NSA Summer 2027 Internship Program - Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency Program - Entry

National Security Agency; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 27,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing accommodations

Travel entitlements (airfare)

Job summary

The National Security Agency (NSA) in Fort Meade, MD invites applicants to the Summer Internship Program in Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency. This 12-week, paid internship runs mid-May through mid-August, offering exposure to diverse cryptologic disciplines and civil liberties activities under NSA professionals managing CLPT responsibilities.

Students in undergraduate or graduate programs, including final-year PhD candidates, may apply. Eligible U.S.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizen
• Enrolled in a degree-seeking program (undergraduate, graduate, doctorate)
• Preferred GPA 3.0 or higher
• Eligible for TS/SCI clearance after background investigation, polygraph and evaluation
• Available for interviews in Oct 2026 to Apr 2027 (in-person or by phone/Internet)
• Majors considered include International Affairs/Politics/Relations, Intelligence/Security Studies, Regional Studies, Economics, Psychology, Decision/Information/Statistics/Data Science
• UIT requirement may be used to measure cognitive ability, motivation and English proficiency

Responsibilities

• Support NSA Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency activities during the 12-week internship
• Identify and document CLP activities and gaps in protections
• Prepare internal and external reports and briefing materials
• Assist with ensuring compliance with DoD and IC regulations related to civil liberties and privacy

Job description

NSA has received approval from the Department of War to hire for specific critical positions during the hiring freeze, per DoW memorandum 'Immediate Civilian Hiring Freeze for Alignment with National Defense Priorities' dated 28 February.

Job Description

NSA Summer 2027 Internship Program - Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency Program - Entry - Maryland

Fort George G. Meade Complex, MD
Pay Plan: GG , Grade: 04/1 to 09/10
Open: 2026-08-15, Close: 2026-09-05

Job Posting: 1261489

Responsibilities

The NSA Summer Internship Programs at our Fort Meade, MD location offers students exciting, impactful professional work opportunities (with pay and limited 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. These summer internship opportunities are open to students who are pursuing education in a variety of degree programs.Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency Program:Are you looking for a unique opportunity to learn about The National Security Agency (NSA) mission while also directly contributing to NSA's civil liberties and privacy efforts? Would you like to join a team that promotes meaningful government transparency while helping NSA achieve the right balance between privacy and national security? During your tour in NSA's Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency (CLPT) Office you will see firsthand how fundamental privacy principles influence decision making at NSA on a daily basis. The NSA CLPT Summer Intern Program offers exposure to a variety of cryptologic disciplines and civil liberties and privacy processes. The intensive 12-week program runs from mid-May through mid-August for select undergraduate and master's degree students entering the final year of an undergraduate or graduate degree program. This program permits summer interns to actively participate in or support on-going CLPT activities under the guidance of NSA professionals responsible for the following activities:- Identifying and documenting existing Agency Civil Liberties and Privacy (CLP) activities.- Identifying and making recommendations regarding improvements to existing gaps in CLP protections.- Identifying topics for and providing input to external reports on activities.- Creating written and briefing material suitable for both internal executive-level as well as public audiences.- Establishing or coordinating mechanisms to ensure NSA complies with appropriate Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) regulations and standards to ensure that protection of civil liberties and privacy is incorporated into NSA policies and procedures.- Managing or preparing, as appropriate, mandatory and adhoc internal and external reports

Job Summary

Join students from across the country and lend your knowledge to national security in one of NSA's over 30 summer internship programs. These 12 week paid programs run from mid-May to mid-August and are open to undergraduate freshman up to Ph.D. students depending on internship requirements. These internships are open to a wide variety of majors and give students the opportunity to work directly with mission-critical problems and experience the excitement of working in NSA spaces.

Qualifications

To be accepted into the NSA Summer Internship - Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency Program, candidates:- Must be a U.S. Citizen- Must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program (undergraduate, graduate, doctorate) at time of application- Specific education requirements vary by program- Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher- 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 October 2026 and April 2027Major studies areas of consideration:-- International Affairs/Politics/Relations-- Intelligence/Security Studies-- Regional Studies-- Economics-- Psychology-- Decision/Information/Statistics/Data Science***PLEASE NOTE: Other majors may be considered, however the majors listed above are highly recommended.***PLEASE NOTE: You may be required to complete an Unproctored Internet Testing (UIT) requirement measuring cognitive ability, motivation, and English proficiency.

Students are paid a competitive salary commensurate with their education level.- All internships are 10 - 12 weeks during the summer.- Receive annual leave, sick leave and paid federal holidays.- Students who attend school in excess of 75 miles from Fort Meade, MD are eligible for housing accommodations and travel entitlements of a round trip airfare ticket to and from school or mileage reimbursement up to the cost of a government-issued airline ticket.- Daily transportation to and from work is NOT provided. Students participating in the program are highly encouraged to bring a vehicle. Carpooling with other students MAY be available, but is NOT guaranteed.- Participation in agency-wide extracurricular programs.

DCIPS Disclaimer

The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority.