Frequently Asked Questions About the Temporary Summer Student Program

We hire college students who wish to work during the summer or during school vacations. For additional information about the Temporary Summer Student Program, see Contact Us About Employment, and select "Temporary Summer Student Program" from the dropdown list.

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Index to All Frequently Asked Questions Pages

What is the Temporary Summary Student Program?

The Temporary Summer Student Program provides exposure to career opportunities, people, places, and situations at the U.S. NRC. The jobs in this program offer temporary employment for up to 89 days between May and August. The jobs may or may not be directly related to your academic field.

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Where is the duty location?

Most of the job opportunities are at NRC Headquarters in Rockville, MD. Limited opportunities exist in NRC regional offices: King of Prussia, PA; Atlanta, GA; Lisle, IL; and Arlington, TX.

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How is the salary and grade determined?

The salary is determined by locality, academic discipline, grade point average (GPA), and amount of semester hours completed.

For more information, please see our Pay and Benefits page.

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What are the duties of the position?

Serves as a Student Trainee with the NRC. The incumbent will be assigned to a supervisor within the organization. This supervisor will assign a journey level employee to provide technical direction and mentoring.

Under the guidance of the journey level employee, the trainee shall:

  • Provide support for assigned projects as required.
  • Prepare a brief technical summary at the end of the Summer.
  • Be responsible for carrying out assigned duties and responsibilities in a manner consistent with the safety policies set forth by the supervisor.
  • Complete special projects, and other duties as assigned, relating to the mission/function of the office.

Additional duties for IT Positions

The student will serve as a trainee in development of software systems using knowledge of techniques, procedures, and processes such as operating system theory, data structures, computer system architecture, software engineering, and computer communications.

Typical NRC Student positions include, but are not limited to the following disciplines:

ADMINISTRATIVE - Accounting, Auditing, Business Administration, Communications, Criminal Justice, English, Finance, Human Resources Management, International Relations, Law Enforcement, Security

ENGINEERING - Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Electronics, Environmental, Fire Protection, Geotechnical, Industrial (Human Factors), Materials, Mechanical, Metallurgical, Nuclear, Structural

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - Information Technology, Information Management, Computer Engineer, Computer Science

PHYSICAL SCIENCE - Chemistry, Environmental, Fire Safety Technology, Geology, Geophysics, Health Physics, Health Physics, Hydrology, Materials, Metallurgy, Nuclear Chemistry, Nuclear Physics, Physics, Radiochemistry, Radiological Science

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Is this a permanent position?

No.

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How do I qualify for this position?

Minimum requirements for this position include the following:

  • United States Citizenship
  • Attend an accredited college or university pursuing a Bachelors, Masters or Doctoral degree
  • 2.85 or better grade point average based on a 4.0 scale

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How do I apply for this position?

The Summer 2024 Student Internships have been filled.  Our Summer 2025 vacancy announcement will open on USAJobs in September 2024.

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What is the basis of the evaluation of my application?

Applications will be evaluated against the following criteria: grade point average (GPA), academic honors (i.e., Dean List), awards (i.e., scholarships) and/or extracurricular activities (i.e., student associations).

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Will the NRC pay for me to relocate?

No.

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Will the NRC pay for the transportation, lodging, and subsistence?

Maybe. Each request will be evaluated on its own merit.

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How much travel is required?

None.

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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, January 18, 2024