FTC Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: October 2026

Every Federal Trade Commission internship listed on its official pages is unpaid, and most applications go by email to a bureau inbox, not through USAJOBS. Nothing is open for undergraduates today: the Bureau of Economics spring deadline passed on 1 October 2026 and the Honors Paralegal spring deadline on 30 September. The next undergraduate door is the Honors Paralegal summer deadline on 28 February, and the Bureau of Economics hasn't posted its summer 2027 date. Law students have an open window now (Bureau of Competition spring semester) and 1L summer 2027 applications from 20 November 2026 to 8 January 2027. In plain words: you apply between November 2026 and April 2027, you intern in summer 2027. Only U.S. citizens can apply.

Quick Facts

No undergraduate FTC window is open today; Honors Paralegal summer closes on 28 February, Bureau of Economics summer isn't posted yet, and law students can apply from 20 November.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. The Pinterest Gen Z Consumer Behavior Externship builds consumer-data analysis like the Bureau of Economics describes, and the Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Analytics Externship gives you public-sector data practice. Explore all Externships.

What Is an FTC Internship?

An FTC internship is an unpaid student placement at the Federal Trade Commission, the federal agency that enforces antitrust law and protects consumers from fraud, deception and unfair business practices. It's headquartered in Washington, DC. There is no single program: undergraduates apply to the Bureau of Economics or the Honors Paralegal Division, and law students apply to the Bureau of Competition or the Bureau of Consumer Protection. Each bureau runs its own calendar and takes applications by email. The Bureau of Economics says interns work alongside PhD economists on antitrust investigations, consumer protection cases and rulemaking.

When Do FTC Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

FTC windows are short and bureau-specific, so the useful number is lead time: about 1.5 months for the Bureau of Economics (its 12 April 2026 summer deadline, per a university posting, fell before a late-May start), about 3 months for Honors Paralegal (28 February), and about 5 months for 1L law clerks (8 January). We have one measured Bureau of Economics summer cycle, from a third-party board, so treat its 2027 dates as a projection.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

These are fixed-date windows, not rolling reviews, so the deadline is the date that matters. The Bureau of Economics and Honors Paralegal pages give cutoffs and the Bureau of Competition says 1L summer applications run from 20 November to 8 January. Its semester offers do go out on a rolling basis, which rewards applying early in the window. Because these pages carry no alert feature, put the dates in your calendar and check the bureau page each month.

Which FTC Internship Programs Should You Target?

Undergraduates and law students apply to different offices. These are the main tracks.

All internship tracks above except Pathways are unpaid. The FTC's 2024 Pathways postings paid GS-7 to GS-9 rates for law and economics student trainees, but no student-path announcement is open now.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Eligibility comes from each bureau's page.

• Citizenship: Bureau of Economics interns must be U.S. citizens or nationals. The Honors Paralegal and Bureau of Competition pages say candidates must be U.S. citizens to be eligible for employment.

• Enrollment: currently enrolled undergraduates for the Bureau of Economics and Honors Paralegal tracks. Law summer is open to 1Ls and 2Ls, and semester internships to 2Ls and 3Ls.

• Credit or stipend: every track is unpaid, and students must receive a stipend or course credit from their school, so talk to your registrar or career office first.

• Location: onsite in Washington, DC, except American Competition Enforcement interns in Dallas, New York, Seattle or San Francisco.

• Screening: the pages describe no background check or clearance steps.

Is There a GPA Cutoff?

The FTC internship pages state no GPA minimum. The Bureau of Economics instead describes its ideal candidate: strong applied microeconomics and econometrics intuition, proficiency in Stata, R or Python, and a cover letter on your interest in economics and the FTC. A 3.0 GPA appears only in the qualifications for the separate Statistician job, not in the internship pages.

What Skills Does the FTC Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

The Bureau of Economics page is the only one that lists skills. It asks for applied microeconomics and econometrics, programming in Stata, R or Python, and the ability to turn data into graphs, figures and tables for Commission memos. Interns also compute market shares and concentration and support investigational hearings. Honors Paralegal and law tracks stress legal research, document review and writing.

