Cooperative Education Program - Language (Maryland)

National Security Agency; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 48,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

NSA's Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program at Fort Meade, MD offers students exciting, impactful and professional work opportunities to grow their knowledge of the Intelligence Community while advancing NSA's missions. The program emphasizes Chinese or Farsi language-focused majors and provides access to NSA labs, with potential for full-time employment after completion.

Participants work 40 hours per week during work tours, receive tuition reimbursement and housing/travel support if

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be pursuing a Chinese or Farsi language-focused major.
• Second semester college freshman or a college sophomore.
• Eligible for TS/SCI clearance after background and polygraph.
• Available for interviews in Nov 2026–Mar 2027, in person or remotely.

Responsibilities

• Co-op program offers real projects with NSA labs and technology.
• 52 weeks of alternating school and work at NSA.
• Work Tours: 40-hour weeks with leave and holidays.
• Potential eligibility for full-time employment after completion.

Skills

US Citizenship

Education

College student (freshman or sophomore)

Job description

Responsibilities

NSA's Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program at Fort Meade, MD offers students exciting, impactful and professional work opportunities (with pay and benefits!) to grow their knowledge of the Intelligence Community and federal government while advancing NSA's two primary missions: 1) Collecting, analyzing, and producing foreign signals intelligence; and 2) Providing cybersecurity solutions and guidance to protect critical national infrastructure. This Co-op opportunity is open to students who are pursuing a Chinese or Farsi language-focused major ONLY. Right from the start, you will be involved in real life projects and will have full use of NSA labs, equipment, and advanced technologies. These areas will offer you increasing challenges and satisfying learning experiences, since our mission demands that we work on the cutting edge of technology. The full listing of each Co-op description and details can be found by visiting: Intelligencecareers.gov/nsa/students-and-internships. (If unable to open this link, please copy and paste into your browser).

Program Details:

• 52 weeks of alternating semesters of school and work at NSA
• During work tours, students work a 40-hour week
• Subsidized student housing and travel entitlements during work tours if over 75 miles from Fort Meade, MD
• Tuition reimbursement for one technical course per semester (up to $2,500)
• Potentially eligible for full time employment following successful completion of the program

***PLEASE NOTE: As this program requires students to rotate between semesters of work and study, applicants are encouraged to discuss the possibility of participating in this type of program with their school (Academic Advisor, Co-Op Advisor, Registrar and/or Financial Aid Office, etc.) to determine the effect it may have on their full time student status during scheduled work tours as well as any effects it may have on scholarships and financial aid.

Job Summary

NSA's Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program offers students exciting, impactful professional work opportunities (with pay and benefits!) to grow their knowledge of the Intelligence Community and federal government while advancing NSA's two primary missions: 1) Collecting, analyzing, and producing foreign signals intelligence; and 2) Providing cybersecurity solutions and guidance to protect critical national infrastructure.

Qualifications

Only applicants that meet the following qualifications will be considered:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be pursuing a Chinese or Farsi language-focused major
• Must be a second semester college freshman or a college sophomore
• Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all college work completed
• Must be eligible to be granted a TS/SCI security clearance after successfully completing a background investigation, a Full-scope Polygraph and a Psychological Evaluation
• Must be available and in the U.S. for operational and technical interviews and other applicable processing, both in-person and via telephone/internet, between the months of November 2026 and March 2027

Pay, Benefits, & Work Schedule

Salaries are determined by the percentage of credits completed toward a degree. Each 20% block of credits completed with at least a 3.0 GPA will allow you to be promoted to the next grade. Grades range from GGD-03/05 to GGD-07/01 (which can be found at OPM.gov) annually. Due to the rotational nature of the Co-op program, students are paid proportionate to the number of weeks worked in a year and are authorized Leave without Pay during scheduled school rotations. The salaries aforementioned include a locality based comparability payment. Students will receive annual leave, sick leave and paid federal holidays.

DCIPS Disclaimer

• VETERANS AND TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS** Thank you for your service! The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions at NSA are in the Excepted Service under Title 10, United States Codes (U.S.C.), Section 1601 appointment authority. Veterans' Preference In accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, "DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System Employment and Placement," NSA applies veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5, U.S.C., to eligible candidates. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you are required to provide acceptable documentation of your preference eligibility upon application. Acceptable documentation includes: - DD-214: "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions (Copy 4); OR - Certification of Service: A written document on letterhead from the appropriate branch of the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. The certification should include the military service dates, including the expected discharge or release date; AND - Standard Form 15 (SF-15) Application for 10-point Veteran Preference (http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf). If you are claiming a service-connected disability of 30 percent or more, the documentation you provide must specifically demonstrate this level of disability; AND - VA Letter of Disability (for 10pt and Sole Survivorship rating) You may obtain a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs reflecting your level of disability for preference eligibility by visiting a VA Regional Office, contacting a VA call center, or online (https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/). **Failure to provide sufficient documentation of veterans' preference eligibility may preclude NSA from identifying you as a preference eligible candidate during the hiring selection process.