Overview
The Graduate School has a significant commitment to promote student involvement and leadership within Northwestern University, driven primarily through programming provided by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Success (GPS). GPS aims to create community and cross-cultural exchange, supported by paid graduate student interns. Student voice and input is an integral component of student support services.
The goal of the GPS Graduate Student Internship is to support current graduate students in their aspirations for building community on campus and in their professional development. This 9-month, paid position (renewed quarterly) will offer mentorship and leadership experience in a variety of areas aligning with the current Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Success portfolio, namely student affairs, recruitment and retention initiatives.
By incorporating a range of student backgrounds and perspectives, GPS will strengthen our ability to cultivate authentic and relevant programming that resonates with the current graduate student community. This is also an opportunity to provide professional development and leadership support for graduate students who resonate with the mission to build and maintain a welcoming environment in higher education.
Role & Responsibilities
As a graduate intern, graduate students will be supervised by the GPS director as representatives to lead programs, events, and initiatives for the calendar year – working closely with the office to collaborate and launch the portfolio.
Potential responsibilities and projects include:
- Serve as lead for the GPS Peer Mentorship Program to incoming first-year graduate students
- Assist GPS staff with recruiting messaging and events, including attending conferences and university visits, creating content for recruitment programming, and networking with undergraduates interested in Northwestern research. This will include benchmarking and researching recruitment strategies and how to best leverage Northwestern resources to support applicants as they navigate their graduate school journey.
- Generate and suggest ideas for quarterly student engagement events. Interns will collaborate with campus partners to plan and manage events that offer the opportunity for cross-cultural exchange and community.
- Lead assessment and programmatic implementation in support of graduate student and postdoctoral success.
At the end of the each quarter, graduate interns will meet with GPS staff to discuss their impact and individual leadership goals.
Graduate Internship Eligibility
This position is open to currently enrolled Northwestern University PhD graduate students, within their first 5 years. In addition, students must meet the following requirements:
- Finished with coursework
- Applicants in the last year of coursework may be considered on a case-by-case basis
- Must in good academic standing
Graduate students may not exceed 20 total work hours per week across all work assignments, both internal and external to the university, including this internship. All selected interns must submit a Permission to Work Form each quarter in accordance with The Graduate School’s policies. The GPS internship is not a unit bargaining position. Eligibility for this role is subject to review and approval is based on a student’s funding source and academic program requirements.
Questions about funding status may first be directed to the funding contact in your home department and subsequently to TGS' Graduate Student Funding Team at tgs-fa@northwestern.edu. If selected for the internship, TGS staff will work with each student to confirm eligibility and ensure compliance with relevant policies prior to onboarding and at the start of each quarter.
Stipend
Graduate interns will be hired at one of the following levels, dependent upon funding status and academic program approval, assuming a 4-week interval per month.
- 80 hours/month (approximately 20 hours per week) – $1,920/month
- 40 hours/month (approximately 10 hours per week) – $960/month
- 20 hours/month (approximately 5 hours per week) – $480/month
Stipends are paid monthly. Hours worked may be adjusted quarterly in consultation with the GPS director.
Hiring Timeline
- Application Opens: July 11, 2025
- Priority Deadline: August 1, 2025
- Interviews Conducted: August 11, 2025-August 15, 2025
- Final Selection Notification: August 18, 2025
- Eligibility Verification and Permission to Work Form Approval Period: August 18, 2025-August 22, 2025
- Internship Start Date: September 1, 2025
Application Procedures
- Submit a completed application via the GPS Internship Application Link. Please upload all required documentation to the application. Required documents: Current CV and headshot
- If selected as a finalist, applicants will submit a Permission to Work Form. The form must be approved by your research advisor/PI, academic program, and in some cases academic school. Once approved, the permission to work form will be sent to the GPS director prior to starting work. It is recommended that applicants selected for an interview inform their research advisor/PI and program contacts they are applying to expedite approval processes.
Contact Us
For questions about the internship or application process, please email the GPS team at gps@northwestern.edu