Internships & Employment Opportunities

Description of Field

International Science and Technology Policy is a maturing field that focuses on the interactions among scientific developments, technological and social change, values and governmental activities at both international and domestic levels. This field is concerned with the ways in which professionals in industry, government, labor and non-profit organizations understand these interactions and apply their understanding to solve social and economic problems and manage scientific and technological systems.

Career Paths and Entry Salaries

Recent graduates often work in research, analysis, or management positions with titles such as research analyst, program or policy analyst, legislative analyst, or environmental protection specialist (in more specialized areas). Analysts are often employed with government agencies, advocacy groups (such as environmental), think tanks, science and technology-oriented publications and other organizations concerned with scientific and technological policy as well as activities and impacts of those activities in this field.

Students are highly encouraged to obtain practical experience and determine the type of work they want to pursue upon graduation. Beginning salaries range from $32,000 to $42,000 and increase substantially for candidates who have technical or scientific degrees, exposure to economics and management, significant work experience in the field and/or experience on Capitol Hill or in federal agencies.

Career paths in policy making, policy analysis, and policy research require different kinds of skills and capabilities as well as different kinds of training and orientation. Career paths leading to senior positions may differ. For example, senior executive-level policy making positions in federal agencies usually require scientific or technical credentials, whereas senior congressional committee policy making positions are more demanding of political skills.

Career Resources & Membership Organizations

American Association for the Advancement of Science
Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management
Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology
Elliott School Career Connection
National Institutes of Health
National Science Foundation

Employers

American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Physical Society
ANSER Corporation
Battelle Memorial Institute
Congressional Budget Office
Congressional Research Service
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Department of State
Environmental Protection Agency
General Accounting Office
Global Technology Partners
House Committee on Science
Lockheed Martin
NASA
National Academy of Sciences
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
National Science Foundation
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Office of Management & Budget
RAND Corporation
Raytheon Company
Rockwell International
Science Applications International Corporation, Inc. (SAIC)
SRI International
Stockholm Environment Institute
Tellus Institute
Winrock International
World Bank
Z, Inc.; Contact: Greg Priddy (Elliott School alumnus, 1996) - (202) 586-1154