Note: Skill percentages are left out because the FTC publishes no intern job descriptions to count. The skills above come from the Bureau of Economics, Honors Paralegal and Bureau of Competition pages, read 16 October 2026.

How Is Demand for Economics Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties something the FTC's pages ask for to a remote Externship that gives you a project to cite in your cover letter.

None of these Externships is connected to the FTC. They help because the Bureau of Economics asks for a cover letter detailing your experience in statistics and research, and a finished project gives you something specific to write.

What Is the FTC Application and Interview Process Like?

The steps below come from the FTC's bureau pages.

1. Pick your bureau and term. Note the semester in your email. The Bureau of Economics asks for this explicitly.

2. Email the right inbox. Bureau of Economics: resume, cover letter and unofficial transcript. Honors Paralegal: resume and cover letter to the Lead Paralegal Specialist named on the page.

3. Law students. Summer: resume, cover letter and transcript with the subject line "Summer Intern Application: 1L" or "2L". Semester: apply to each division, with a writing sample of up to seven pages and three references.

4. Interviews and offers. Bureau of Competition semester interviews and offers happen on a rolling basis. Other steps aren't published.

Arrange school credit or a stipend early, because every track is unpaid.

What Students on Reddit Say

We found no current first-hand FTC internship accounts on Reddit with usable detail, and the threads that exist are old or off-topic, so there are no quote cards here.

How Do You Stand Out for an FTC Internship?

First, match the bureau's own wording. The Bureau of Economics wants a cover letter linking economics, the FTC and concrete statistics, research or public-policy experience. Second, show code: Stata, R or Python on a real dataset beats a list of courses. Third, don't miss the calendar, since deadlines are fixed and several already passed this fall. The FTC publishes no applicant counts, class sizes or intern conversion rate.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students applying to the FTC often also consider these economics, policy and federal employers.

For more federal options and USAJOBS timing, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 FTC internship?

No. The Bureau of Economics summer 2026 deadline was 12 April 2026, and the Bureau of Competition 2L summer 2027 window closed on 4 September 2026. Still ahead: Honors Paralegal summer by 28 February, 1L law applications from 20 November, and a Bureau of Economics summer posting.

Are FTC internships paid?

No. Bureau of Economics, Honors Paralegal and law internships are unpaid, and students must receive a stipend or course credit from their school. Paid Pathways student trainee roles appeared on USAJOBS in 2024, but no student-path FTC announcement is open now.

Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to intern at the FTC?

Yes. The Bureau of Economics requires U.S. citizens or nationals, and the Honors Paralegal and Bureau of Competition pages say candidates must be U.S. citizens to be eligible for employment. International students should look at institutions that recruit globally, such as the World Bank.

Where do I apply for an FTC internship?

Mostly by email, not USAJOBS. Bureau of Economics applicants send a resume, cover letter and transcript to its internship inbox, and Honors Paralegal applicants email a named paralegal specialist. Posted jobs and Pathways roles appear on USAJOBS, so save a search there too.

What are the next FTC internship deadlines?

Honors Paralegal summer applications are due 28 February (the page lists no year; the next is 2027). Law students can send 1L summer 2027 applications from 20 November 2026 to 8 January 2027. The Bureau of Economics hasn't posted a summer 2027 date.

Can law students apply to the FTC now?

Yes. The Bureau of Competition accepts spring-semester internship applications from early September to early November, for 2Ls and 3Ls, and reviews on a rolling basis. Apply directly to each division you want. The 2L summer 2027 window already closed on 4 September 2026.

Where are FTC internships located?

Mostly the Washington, DC headquarters, onsite. Bureau of Economics summer internships are full time and in person. Bureau of Competition American Competition Enforcement interns report to the Dallas, New York, Seattle or San Francisco offices, and you state a preferred location in your email.

Does an FTC internship lead to a job?

Not automatically. The FTC publishes no conversion rate. The Bureau of Economics says recent interns moved on to firms such as Charles River Associates and Boston Consulting Group and, in some cases, to the FTC as Statisticians, so treat it as a strong credential.

The next FTC deadlines come in quick succession, so put 20 November, 8 January and 28 February in your calendar. If you want a finished project for your cover letter, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.