Many think tanks and nonprofits offer short-term policy seminars, workshops, and fellowships that provide educational and networking opportunities, particularly for students and early-career professionals. These programs typically run from 2-3 days to 6 weeks and are often free or offer scholarships to participants. For longer opportunities (2-12 months), see our separate lists of policy internships and policy fellowships. 

Some of the below programs are run by partisan/ideological organizations, including some taken from this Guide to Conservative and Libertarian Summer Opportunities. The author notes that most seminars seek political diversity and encourages students of any political orientation to apply.

The application deadlines shown are representative of these programs’ typical annual cycles but may vary from year to year. Please check the official program websites for current deadlines.

General policy opportunities

• Hudson Institute Political Studies
  • Policy Certificate Program – a three-day seminar series in Washington DC for early and mid-career professionals focusing on US foreign and domestic policy and national security topics. Each program includes five intensive expert-led seminar modules, interactive simulations, a Keynote Dinner, and a capstone op-ed or memo completed one week after the program. Multiple seminars are hosted each year.
  • Summer Fellowship Program For Undergraduates – a full-time, 6-week paid summer fellowship in political theory and practice for college students and recent graduates. The program features policy workshops, seminars on foundational political texts, speaker events, and outings. Fellows receive a stipend of $3,000 and complimentary housing. (Deadline typically in Feb.)
• American Enterprise Institute
  • Summer Honors Program / Winter Honors Program – a full-time, one-week paid seminar for undergraduate students and recent graduates in DC. The program includes discussion-based seminars on policy topics, briefings with speakers, networking opportunities, and site visits. Participants receive reimbursement for travel to DC, housing, a $250 stipend, and lunch and dinner on most class days. (Summer application deadline typically in March, winter typically in Nov.)
  • Collegiate Network – a network for undergraduate students that offers various educational and professional development opportunities, including reading groups, networking opportunities, and public policy summits and conferences.

