Domestic U.S. Internships

Unpaid internships for degree-seeking students seeking careers in international development professionals a chance to do real-world research, learn the ins and outs of global relief and development work and gain exposure to a full range of nonprofit management issues.

Opportunities are available on an occasional basis in our offices in Portland, Oregon; Manhattan, New York; Washington, DC; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Edinburgh, Scotland. They are posted on our website when available. Previous interns have completed a variety of projects with our Executive, Programs, Social Innovations, Resource Development, Legal, and Finance teams.

Mercy Corps also offers a limited number of field-office internships for graduate students. We are looking for outstanding graduate students from anywhere in the world who are considering careers in relief and development. Scopes of work are diverse, but past interns have designed innovative environmental programs in Colombia, helped create micro-business plans in Kyrgyzstan, assisted educational interventions in China, and conducted needs-assessments in Kazakhstan. We regret that we are unable to place undergraduate students internationally.

Although interns work under the direction of a single staff person, they often have the opportunity to work with people throughout the agency. Interns are also encouraged to attend relevant staff meetings and the occasional lunchtime seminars to gain the broadest possible appreciation and understanding for our work. Mercy Corps interns gain exposure to international relief and development as well as a full range of nonprofit management issues.

To qualify for an internship, students must be receiving academic credit or formal academic sponsorship throughout the duration of the internship. (Applicants not currently in school should refer to the Mercy Corps volunteer program.)

Click here to see all internship opportunities. If there is a potential match, the applicant will be contacted. Final candidates will be interviewed in person, when possible, or by phone.