The Leadership Development Program Internships at the Middle East Institute are designed to provide students or recent graduates considering a career in a Middle East related field with hands-on experience in a Washington-based, nonprofit organization that focuses exclusively on the Middle East. Interns obtain guidance, experience, and exposure to the Washington policy and scholarly community while helping out with the everyday operations of the Middle East Institute. Although there is no financial compensation for interns, MEI does offer each intern one free language class, a one-year electronic membership to MEI, and reimbursement for local travel expenses.
Internships are available throughout the year to undergraduates who have completed at least one year of school, recent graduates, and graduate students. Positions are available on a full or part-time basis with a minimum of 20 hours a week. Please use the links on this page to explore the different internship opportunities we offer.
The dates of internships correspond to the fall (September-December), spring (January-May), and summer (May-August) academic semesters. The deadlines for applications are:
- Spring internship: November 18
- Summer Internship: March 5
- Fall internship: July 13
To apply for an internship, please send a cover letter, résumé, college transcript (official or unofficial), five-page writing sample, and a letter of recommendation to the address below. For design internships, please submit a link to your portfolio in lieu of the writing sample. Interested applicants from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply; however, preference will be given to those applicants with superior writing, organization, word-processing, and Middle Eastern/European language skills.
Please send your application materials in pdf format to rwilson@mei.edu. Any questions about the internship or application process should also be referred to this email address. Please do not call to inquire about the status of your application.
Video: Introduction to the Middle East Institute
The Middle East Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or ethnic background.