The DoD College Acquisition Internship Program (DCAIP) is a paid, 10- to 12- week summer internship that provides students with real-world exposure to Department of Defense acquisition workforce career opportunities. The program targets full-time second and third year students currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at an accredited college or university.
Summary
The DoD College Acquisition Internship Program (DCAIP) is a paid, 10- to 12- week summer internship that provides students with real-world exposure to Department of Defense acquisition workforce career opportunities. The program targets full-time second and third year students currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at an accredited college or university.
This is an internship for students who are enrolled full-time as a sophomore or junior in an undergraduate program at an accredited university and have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours.
As a STUDENT TRAINEE (CONTRACTING), duties will depend on your major and the Program Office. The selected candidate(s) may be placed within one of the Program Offices based on the office's function and the student's major, skill sets and interest.
Interns receive hands-on, practical experience in analysis, research, report writing, oral briefings, policy development, program analysis, and computer applications. Student interns gain experience in career fields available within the Acquisition workforce such as: Engineering, Contracting, Logistics, Business - Financial Management, Business - Cost Estimating, Information Technology, Test & Evaluation, Industrial Contract Property Management, Purchasing, Science and Technology, Production, Quality and Manufacturing, Facilities Engineering, and Program Management.
Be suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
Be able to obtain and hold a security clearance.
Must be enrolled full time at a qualifying educational institution.
Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov).
Must maintain student eligibility for the duration of internship.
May be required to complete a pre-employment drug testing.
Qualifications
Requirements:
Enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment as a full-time student into an accredited college or university in a qualifying degree-seeking program, or enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment in a qualifying certificate program.
Be enrolled full-time as a sophomore or junior in an undergraduate program at an accredited university and have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours toward a specific degree program.
Students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) at time of application and must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA throughout the entire Student Trainee Internship appointment to remain in the Program.
Please note that if you are graduating from your current academic program prior to May 31, 2026 you will not be eligible for this student appointment unless you are accepted for enrollment at a qualifying educational institution seeking an ADDITIONAL qualifying degree, diploma, certificate, etc. You MUST submit proof of acceptance along with your current transcripts for consideration.
Education
Due to the education requirement of this position, an official or unofficial transcript must be submitted at the time of application. If transcripts are not received, you will be rated as ineligible.
Accreditation: Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/ and U.S. Department of Education website at http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. If you fail to provide the required documentation, by the closing date of this announcement, you will not receive consideration. For further information, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
The agency will close this announcement once 500 applicants have applied or the closing date occurs.
This internship opportunity will not start until mid to late May/June 2026.
The end date for this appointment will be specified in the Participant Agreement and is generally the intern's projected graduation date.
This position may be non-competitively converted to a permanent employment upon completion of education.
Accepting this position, you may be required to serve a trial period equivalent to the duration of the appointment during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. If you are converted to a career-conditional appointment upon completion of your internship program, you will be required to serve an initial probationary period if one has not already been completed.
Salary: The salaries noted in this announcement are the base salary and locality pay for the Rest of U.S. pay schedule at the GS-04, step 01 and step 10 levels. The General Schedule (GS) basic pay schedule varies by geographic locality. To view pay rates in a specific location visit the Office of Personnel Management pay tables at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/payleave/salaries-wages/.
All applicants are encouraged to apply electronically. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may contact 317-212-4434 for assistance.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IMPORTANT NOTE - YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR RATING.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements. Errors or omissions may affect your consideration for employment. Veterans' preference eligibility is treated as a positive factor when making a selection from external sources. It is applied when the organization makes a final selection from the candidates with substantially equal qualifications as described in the Best Meets Mission Requirements definition below. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must submit documents verifying your eligibility with your application package.
Best Meets Mission Requirements definition: Applicant has the knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies to substantially exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. This equates to the best qualified assessment criteria established for the vacancy and based on overall demonstrated experience, education, training, appraisals/evaluations, job-related awards, certifications, honors and relevant outside activities.
