The Director’s Internship is a signature program of the IOP. Since 1995, the IOP has partnered with high-profile organizations and elected officials around the world to provide substantive, career-oriented summer internships for undergraduate students interested in politics, government, and public service. These are fully-funded internships that allow students to gain experience in the public sector that may otherwise be difficult to obtain or finance. Students have reported these internships as leading to careers, larger networks, and significant development of professional skills.
APPLICATION OPENING: Applications for summer 2023 are due by February 12th, 2023 at 11:59pm. The application will open at least four weeks before the deadline.
ELIGIBILITY: All currently enrolled Harvard undergraduates who intend to be enrolled at Harvard College the fall semester following their internship are eligible. Students who participated in the IOP Summer of Service virtual program during Summer 2021 and 2022 are eligible to apply.
- STUDENTS ON LEAVE: If you are on leave during the Fall or Spring semesters before the internship is to take place, you may be eligible to apply. You will need to petition, and receive approval from, the Administrative Board for approval to use the CARAT Application Portal. Contact your Resident Dean to initiate the petition process as soon as possible.
- FORMER INTERNS: Students who interned with a Director’s Internship host organization in summer 2021 and 2022 are eligible to apply for a Director’s Internship for summer 2023. To promote equity of opportunity across applicants, students who participated in the Director’s Internship program in summer 2021 and 2022 are not eligible to apply to intern with the same organization. When the application is live, a list of our summer 2023 Director’s Internship hosts is available here. NOTE: The Hometown Director’s Internship and U.S. Department of State (pre-select) opportunities are both exempt from this rule, and students who held those positions in summer 2021 and 2022 may apply for them again for summer 2023.
- NOTE: The Hometown Director’s Internship and U.S. Department of State (pre-select) opportunities are both exempt from this rule, and students who held those positions in summer 2021 and 2022 may apply for them again for summer 2023.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Applicants will be required to submit a resume (one page), statement of interest (one page), and two references. Learn more here.
