PLEASE BE ADVISED: SPRING INTERNSHIPS WILL NOT BE OFFERED IN 2025.
OEA Internships Overview
The Office of Economics & Analytics (OEA) offers both paid and unpaid internships; open to undergraduate and graduate students with a background in Economics/Data Science and also GIS (geographic information system) mapping. There are no paid internships for the fall or spring semesters.
Paid summer internships are offered through the Pathways Program and applicants are required to apply through USAjobs no later than March 11. For traditional (unpaid) internships, the FCC prioritizes providing internship opportunities to students who are supported by fellowship or stipend funding or are receiving credit from the educational institution.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for both the paid (Pathways) and unpaid summer internships as the number of paid internship positions is very limited.
Overview of OEA and the Divisions
OEA is responsible for expanding and deepening the use of economic analysis in Commission policy making through cost-benefit analyses, economic research, and other statistical and geospatial analytic work. The Economic Analysis Division (EAD) provides economic analysis for rulemakings, transactions, adjudications, and other Commission actions. The Industry Analysis Division (IAD) is the FCC’s principal resource for data services and statistical and geospatial consulting. Interns will work with economists and policy experts on quantitative tasks using statistical software (e.g. Stata, R, SAS), policy research and/or on industry analysis.
Economics interns will be assigned to either the Economic Analysis Division or Industry Analysis Division based on internal needs. GIS interns will be placed in the Industry Analysis Division.
Selection Criteria
Economics Intern:
We welcome applications from advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. Applicants should have good written and oral communications skills, some relevant academic training, and a strong interest in broadband, communications, or media policy. Quantitative skills (e.g., statistics, econometrics) are of particular interest. Generally, applicants for this position are studying economics, data science, computer science, public policy, or other similar fields and have at least an introductory knowledge of a statistical programming language (e.g., Stata, R, Python, SAS).
GIS Intern:
We welcome applications from advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. Applicants should be comfortable processing and understanding large GIS datasets, producing summary reports of spatial analysis results, and be able to navigate web-based maps and applications using the ArcGIS Online suite of tools. Students are expected to have some experience working with geospatial data, producing visualizations, as well as in computer programming/scripting. Applicants for this position are typically pursuing a degree in Geography, GIS, Environmental Science or related discipline.
Internship Period(s)
Economics Intern: Fall, Spring & Summer Semesters
Paid internships/Pathways Internships are only available in the summer
GIS Intern: Summer Semester
Paid internships/Pathways Internships are only available in the summer
Summer internships are full time. Fall and spring internships may be part-time. We request a minimum of 10 weeks for full-time internships and 12 weeks for part-time internships. Interns are expected to work primarily during FCC core hours of 10:00am to 3:30pm Eastern. Remote internships are not available for the summer.
Application Information for Paid Summer Internships (Pathways Program)
Beginning Summer 2024, OEA will be offering paid summer internships for both the Economics and GIS positions through the Pathways Program.
Application Deadline: To be considered for a paid summer internship/Pathways Internship, you must apply through USAJobs no later than March 11. You can find a link to the paid summer internship/Pathways Application below or directly on USAjobs.gov by searching FCC.
The following materials are required:
- an academic transcript,
- a list of references, and
- a written sample demonstrating your proficiency in performing data analysis through the use of a statistical program/language or GIS software.
The paid internship is a GS-4 grade level for up to 15 weeks of full time, in-person work at FCC Headquarters in Washington, DC. Pathways internships are currently available for the 2024 Summer semester.
Please note that the paid summer internship/Pathways Internship will be offered in addition to our regular, unpaid internship cycle. As spots are limited, we highly encourage you to apply to both positions.
Application Information for Unpaid Internships
Please submit via email the following information:
- resume (including documentation of relevant coursework and skills),
- cover letter indicating why are you interested in this internship and highlighting relevant skills and availability (tentative start and end dates, days/hours per week (minimum 16 hours per week), preference for in-person vs. remote internship),
- an example project demonstrating relevant skills (optional), and
- a statement of whether you may be earning course credit, receiving a stipend, or neither.
Please confirm you are a U.S. Citizen when you submit your application materials via e-mail. Non-US citizens are not eligible for OEA internships. Please note that we may request an academic or professional reference after we complete the interview phase of the internship application process.
Application Deadline: While we do not have a formal deadline, we encourage applicants to submit their materials before the following dates for each semester for full consideration:
- March 15 for Summer Internships (Starting in May or June)
- July 1 for Fall Internships (Starting in August or September)
- October 15 for Spring Internships (Starting in January)
Send Application to: Internships.OEA@fcc.gov
Notes
Students graduating college/graduate school before the internship begins are not eligible to participate in the internship program with the exception of students that have graduated college and are enrolled in a graduate school program.
For students interested in receiving academic credit for the internship, we are generally able to work with the student and their university to ensure any requirements are met so that the intern is able to earn academic credit for their internship at the FCC.
While law students are welcome to apply, OEA internships are intended for students interested in economic and data analysis and does not include legal work.
For any questions or concerns related to the paid summer internship/Pathways Internship or unpaid internship programs, contact Internships.OEA@fcc.gov.