NSA Summer 2027 Internship Program - Signals Intelligence Collection Program - Entry - Maryland

National Security Agency; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 100,000 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing for interns

Travel entitlements

Paid federal holidays

Mentorship

Job summary

National Security Agency in Fort Meade, MD offers a 12-week paid summer internship program open to undergraduates through PhD students. Interns work on mission-critical SIGINT and cybersecurity projects, mentored by experienced professionals.

The program emphasizes problem solving, analytics, and collaboration across multiple technical areas. Internship opportunities are designed to expose students to NSA spaces and potential full-time paths, with housing and travel considerations for eligible

Qualifications

• Must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at time of application.
• GPA 3.0+ preferred.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Eligible for TS/SCI after background check and polygraph.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to SIGINT collection/project tasks.
• Apply cybersecurity knowledge to real-world problems.
• Collaborate with mentors on analysis tasks.
• Present findings to the team.

Skills

Programming (C/C++, Java)

Python scripting

Linux OS

Cybersecurity tools

Problem solving

Writing & communication

Critical thinking

Team collaboration

Education

U.S. citizenship (eligibility)

Degree-seeking (Undergrad/Grad/PhD)

Tools

SQL/MySQL

Big Data

Wireshark

Kali Linux

VMware

HTML/CSS/PHP

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. SICP interns are mentored by experienced SIGINT professionals who conduct SIGINT collection operations and/or build state-of-the-art capabilities. Some SICP interns will have the opportunity to enhance their computer science and engineering knowledge and skills. Others will sharpen their analytic, problem solving, research, critical thinking and other talents to solve real world collection challenges. Students leave the SICP having gained a whole new appreciation for the value and utility of their field of study. SICP interns will also have the opportunity to discover various career paths they could perhaps pursue in the future as full-time NSA employees. Finally, the friendships and networks SICP interns build during their tour may last a lifetime.

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 - Signals Intelligence Collection 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 Student applications will be evaluated against the projects or assignments requirements submitted by sponsoring organizations. Depending which type of project/assignment you fit best, proficiency in several of the areas listed below plus your interview responses will be evaluated during the selection process:

Some of these areas include but are not limited to: History, Political Science, International Relations, Economics, Area Studies, Telecommunications and others depending on the position requirements;

• Programming languages skills and experience such as C, C++, Java, etc;
• Scripting language experience in Python, Perl, JavaScript, etc;
• Programming on and use of the Linux OS and other platforms;
• Average knowledge and competence in communications, computers, networks and the internet;
• Learning in subject areas that allow for understanding how and why actual foreign intelligence targets do business, socialize, and communicate. Some of these areas include but are not limited to: History, Political Science, International Relations, Economics, Area Studies, Telecommunications and others depending on the position requirements;
• Understanding of networking fundamentals such as IPv6, HTTP, TCP/IP, CCNA Certs, etc;
• Examples of completed software development projects;
• Database development and storage using such tools as SQL, MySQL, Big Data, etc;
• Mathematics competencies in areas such as Algebra, Number Theory, Calculus, Probability, Logic, Applied Mathematics, etc;
• Hardware programming and development experience;
• Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) experience;
• Reverse engineering and computer forensics knowledge and experience;
• Problem-solving skills;
• Cyber security tools and applications experience for example, Wireshark, VMware, Kali Linux, etc;
• Apache Hadoop and similar tools;
• Web development experience using: HTML, CSS, PHP, etc;
• High Performance Computing (HPC), aka super computers, analytic and software skills.
• Writing and interpersonal communication learning and skills;
• Critical thinking skills that support actively and competently conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

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.

Employment Requirements

U.S. Citizenship is required for all applicants. 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.

Interview and Evaluation

The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. (Please attach in application)

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

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.