UNDP Internship Programme

A distinguishing feature of the UNDP programme compared to many other UN agencies is its stipend policy: UNDP pays a monthly stipend to interns who are not already receiving financial support from another institution, government, foundation, or scholarship. The amount varies significantly by duty station based on local cost of living - for example, interns at UNDP's Global Shared Services Centre in Copenhagen have received a stipend in the range of USD 1,000 per month - making it one of the more financially accessible entry points into the UN system for students who cannot afford an unpaid placement.

UNDP also offers both in-person and remote/hybrid internship arrangements, and full-time or part-time schedules, which has expanded access for students who need to balance an internship with ongoing coursework. Vacancies are posted on a rolling basis year-round at jobs.undp.org, covering sustainable development goals implementation, climate and environment, governance and peacebuilding, gender equality, and cross-cutting communications and knowledge management roles.

Eligibility generally requires that applicants be enrolled in a graduate degree programme, or have graduated within a specified recent window (commonly up to one year), in a field relevant to the specific internship. UNDP also accepts strong final-year undergraduate candidates for some administrative and communications-focused roles. As with most UN internships, prior relevant coursework, language skills matching the duty station, and demonstrated interest in international development strengthen an application considerably.

There is no dedicated Pakistan-specific track or embassy nomination process for the UNDP Internship Programme; Pakistani applicants apply through the same global jobs.undp.org portal as candidates worldwide, including for postings at UNDP Pakistan's own country office in Islamabad, which periodically advertises local internships alongside its international vacancies.