Internships at MEI

Internships at the Middle East Institute provide emerging professionals with meaningful exposure to the world of Middle East policy and research. Working alongside respected scholars and policy experts, interns engage with real-time analysis of developments across the region and their implications for US interests by contributing to research projects, public events, and strategic initiatives. The program fosters critical thinking, professional growth, and a deeper appreciation for the complexities of policymaking in an intellectually vibrant and mission-driven environment.

MEI offers internship opportunities with the following departments:

  • Policy Center
  • Events and Communications
  • Development
  • Arts and Culture

MEI internships are available in the fall, spring, and summer to undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates. Candidates are expected to have an interest in the Middle East and a GPA of 3.5 or above.

 

Internship Opportunities
“I’ve done around 10 internships between undergrad and grad school, and I think I can confidently say this has been the most substantive. This program furthermore may have been as much or more educational than my classes this semester, with many students asking me how I knew material I learned from MEI. I appreciated that the MEI staff trusted us to have a similar capacity to the RAs, provided us access to the same meetings as the scholars, and held us up to the expectations that came with that. Many internships claim to provide work experience but rarely live up to it in the way MEI has.”

Luke Zakedis

Spring 2025 Policy Center intern