security, intelligence, and international affairs or related field journal.

• Work with the Director of Career Services & Special Programs on developing a Career Success Strategy and Action Plan that the intern will implement during the internship.

• Work with the Director of Career Services & Special Programs on developing a Critical & Professional Skills Training Plan and identify various career-related training to complete during the internship. 

• Work with the Director of Career Services & Special Programs to identify and join a Professional Membership Organizations/Associations related to their career field of interest to network and receive professional development and training. 

• Attend Congressional Hearings on critical issues related to national security, intelligence, and international affairs and write a briefing on what was learned.

• Attend events at IWP and think tanks and research organizations in Washington DC focused on critical issues related to national security, intelligence, and international affairs, and write a briefing on what was learned. 

• Meet with IWP Alumni working in various agencies, organizations, and companies to learn about their experiences, career, and gain valuable advice to assist in career success. Write a briefing on what was learned.

• Meet with various professors at IWP to learn about their career experiences and gain valuable advice to assist in career success. Write a briefing on what was learned.

• Network with professionals working in various agencies, organizations, and companies in the national security, intelligence, and international affairs sectors.

• Visit the museums and monuments in the Washington DC area related to government, defense, national security, intelligence, and international affairs and write a briefing on what was learned. 

• Conduct a seminar or briefing on their military experience at IWP to educate students about this critical aspect of military service and operations. 

 

Each Intern at IWP has the opportunity to audit one [4 credit] course during their time at IWP. Interns are expected to attend every class and submit the writing assignments to the professor.  It is highly recommended that interns take advantage of IWP classroom opportunities to ensure that they get the most out of their time here. Those who complete the work and receive a minimum of a B+ will receive reserve credit at IWP if they choose to enroll in IWP after their internship. Students who take classes for credit (vs. auditing) may apply no more than 8 credit hours towards their degree completion requirements. These credits are awarded in the student’s final semester as an MA candidate.

 

CTG

The mission of the Counterterrorism Group (CTG) is to protect individuals, organizations, personnel and places against acts of terrorism. CTG professionals develop customized services and solutions that help deter, detect, and defeat terrorism. CTG has a select group of individuals that become Counterterrorism Intelligence Analysts Interns, Intelligence Editor Interns, Watch Officer Analyst Interns, and Specialist Interns who work on the business and development end. Interns assess foreign and domestic terrorist groups as well as lone wolf terrorists to identify specific threats, warn of and preempt attacks, disrupt their networks, and eventually defeat terrorist organizations or individuals focused on committing an act of terrorism. Applicants must pass a month-long Onboarding Program in addition to an intense three-week Training Program.  Once they pass, Interns are expected to work remotely a minimum of 15 hours per week with weekly check-ins.  We are entirely remote and work with people from all over the world.  

 

During the Onboarding and Three-Week Training Program at CTG Interns will learn:

• Google Workspace & Productivity Training

• Journalism, Analysis, & Reporting Courses

• FEMA/NIMS Certifications

• W.A.T.C.H. Officer Training

• Geographical Training

• Geopolitical Training

• Terrorism vs. Counterterrorism Training

• Historical Understanding of various terrorist groups/attacks

• Recognizing trends and patterns in data

• Bias Training

• Counterintelligence Training

• OSINT tools

• The Intelligence Cycle

• Structured Analytic Techniques

• CTG Report/Article Writing

 

Once official, Interns have 24-7 access to the CTG in-house website, various databases, research and writing tools, the ethics office, motivational tools, etc.  Depending upon the Team, Interns will research, collect data, and write analytical reports to be published both publicly and on our client subscription site; edit and publish the reports; be a watch officer; collect OSINT tools and vet them; or participate on the back end in the business and development side of things.   Interns will be able to participate in a multitude of webinars and free training courses in order to continue building their professional portfolio for the Intelligence Community.  They will have access to the President and Director for intelligence job queries, preparation, and other forms of assistance.  Several senior leaders have years of experience in the Intelligence Community and/or the military.

 

ELIGIBILITY 

Please review all the sections below to learn about basic qualifications and other requirements to prepare to apply for the next cohort:

 

• Students must be enrolled in a university degree program in the preferred fields of Intelligence, International Business, International Relations/Affairs, Political Science, Public Policy, Public Administration, Global Affairs, or a related field within two years of the application submission dates. Degrees outside preferred educational fields are accepted. It is suggested that applicants attempt to relate their educational background and interest to current US national security, intelligence, and international affairs/foreign policy priorities.

• An applicant’s cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) must be 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale. If applicants went to a foreign university, they must provide a certified letter of GPA equivalent in English signed by a senior official in student records. Official transcripts may be required at a later time and any unofficial transcripts should be included unless otherwise unavailable due to extreme circumstances.

 

This program is highly competitive due to the limited spaces available.