Due to the recent passing of TTCSP Director, James McGann, all future internships will be on hold.

Internships at the TTCSP

The Think Tanks and Civil Society Program (TTCSP) runs a small, highly selective internship program for students (undergraduate, gap year and graduate) and recent graduates interested in gaining firsthand experience in public policy research in domestic and international affairs. Over 1200 undergraduate, gap year and graduate students have participated in the research internship program. Candidates must be highly motivated to work independently in a demanding think tank environment that requires excellent research and analysis as well as project management skills. Candidates must be proficient in both oral and written English. Knowledge of Chinese, Russian, French, Spanish and Arabic is a plus but not a prerequisite for most projects. Internships are unpaid and based in our Philadelphia office. Interns work independently and in teams. We do our best to match the qualifications and interests of our interns with research and consulting projects to which they can contribute most. This is an excellent opportunity for those students who are planning to attend graduate school in international relations, public policy, law school and/or work in a think tank or international organization.

Internship Positions are Available for Fall, Spring and Summer Terms: Ideal for International Relations, Political Science, English, Environment, Global Studies, Health and Development majors. The research interns meet on Friday afternoons (usually 3-5PM) to review progress and discuss career-oriented issues and other topics of interest. TTCSP is a collaborative effort between the International Relations Program, University of Pennsylvania and the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The duration of the internship is 16 weeks and the time commitment ranges from 10-12 hours a week for a part time internship. Full-time opportunities and assignments are available for those looking to gain work experience before entering graduate school or for those who want to position themselves for full time paid employment. Internships require a minimum of 15 hours a week during fall and spring semesters and 25-30 hours a week in the summer. The work schedule is flexible with the vast majority of the assignments being done offsite at a research library. Interns are entitled to attend (free of charge) conferences and lectures on domestic and foreign policy topics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, World Affairs Council and the University of Pennsylvania.

What sort of work do interns do?

Interns conduct policy research on Think Tank around the world, help plan events and summits, edit and write publications and many many more things.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (or degree in progress), such as in International Relations, Political Science, English, Global Studies, International Business, Marketing, Computer Science or Engineering

• Ability to intern for 15hrs/ A Minimum four months commitment. Gap year internship also available 25-30 hours a week

• Proficiency with MS Office Suite, particularly Word and Excel

• Excellent internet research and documentation skills

• Excellent writing, proofreading, and editing skills in English

• Very comfortable using different digital and social media platforms

• Demonstrated knowledge and interest in international relations/or public policy

• Ability to apply superb attention to detail and to plan, organize and prioritize work

• Eagerness to be creative and take initiative on new ideas and projects

• Ability to work in a small team or independently as needed

• Interest in international relations, domestic and foreign policy

• High level of academic performance (generally a GPA of 3.5 or higher)

Duties and Responsibilities  

• Report to the Research Coordinator and Director

• Collect data, conduct literature searches and literature reviews, conduct analysis and research

• Track grant opportunities

• Update contact databases

• Monitor national and global newsfeeds and selected websites on think tanks, policy advice and project specific issues

• Participate in career development and research related lectures and events

• Assist with social media (Twitter and Facebook)

• Other related duties as assigned

Compensation
Volunteer; this is an unpaid internship. We also cannot at this time support any visa applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the housing accommodations? Are we able to live on campus at UPenn, or do we need to find housing off campus?
Unfortunately we do not provide housing for interns and on campus living is exclusively for UPenn students. In terms of living arrangements on campus, Penn provides Summer housing for Penn and Non-Penn students.

Will we have access to UPenn resources, such as the library, dining halls, gym, etc.?
You will have an access to the library as a visitor if you show your ID at the counter. Some dining halls are open to public.

Where is the TTCSP office in Philadelphia located? Is that the on-campus office?
The office is located on the third floor of the Lauder Institute on campus. 256 S. 37th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

When we are not present at one (two for summer internships) of the weekly meetings, where will we be conducting our work? Are we allowed to conduct our work within the TTCSP office?
You can choose to work in the office or any other locations such as library, building on campus, etc.