NGA’s student internship program is open to students at various stages of their collegiate education and studying a variety of disciplines. 

• Open to undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students.
• Open to a large variety of degree fields, depending on the agency's needs.

Interns are guaranteed work that contributes to NGA's mission of creating worldclass geospatial intelligence. All interns will be assigned relevant, critical work focused on growing your professional skillset. Throughout the summer, interns will have the opportunity to learn about NGA's myriad of missions, tour agencies within the Intelligence Community and develop their network. 

NGA will also provide informational events, luncheons, tours and more.

If you are interested in applying, please click here to learn more about the security clearance process. 

NGA's interns get a taste to participate in some of the same benefits that our full-time employees have access to:

• paid sick and annual leave
• voluntary leave bank
• onsite workout facility 
  • interns can participate in the Advantage Fitness Program for three billable hours a week 
• flexible work schedule
• known travel number enrollment
• paid federal holidays
• opportunity to return next summer if intern receives a successful evaluation

Upon successful evaluation, completion of 480 internship hours and the agency's hiring needs, there is a change to 'convert' to full-time employment after graduation.

NGA will continue to welcome back returning college interns, as well as interns selected for 2025 that were eligible for deferment. If needed, limited Assignment Opportunity Notices will be posted to fill mission critical skill gaps.  

The Summer 2027 college internship program posting will be available sometime in August and run through the end of September 2026. The announcement can be found on NGA's career portal here. 

NGA will continue to select and sponsor DOW SMART scholars. The application period for DOW SMART runs annually from August to December and can be found on the DOW Smart website here .  

For more information on student programs, please direct questions to StudentPrograms@nga.mil. 

NGA will begin to participate in the DoW CSA scholarship program. The application is open annually from December to February the following year. More information on the program can be found here .

In 2025, NGA divested the high school internship program, the Geo-Scholarship Program, and the STOKES Scholarship program. NGA will not post future announcements for these opportunities. GEO and Stokes scholars currently in the program will continue their academic pursuit and onboard as permanent employees upon graduation.