Internship Funding
Over the past 25 years, the SMU John G. Tower Center for Public Policy and International Relations has awarded undergraduate students with over 120 awards of internship funding and research fellowships in support of our mission to promote the study of public policy and international affairs prepare future leaders to make a positive global impact.
See our full list of opportunities below. Click on the name to learn more about the requirements and deliverables for each opportunity.
Internship funding and fellowships awarded by the SMU Tower Center will be based on the completed delivery of the requirements and merit. Selection will be determined by an application review committee made up of SMU Tower Center Faculty Board members.
The selection process for the Vaughn Internship Fund occurs annually and is determined by the timeline set by the U.S. Department of State
The Jack C. and Annette K. Vaughn Internship Fund
The Jack C. and Annette K. Vaughn Internship Fund was established to support SMU undergraduates’ sophomores and juniors with a strong interest in international affairs and public policy. The objective of the internship funding is to provide students with firsthand knowledge of American foreign affairs, and to encourage students to consider careers in the U.S. Foreign Service and in international affairs.
The internship funding is designated to highly qualified undergraduates majoring in Political Science, History, International Studies, Economics or World Languages or other areas. To qualify for the Vaughn Internship, students must be approved for an internship program in the U.S. Department of State or another U.S. international affairs center, government agency, or think tank in Washington, D.C.
The selection process for the funding described below occurs annually in the spring.
Applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
The Rubottom Foreign Service Internship Fund was established by Ambassador R. Richard and Billy Ruth Rubottom to support public policy or international affairs internships for undergraduate students who have prepared for a foreign service career. The objective of this internship funding is to strongly encourage students to consider careers in the U.S. Foreign Service and in international affairs.
The internship funding is designated to highly qualified undergraduates, with a minimum of 3 years of foreign language study, who are majoring in Political Science, History, International Studies, Economics or World Languages at Southern Methodist University, and who intend to pursue an internship with a genuine focus on public policy and/or international relations. (It may NOT be used toward a corporate or industrial-based internship).
The Kelli O. and Gerald J. Ford Internship Fund
The Kelli O. and Gerald J. Ford Internship Fund was established by Kelli and Gerald J. Ford to support undergraduates with a strong interest in international affairs and public policy, and who intend to pursue an internship with a focus in this field or to pursue a summer internship in Washington D.C. or abroad.
Apply Now for the Rubottom or Ford
*President Scholars are not eligible to receive internship or fellowship funding.
Reach out to learn more about SMU Tower Center Internship Funding and Fellowships:
Ray Rafidi, SMU Tower Center
Carr Collins Hall, Office 233
rrafidi@smu.edu | 214-768-3665