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

National Security Agency; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 28,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing accommodations

Travel entitlements

Job summary

National Security Agency invites undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students to apply for a 12-week summer internship at Fort Meade, MD. The Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency (CLPT) Office offers exposure to privacy protections, civil liberties considerations, and NSA decision-making in real projects.

Interns gain hands-on experience across cryptologic disciplines, receive a competitive salary, and may obtain housing or travel support. Applicants must be U.S.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be enrolled in a degree‑seeking program (undergraduate, graduate, doctorate).
• Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Must be eligible for TS/SCI security clearance after background check and polygraph.

Responsibilities

• Participate in Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency (CLPT) activities under NSA professionals.
• Identify and document CLP activities and potential gaps in CLP protections.
• Prepare reports and briefing materials for internal and public audiences.
• Assist in ensuring NSA policies comply with DoD and IC regulations.

Education

Pursuing undergraduate or graduate degree

Job description

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. The 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 2027

Major 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.

Pay, Benefits, & Work Schedule

• 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.

Application Deadline

Applications are accepted 15 August - 5 September 11:59pm EST; however, selections for this program are made on a rolling basis and applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for review and security clearance processing.

Equal Opportunity & Hiring Practices

NSA is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations. All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph. NSA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities during the application and hiring process.

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.