• Hoover Institution, Stanford University
  • Summer Policy Boot Camp – an intensive, 4-day residential program at Stanford University for college students and recent graduates focused on economic, political, and social aspects of US public policy. Program fees, food, and lodging are covered; travel is not covered. (Application deadline typically in March)
• National Model United Nations (NMUN) conferences – 3-6 day conferences for college students to engage in simulated UN committees, visit Permanent Missions to the UN, and debate global issues. NMUN hosts multiple conferences around the world each year; travel and accommodation costs are not covered. Registration opens ~6 months before each conference.
• Aspen Policy Academy – hosts various one-time webinars, such as Writing an Op-ed, Scoping a Policy Problem, State and Local Government Advocacy, and Policy 101. Registration is free and open to all. Aspen also offers multi-day virtual programs for early to mid-career professionals, such as this 4-day bootcamp on the basics of policy structures and policy skills. For multi-day programs, applications typically close several months prior.
• Hertog Foundation
  • Political Studies Program – a 6-week, full-time summer program in DC on politics and public policy for undergraduates and recent graduates. All fellows receive residential accommodations and a $3,000 stipend to offset travel and living expenses. (Application deadline typically in Feb.)
  • Security Studies Program – a 1-week summer course in DC for undergraduates, recent graduates, and young professionals, with topics including geopolitics, military history, US-Russia relations, and other security issues. Provides lodging and a stipend. (Application deadline: Feb. 24, 2025).
  • War Studies Program – a 2-week, full-time program run by the Institute for the Study of War in DC. The program includes intensive reading and discussion on military theory, history, operations, and current conflicts. All students receive a $1,500 stipend, housing, meals, and subsidized transportation to and within DC. (Application deadline typically in Feb.)
  • Humanities at Hertog – virtual seminar programs for undergraduates, graduate students, and young professionals covering great texts.
• Intercollegiate Studies Institute
  • Honors Program – a week-long, all-expenses-paid summer program for “hardworking, dedicated, undergraduate conservative leaders” exploring American principles; later, scholars join a network of students, alumni, and professionals.
• Meridian
  • Meridian-Cox Foreign Service Fellowship for Emerging Leaders – a 6-day summer program in DC to expand awareness and access to foreign service careers to undergraduate students from underrepresented communities across the US. Activities include an interactive three-day diplomatic skills training course, a diplomacy simulation, panel discussions with representatives from the broader diplomatic community, and site visits. (Application deadline typically in Feb.)
• Claremont Institute Fellowships
  • Publius Fellowship – a 2-week, paid summer program in Orange County, CA covering political philosophy and US government topics for college students and recent graduates. The program covers travel, lodging, and most meals. (Application deadline typically in Feb.)
  • Lincoln Fellowship – a 10-day summer program for young professionals in Orange County, CA covering the statesmanship of Abraham Lincoln. The program covers travel, lodging, and most meals. (Application deadline typically in March)
• Public Policy and International Affairs
  • Junior Summer Institute – a 6-week paid summer program designed to prepare students for public policy and international affairs graduate programs. Coursework is hosted at one of PPIA’s partner fellowship sites: Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, University of Michigan, or Princeton. Fellows receive university housing, career guidance, and lifetime participation in PPIA’s Public Service Expo. Applications open in the fall for the upcoming summer.
  • Public Service Weekends – 3-day conferences for undergraduates and recent graduates, especially from historically underrepresented communities, to learn about public policy careers. Host universities help pay for travel expenses and provide housing and meals.
• The Alexander Hamilton Society 
  • Hamilton National Fellowship – provides $3,000 grants to students and recent graduates with summer internships in Washington, DC, in foreign policy, defense policy, and economic policy. Fellows attend six evening seminars on American grand strategy, participate in a staff ride to a historic battlefield, and engage in briefings with distinguished practitioners on career opportunities in foreign policy and national security. Application deadline typically in April.
  • National Defense Fellowship – an intensive joint program by the Alexander Hamilton Society and the Ronald Reagan Institute for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. The program includes the Peace Through Strength Boot Camp hosted in the fall in DC, providing an in-depth education on defense policy, and attendance at the Reagan National Defense Forum, hosted over the winter in California, where fellows engage with top defense leaders. Lodging, meals, and travel stipends are provided. 
  • Virtual Seminars – 5 or 10-session course series over fall and/or spring semesters covering topics in international affairs and political order. Participants complete readings in advance and engage in facilitated discussions.
• University of California, Berkeley
  • NextGen Summer Policy Academy – a fully funded, 3-week summer program for college juniors hosted in DC and at a partner institution (UC Berkeley, University of Minnesota, or University of Washington). The program includes speaker events, networking opportunities, mentorship, and field trips.
• Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) – organizes multi-day policy seminars in DC (scholarships are available) to “empower, educate, and engage women and marginalized gender groups in public policy.”
• The Young Diplomat Academy 
  • Summer School – a week-long seminar course on diplomacy and negotiation topics located in The Hague, Netherlands, for anyone aged 18+.
  • Winter Seminars – a week-long, virtual seminar course on diplomacy and negotiation topics for anyone aged 18+ (travel and accommodation not covered).
• McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character – a 3-day spring conference for undergraduates to strengthen leadership skills; meals, lodging, and transportation costs covered.
• Explore more programs and networks for underrepresented groups in policy here.

