Office of Academic Affairs
Internship Opportunities at AARP
Research Report
May 2006
View our Fall 2008 internships.
AARP, a national membership and advocacy organization serving persons age 50 and over, offers a variety of internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Internships are available at AARP headquarters in Washington, DC, and in many of AARP’s 53 state offices (typically located in state capitals). There are usually about 50 interns working throughout AARP at any one time.
Internships at AARP are designed to offer students both practical working experience in a non-profit environment and education on issues of importance to older persons. Internships generally require such skills as research and data analysis, legislative analysis, writing and editing, public relations, marketing, or program management. We place an emphasis on matching students to internships that help us fulfill our goals of providing value to AARP members and having a positive impact on issues critical to the lives of older persons, including economic security, health and supportive services, livable communities, and global aging.
Our internship program operates year-round, and internships are available for one or two semesters (or a summer plus one semester). Interns are paid an hourly wage, depending on the educational level of the student and his or her experience. Field placement opportunities that do not require a salary from AARP are sometimes possible. The number of hours worked per week and the overall length of the internship are flexible. Interns must be enrolled in a degree program in any discipline, or enrolled for credit in a gerontology certificate program for the period of their internships, as either full-time or part-time students. Please see the AARP Intern Handbook for more information.
Students interested in internship opportunities should email their resumes and a brief statement about the kind of internship they are seeking. Faculty seeking to place students at AARP are encouraged to contact Dr. Betsy Sprouse in the Office of Academic Affairs (202-434-6362) to set up an ongoing partnership for student placement.