Our nation’s current and future challenges make it imperative that government identify, recruit and retain the next generation of public servants.
The Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program is an exciting, paid opportunity for students of all majors to gain professional experience in federal and state government. Since 2022, the program places highly skilled talent from across the country into government and offers students the opportunity to apply their educational training to work in a government agency.
Explore the available opportunities for Fall 2026 below.
Fall 2026 Application Now Open
Applications are now open for the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Fall 2026 cohort.
Application Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET
Future Leaders University Partnerships and Fall 2026 Program Tracks
In Fall 2026, the Partnership for Public Service has established official partnerships for the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program with the following universities and programs. Only students enrolled in these partner programs are eligible to apply:
Applicants must be rising seniors or graduate students enrolled in a Schar School of Policy and Government degree program.
Applicants must be enrolled in the Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master of Public Administration (MPA), PhD in Public Policy & Public Administration, or MA-Environmental and Sustainability Policy (MA-ESP) at the Trachtenberg School.
Applicants must apply to both the Future Leaders program and the Les Aspin Center Fall 2026 Washington, D.C. Program to be considered under this partnership. Only students admitted to the Les Aspin Center Fall 2026 Washington, D.C. Program are eligible for Future Leaders placements. For questions regarding the Aspin Washington Internship Program, please contact aspincenter@marquette.edu.
University partners will provide funding directly to students placed with the Future Leaders program in Fall 2026.
Through these partnerships, students who attend these universities will be considered for government internships within the three program tracks listed below. Students from all majors are welcome to apply for these opportunities.
Data Science
Interested in using your data science skills for the public good? Agencies across the federal government need data scientists, and several previous Future Leaders internships focused on data science. This track is open to candidates from technical backgrounds, including: computer science; engineering; statistics; mathematics; economics; data analytics; data science; information technology; business, finance; biostatistics; data analytics in artificial intelligence or machine learning; and physics.
Public Administration
May include positions in finance, human resources, management/administration, or similar fields.
Public Interest Technology & AI
Public Interest Technology & AI positions may include a focus on operations technology-focused policy, federal AI policy, design, writing/editing, program management, data analysis, entrepreneurship and stakeholder management. This track is open to candidates from both technical and social science backgrounds, but candidates must be interested in technology innovation and harnessing the full potential of technology and AI for public good.
Agency Partners
This list will be continually updated as the Future Leaders team confirms agency participation. You are encouraged to apply to this program as agencies are added. There are opportunities in all fields available to students of all academic backgrounds for placements with federal and state agency partners.
Past Agency Partners (2022-2026)
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Defense
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Transportation
- General Services Administration
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Science Foundation
- Small Business Administration
- State of California
- State of Maine
- State of Maryland
- United States Geological Survey
What happens after candidates submit their application?
After the Future Leaders application closes, the Partnership will review all candidates for this program. If candidates move to the next round, eligible candidates will receive communication from the Partnership seeking the candidate’s agency preferences for their internship placement. At that time, candidates will have the opportunity to rank from their choice of participating agencies in this program. Not all program tracks will be offered among multiple federal and state agencies. Agencies will be announced throughout the spring and summer.
Fall 2026 Timeline
- February 16, 2026: Applications for the fall 2026 cohort open.
- May 1, 2026: Application closes.
- May 31, 2026: Applicants are notified of eligibility status. Eligible applicants will receive instructions on next steps.
- June – July, 2026: Virtual interviews conducted.
- July – August 2026: Background check process begins.
- August 2026: Virtual Orientation.
- Week of September 14, 2026: Internship Begins.
- Week of December 4, 2026: Internship Ends.
- Internship end date is dependent on each student’s schedule and agreed upon with their supervisor.
Program Benefits
Selected participants will receive:
- A 10-12-week fall internship at a federal or state government agency.
- A stipend of $3,500 for part-time positions (20 hours/week).
- Professional development sessions, including orientation and networking events throughout the fall.
Program Eligibility
To apply to the program, candidates must be:
- U.S. citizens at the time of application submission.
- Enrolled at a Fall 2026 university partner institution for the Fall 2026 semester. Please review the specific eligibility requirements outlined above for each university partner. Students graduating in May or June 2026 are not eligible to apply; students with an expected graduation date of December 2026 are eligible.
- Able to demonstrate superior academic achievement and have a GPA above 2.5.
- Interested in at least one of the following career tracks. These focus areas are open to students of all majors and do not require students to be pursuing careers exclusively in tech.
- Data Science
- Public Administration
- Public Interest Technology & AI
IMPORTANT: Please check the specific conditions outlined above for university partner eligibility requirements.
FAQs - Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program
Applicants must be U.S. citizens at the time of application submission and enrolled at a Fall 2026 university partner institution for the Fall 2026 semester. Applicants must meet their university’s specific eligibility requirements, as outlined above. Students graduating in May or June 2026 are not eligible to apply; students with an expected graduation date of December 2026 are eligible. Applicants must also demonstrate strong academic achievement and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
Unfortunately, any students who attend a non-university partner school are not able to apply for the Future Leaders program.
Optional reference letters may be uploaded directly through the application portal or emailed to internships@ourpublicservice.org with the applicant’s name referenced in the subject line.
All reference letters must be emailed by May 1, 2026, by 11:59 pm EST.
Fall stipends are $3,500 for part-time placements (20 hours per week).
For Fall 2026, in-person internship opportunities are located in the Washington, DC metro area, including surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia.
Fully remote internship options for Future Leaders may be limited as more government internship opportunities are now offered in-person or hybrid only. Government agencies will ultimately decide if an internship opportunity can be offered on a fully remote basis.
Participating agencies for the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program vary by each term and will be added to this website once they are confirmed. Please refer to this website for any updates.
Participating agencies will be confirmed between Spring and Summer 2026. If candidates move to the next round, some will receive communication from the Partnership seeking the candidate’s agency preferences for their internship placement.
The Partnership for Public Service does not provide housing for the Future Leaders program.
Staff