Science and tech policy opportunities

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 
  • Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering Workshop – a 3-day workshop in DC, designed for undergraduate and graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and math fields with limited experience and knowledge of science policy and advocacy. Students learn about the structure and organization of Congress, the federal budget and appropriations process, and tools for effective science communication and civic engagement. The final day includes congressional visits on Capitol Hill. Attendees must apply for sponsorship through a sponsoring institution, which will cover all costs to attend the workshop.
• BlueDot Impact
  • AI Governance Fast Track – a 5-day online course focused on AI governance and policy. Each day involves 2 hours of independent learning, plus a 1.5 hour group discussion facilitated by an AI policy expert. BlueDot runs multiple rounds of the program annually, with applications accepted on a rolling basis.
• UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC)
  • Public Policy and Nuclear Threats Boot Camp – a 10-day summer workshop for graduate students, post-docs, and early to mid-career professionals covering topics including nuclear threats, international safeguards, and nonproliferation strategies. The workshop features lectures, discussions, and debates with researchers, academics, policy officials, and other professionals. Full or partial grants are provided for all students. (Application deadline typically in March)
  • Chinese Defense and Strategic Innovation Policy Training Program – a 3-day course in DC examining the intersection of national security, defense modernization, and technological innovation in the context of China’s global rise. The program explores how China is mobilizing economic, scientific, and strategic resources to challenge advanced military powers. Designed for policy professionals and analysts. (Application deadline typically in March)
  • Understanding China’s Science & Technology Ambitions – a 2-day training seminar in La Jolla, CA, on China’s evolving science and technology policy landscape, including Chinese S&T governance, funding mechanisms, national labs, private-sector innovation, and case studies including semiconductors and fusion energy. Designed for analysts, graduate students, postdocs, and corporate professionals. $2,500 for government/private sector; $1,000 for students; group discounts available. (Application deadline typically in May)
• The Atlantic Council
  • Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge – a 2-day interactive learning and competitive scenario program designed to give students “a deeper understanding of the policy and strategy challenges associated with management of tradeoffs during a cyber crisis.” Multiple challenges happen annually in the US and internationally; 2025-26 locations include DC, New York, and Dundee, UK.
• National Science Policy Network 
  • Science Policy Skills Training Course – an 8-week virtual series for STEM students and professionals seeking to transition into science policy careers. Participants complete readings, watch pre-recorded lectures, attend weekly class sessions, and build science policy skills through individual and group assignments. Costs $400. (Enrollment deadline typically in March)
  • Intro to Science Policy Diplomacy Training Course – a virtual, 3-class series for STEM students and professionals to explore science diplomacy. Costs $300.
  • Science Policy Writing Course – a 6-week virtual series for STEM students and professionals. Participants attend weekly classes and build communication skills through individual and group assignments. (Enrollment deadline typically in March)
• Berkeley Risk and Security Lab
  • AI Red-Teaming Bootcamp – a week-long, all-expenses-paid bootcamp hosted on UC Berkeley’s campus for early career professionals, PhD candidates, and post-doctoral fellows with expertise in cybersecurity, machine learning, or other relevant fields to AI security. Participants engage with experts, learn about the history of red-teaming, understand the current red-teaming landscape, and work through a series of red-teaming exercises. (Application deadline typically in March)

Programs for students from specific universities

• Stanford University
  • Hoover Institution National Security Affairs Fellows Mentorship Program – pairs selected Stanford students with one of eight distinguished diplomats and military officers who come to Hoover each year as part of the Robert and Marion Oster National Security Affairs Fellowship Program. Participants attend 1-2 hrs of class each week.
  • Hoover Student Fellowship Program – a paid, three-quarter fellowship program pairing Stanford undergraduates with Hoover fellows or staff members in their area of interest. Students provide research and operational support for 10 hrs/week while receiving mentorship and exclusive programming for the fellowship cohort. Undergraduates receive $18/hr; graduate students receive $23/hr.

• Harvard University 
  • Economics and Social Policy Seminar Series – a semester-long weekly speaker series with leading economists; hybrid format.
• Many other universities also offer short-term policy learning opportunities, including seminar series, workshops, and conferences. To find these opportunities at your university, check out the websites of your school’s career service and political science/government/public policy school. Try also searching something like:
  • site:.edu <your university name here> Policy seminar series
  • site:.edu <your university name here> Policy events
• See also our Semester in DC programs for a list of longer-term university-sponsored internship programs.