The Cyber Summer Program (CSP) is the National Security Agency's (NSA) premier outreach effort to the very best undergraduate and graduate computer science, engineering, mathematics, network security and information assurance students in the country. Each summer we invite up to 24 exceptional students to participate in a 12-week program where they work together, and in teams, directly with NSA technical professionals on mission-critical cyber-related problems.  

The goals of the Cyber Summer Program are to:

• Introduce our country's future leaders in cyber-related fields to the agency's mission and share with them the excitement of working on problems of national importance;
  
• Provide a deep understanding of the vital role that computer science, engineering, mathematics, network security and information assurance plays in enabling the agency to tackle a diverse set of technical challenges;
  
• Encourage bright undergraduate computer science, engineering, mathematics, network security and information assurance majors to continue their studies and pursue careers in the cyber-related fields; and,
  
• Provide solutions to current operational problems
  

About the Program
The students participating in the program work on a broad range of problems involving applications of computer science and engineering. During the first weeks of the summer internship, they are broadly exposed to NSA's cyber mission through a variety of lectures, classes and tours. The students are presented with a set of current mission-driven problems and choose which problems they will focus on for the summer. The outstanding work accomplished by each student will be presented to senior NSA leadership as well as documented in the CSP year-end report. Students learn and develop data analysis, network analysis and exploitation techniques, apply what they learn to obtain real-time solutions, and experience the excitement of success built on hard work and innovation. All the students find the work at NSA very exciting and challenging.

Application Deadline
Applications are accepted September 1st - October 15th each year.

Salary
Students are paid a competitive salary commensurate with their education level.

Benefits
Annual leave, sick leave and paid federal holidays
Participation in agency-wide extracurricular programs
Students who attend schools in excess of 75 miles from Ft. Meade, MD, are eligible for a round trip airfare ticket to and from school or mileage reimbursement up to the cost of a government-issued airline ticket.
Daily transportation to and from work is not provided. Students participating in the program are highly encouraged to bring a vehicle. Carpooling with other students MAY be available but NOT guaranteed.
Subsidized housing accommodations are available upon request if school is located in excess of 75 miles from NSA main HQs campus.

Qualifications
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must be eligible to be granted a security clearance.
GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred.
Must be a college junior, senior, or graduate student with at least one semester remaining.
Must be majoring in computer science, engineering, mathematics, network security or information assurance, or another closely related discipline.
Must be available for an operational interview and other applicable processing between December and March.
Clearance/Security Requirements
Applicants will be processed for a security clearance, and will be required to pass a psychological exam, lifestyle and counter intelligence polygraph, drug screening test, and complete a comprehensive history form that documents your foreign travel, educational background and employment history, among other areas.

How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online on or before October 15th. Applications received after the deadline, as well as incomplete packages, will not be considered.
To submit a resume during open season, click any “Apply Online” link. Under "Basic Job Search," type in keywords "Cyber Summer Program" and click on "Search." Select Cyber Summer Program and click "Apply Now." Follow directions as prompted.

To be considered for the Cyber Summer Program, your application should include:

• Official transcripts through the current academic year (unofficial is acceptable if legible).
  
• Two letters of recommendation from faculty members
• A resume. A well-written resume will include:
• Your contact information
• Current and past degree seeking program to include:
• Major
• Cumulative GPA
• Anticipated graduation date
• Degree concentration
• Lists of relevant courses taken, including the current semester’s course list
• Computer languages known (indicate skill level – i.e. beginner, advanced, fluent, etc.)
• Awards, honors and recognitions
• Relevant experience or projects
• Relevant work experiences

Transcripts
Transcripts may be issued directly by the Registrar, or issued to you by the Registrar, then sent with your application materials. Only originals via post, photocopies of originals via post, scanned copies of originals via email (PDF format only) will be accepted. If your Registrar is capable of directly sending electronic transcripts, please have them sent directly to you and then email the transcript as an attachment. Please do not send html transcripts accessible via a website or text versions thereof.
IMPORTANT: When applying online, you may submit only your resume. Please email the required documentation to Summer_Cyber@nsa.gov.
**Applications are not complete without the requested documentation. If you have applied to multiple positions, you MUST follow the instructions on each posting and send your requested documents to each program separately. Documents (including transcripts) will NOT be shared between programs.

Questions
If you have questions about the Cyber Summer Program, please contact us 1-866-NSA-HIRE. You may also email Summer_Interns@nsa.gov or call (410) 854-4726