The Graduate Scholarship Program is a financial needs based initiative that offers graduate students an unmatched experience in a diverse and inclusive environment. Graduate students, serving as scholarship recipients with the CIA, attend an accredited college/university on a full-time basis and work during summer breaks at the Agency.

While working at the CIA, you will be exposed to real intelligence challenges while performing meaningful work that relates to your graduate studies. An IT major, for example, might be given increasingly complex projects involving sophisticated computer systems. An engineering major might help produce a piece of state-of-the-art equipment. A finance major could be involved in developing and analyzing budgets for a worldwide operation, while a foreign language major might be instrumental in translating documents for US policymakers. An international relations major might brief a senior policymaker and, as a final example, a human resources major could have the opportunity to develop and implement personnel policies and procedures.

If selected as a scholarship recipient, you will receive a wide array of benefits, including:

Tuition assistance up $18,000 per calendar year for tuition, mandatory fees and books; STEM field positions receive tuition up to $25,000 per calendar year.

Daily allowance for meals and incidentals during summer tours

Reimbursement for transportation costs between school and Washington, DC

Annual salary

Health insurance

Life insurance

Federal retirement plans

Paid time off, as well as sick and holiday leave

Because the CIA invests in scholarship recipents, accepting an offer means continued employment with the Agency for a specified timeframe. You are required to work at the Agency after college graduation for a period equal to 1.5 times the length of the college sponsorship you received from CIA. Students who leave earlier are required to reimburse the US government for their tuition. All positions require relocation to the Washington, DC Metropolitan area during summer work tours.

Office of the CIA

Our Graduate Scholarship recipients work in all Directorates and Offices of CIA. Click here to learn more about our five directorates and the various offices that support the Director of the CIA.

See our work in action:

Life at CIA

In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, the CIA offers exciting career opportunities and a dynamic environment. We're on the forefront of world-altering events – as they happen. So working here isn't just a job, it's a mindset and a lifestyle.