Two HKS students working together at computer

Summer Internships

Many HKS students earn valuable experience, develop new skills, and learn about fields by pursuing meaningful public service internships between their first and second years of study.

MPA/ID students are required to complete internships working on development projects. These internships provide students an opportunity to develop their skills and to forge relationships with employers in the field of international development. Please see MPA/ID Summer Internships for more information.

Although MPP and MPA students are not required to complete summer internships, the vast majority decide that a summer internship will not only further utilize skills and talents they have developed in their first year at HKS, but will also better prepare and position them for their full-time job search. MPP and MPA students also work in a wide variety of organizations, including state and local government, consulting firms, foreign government agencies, multilateral organizations, and various agencies in the U.S. federal government. Please see MPP and MPA Internships for more information

HKS students have held internships on six continents in fields ranging from elections and campaigns to microfinance to broadcast journalism. Students bring to the internships their education and drive to “ask what they can do,” and leave having had a rewarding experience.

As students begin planning their summer work, the Office of Career Advancement offers information on what students have done in past summers, lists of Harvard-wide and HKS opportunities, internship networking events, and sources of summer funding (Link to PDF) for unpaid or minimally paid internships, including the Summer Internship Fund.

Summer Internship Survey and Database

Students can browse the surveys completed by students during the last few summers in the Summer Survey Database (login required). The information can be sorted by sector, organization, or searched by keyword.

If you are a returning student who still needs to complete your survey (log in required) it is never too late! Please complete the summer survey form to let us know how your summer was.

Any questions/comments about this database should be directed to the internship coordinator.

Please visit JACK for summer internship job postings.

Print print | Email email