The NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program annually provides on-the-job learning experiences at the national office in Indianapolis to college graduates who are passionate in their pursuit of a career in college sports administration.

With a focus on ethnic minorities, women and former student-athletes, this yearlong program gives insight to the inner workings of college sports from the national perspective. Interns over the past 25 years have taken their experience and institutional knowledge onto campuses and into the conference offices as full-time administrators.

NCAA postgraduate interns are nonexempt employees with benefits and they receive comprehensive training, mentor assignments and networking opportunities throughout the internship. Additionally, postgraduate interns plan and execute professional development site visits to conference offices, member campuses and affiliate organizations to further their knowledge of the collegiate sports industry and network with today's leaders.

"I give all of the credit for my career path back to starting as an NCAA intern and really understanding the workings of the national office and college athletics.”

"When I left the NCAA and went to a campus, I was prepared because I was actually doing the work of an athletics professional while an intern at the national office.”

"The internship changed my life. I tell everybody to apply for one."

Who is eligible

Applicants must be a college graduate from a four-year NCAA member school by the start date of the internship program. The NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program is not designed to provide credit toward an undergraduate degree, but an intern may be eligible to earn credit toward a graduate degree.

How to Apply

The online application for the NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program is available via NCAA Program Hub during the dates listed above.

Candidates have the option to select up to three departments/positions to apply to. We encourage you to diversify your selections among the various departments. Choosing multiple areas within one department limits your accessibility to other opportunities that may better suit your background. Choose the top two/three choices and explain why you should be considered for those positions.

What internships are available

The NCAA offers yearlong internships within several focus areas at the national office: administrative services, accounting, championships, marketing, communications, education and community engagement, executive, inclusion, governance, public relations and regulatory affairs. To find specific departmental offerings, please see the box at the top right of the page and follow the hyperlinks.

NCAA PGIP Informational Webinar Information

NCAA leadership development is excited to host an informational webinar related to the Postgraduate Internship Program. The webinar will be hosted on Thursday, August 17^th from 1 to 2:30 p.m. EST. The webinar will feature an NCAA staff member from each department, who will be available to provide an overview of the responsibilities of their group, the role and contribution of the intern within the department and a glimpse into the ideal profile for internship candidates. The final part of the call will be a dedicated Q&A session facilitated by those staff members, answering questions posed by applicants on any items related to the application process and the program. Registration for the webinar is now open and interested individuals may sign up here.

2024-25 NCAA PGIP Important Notes

The 2024-25 NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program will take place in person in Indianapolis, with relocation required for all cohort members. All NCAA interns will be subject to the same in-person/virtual work policy as all full-time NCAA staff members. 

The PGIP website will continue to be updated with new information (including amended job descriptions) over the coming weeks.

Questions?

For more information about the NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program, please contact us via email at internship@ncaa.org.