Criminal History Inquiries: If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency @ dfas.indianapolis-in.zh.mbx.ssc-cc@mail.mil.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Complete Initial Eligibility Questionnaire: Your resume must demonstrate the quality of your work as it relates to the experience requirements outlined in the job announcement.
Current transcripts: Transcripts can be an official or unofficial copy at time of application.
Proof of education enrollment:
The enrollment documents should show student's name, academic institution, the degree or certificate program, and enrollment in at full-time status (as defined by the academic institution).
Proof of enrollment can be one of the following:
A screen shot of the semester class schedule,
An official letter/acceptance letter of enrollment, or
Listed on the official transcript
Other Supporting Documents
The following supporting documents are REQUIRED to verify your individual eligibility status. Not all will apply for each applicant. They MUST be received by the closing date of the announcement.
If you claim Veteran's Preference:- You must submit a copy of your DD Form-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty", showing the dates of active duty service, type of discharge and the character of service. Alternatively, If you are a current military member in active duty service and do not have a copy of your DD Form-214, you must submit a written documentation (certification) from your branch of service certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application for this position. The certification should also include your rank, dates of active duty service and what they condition of discharge is thought to be.- If claiming 10-point preference and/or are a 30% or more Disabled Veteran, you must submit both a DD Form-214 or expected discharge documentation as described above AND a copy of a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or your branch of service certifying the presence of service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of disability- If you are claiming eligibility based on 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e. a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran claiming veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it), you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15) "Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference" and any required documents indicated on the SF-15 to substantiate the claimed preference.
Note: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information and documents entered and uploaded are received, legible, and accurate. Failure to submit a complete application package including all required documentation by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/31/2025 may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. To verify your application is complete: log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and More Information. The Details page will display the status of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin the application process. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://support-usahire.opm.gov/.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
DEFENSE ACQUISITION UNIVERSITY
9820 Belvoir Road
Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060
US
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you of the outcome after each of these steps has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will no longer need to call the HR Office to determine your application status. USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to drive status updates notification for applicants. You can elect to activate the proactive notification from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process to sign-up for automatic alerts when there are status changes for jobs to which you have applied.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Complete Initial Eligibility Questionnaire: Your resume must demonstrate the quality of your work as it relates to the experience requirements outlined in the job announcement.
Current transcripts: Transcripts can be an official or unofficial copy at time of application.
Proof of education enrollment:
The enrollment documents should show student's name, academic institution, the degree or certificate program, and enrollment in at full-time status (as defined by the academic institution).
Proof of enrollment can be one of the following:
A screen shot of the semester class schedule,
An official letter/acceptance letter of enrollment, or
Listed on the official transcript
Other Supporting Documents
The following supporting documents are REQUIRED to verify your individual eligibility status. Not all will apply for each applicant. They MUST be received by the closing date of the announcement.
If you claim Veteran's Preference:- You must submit a copy of your DD Form-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty", showing the dates of active duty service, type of discharge and the character of service. Alternatively, If you are a current military member in active duty service and do not have a copy of your DD Form-214, you must submit a written documentation (certification) from your branch of service certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application for this position. The certification should also include your rank, dates of active duty service and what they condition of discharge is thought to be.- If claiming 10-point preference and/or are a 30% or more Disabled Veteran, you must submit both a DD Form-214 or expected discharge documentation as described above AND a copy of a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or your branch of service certifying the presence of service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of disability- If you are claiming eligibility based on 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e. a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran claiming veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it), you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15) "Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference" and any required documents indicated on the SF-15 to substantiate the claimed preference.
Note: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information and documents entered and uploaded are received, legible, and accurate. Failure to submit a complete application package including all required documentation by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/31/2025 may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. To verify your application is complete: log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and More Information. The Details page will display the status of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin the application process. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://support-usahire.opm.gov/.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
DEFENSE ACQUISITION UNIVERSITY
9820 Belvoir Road
Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060
US
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you of the outcome after each of these steps has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will no longer need to call the HR Office to determine your application status. USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to drive status updates notification for applicants. You can elect to activate the proactive notification from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process to sign-up for automatic alerts when there are status changes for jobs to which you have applied.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
