National Security Agency/Central Security Service · Department of Defense
Grade: 3-7
Applications close 2026-11-01
Summary
NSA's Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program offers students exciting, impactful professional work opportunities (with pay and benefits!) to grow their knowledge of the Intelligence Community and federal government while advancing NSA's two primary missions: 1) Collecting, analyzing, and producing foreign signals intelligence; and 2) Providing cybersecurity solutions and guidance to protect critical national infrastructure.
Duties
NSA's Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program at Fort Meade, MD offers students exciting, impactful and professional work opportunities (with pay and benefits!) to grow their knowledge of the Intelligence Community and federal government while advancing NSA's two primary missions: 1) Collecting, analyzing, and producing foreign signals intelligence; and 2) Providing cybersecurity solutions and guidance to protect critical national infrastructure. This Co-op opportunity is open to students who are pursuing a Chinese or Farsi language-focused major ONLY. Right from the start, you will be involved in real life projects and will have full use of NSA labs, equipment, and advanced technologies. These areas will offer you increasing challenges and satisfying learning experiences, since our mission demands that we work on the cutting edge of technology. The full listing of each Co-op description and details can be found by visiting: Intelligencecareers.gov/nsa/students-and-internships. (If unable to open this link, please copy and paste into your browser).
Program Details
- 52 weeks of alternating semesters of school and work at NSA
- During work tours, students work a 40-hour week
- Subsidized student housing and travel entitlements during work tours if over 75 miles from Fort Meade, MD
- Tuition reimbursement for one technical course per semester (up to $2,500)
- Potentially eligible for full time employment following successful completion of the program
PLEASE NOTE: As this program requires students to rotate between semesters of work and study, applicants are encouraged to discuss the possibility of participating in this type of program with their school (Academic Advisor, Co-Op Advisor, Registrar and/or Financial Aid Office, etc.) to determine the effect it may have on their full time student status during scheduled work tours as well as any effects it may have on scholarships and financial aid.
Qualifications
Only applicants that meet the following qualifications will be considered:
- Must be a U.S. Citizen
- Must be pursuing a Chinese or Farsi language-focused major
- Must be a second semester college freshman or a college sophomore
- Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all college work completed
- Must be eligible to be granted a TS/SCI security clearance after successfully completing a background investigation, a Full-scope Polygraph and a Psychological Evaluation
- Must be available and in the U.S. for operational and technical interviews and other applicable processing, both in-person and via telephone/internet, between the months of November 2026 and March 2027
Education
- Must be pursuing a Chinese or Farsi language-focused major
- Must be a second semester college freshman or a college sophomore
- Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all college work completed
How to apply
https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1262239
