International Journalism Scholarship Programs

People gathered on the street in Sierra Leone. — Cooper Inveen (right), past scholarship recipient, covering a protest in Sierra Leone in 2014. Photo courtesy: Inveen

Summer 2026

Applications for Summer 2026 overseas reporter internships are due by 11:59 p.m. on February 6, 2026. You may attend an info session with the program director and previous participants in the program on January 15 at 10:30 a.m. in CMU 322. Please email ckcook@uw.edu with questions about the program.

The application will open January 7, 2026. Apply here: https://forms.gle/P5GKZFn1BWTU3Die8

The Scholarship Programs

The Department of Communication, through the generosity of alumni, places students into journalism internships every summer at overseas English-language news outlets. These programs provide an exceptional opportunity for students to expand their view of the world and to gain professional international journalism experience on the ground with the benefit of personal and editorial support provided by the Communication Department and its partner news outlets:

Foreign Intrigue International Reporting program scholarships: This award provides financial support for Communication Journalism majors to work as intern reporters at foreign newspapers in developing or emerging countries. Foreign Intrigue exposes students to cultures markedly different from their own, with the goal that their experiences and eventual stories will help American news consumers make sense of unfamiliar foreign countries’ actions. This award was established by a UW Journalism alumna.

Taija PerryCook, 2023 scholarship recipient, on a reporting trip in north Jordan, near Al-Ramtha.

These scholarships have placed students in the past at outlets which include:

Japan Times in Tokyo
Jordan Times in Amman
Bangkok Post in Thailand
Jakarta Globe in Indonesia
Citizen Matters online magazine in Bangalore and Chennai, India
Awoko in Freetown, Sierra Leone
CIMAC Noticias in Mexico City

Questions? Contact JPIC Coordinator Caley Cook at ckcook@uw.edu.

Students accepted to the programs must attend three orientation and prep sessions during the winter and spring quarters. Students are expected to contact the host news organization they are matched with to learn more about the outlet and the country where they’ll be working. Graduating seniors participating in the programs delay graduation until after overseas internships conclude. They may walk at graduation in the spring.

Costs paid by the Department of Communication:

Airfare: The Department will provide up to $1,500.
Housing: The Department will contribute $1,500.
Tuition: Twelve UW credit hours awarded through the Study Abroad Office.

Mary Murphy, scholarship recipient, with Citizen Matters editorial team in Bangalore, India, summer 2023.

Student costs:

Housing and food: Depending on location, students may spend between $500 and $2,000.
Any travel beyond roundtrip to the internship site.
Health insurance: UW requires students to purchase health insurance. The cost is approximately $2/day.

Application Timeline:

Info Session: January 15, 2026
Application Deadline: February 6
Applicant interviews: Early February
Final selections: Mid-February
Orientation sessions for selected applicants: Late winter and early spring quarters

For applicants accepted into the programs:

Final interview/initial contact with host organization: February
Register with Study Abroad Office: March
Submit visa applications: March
Make travel arrangements with host organization: March
Meet with Foreign Intrigue program funder: Late spring quarter
Internship: 10 to 12 weeks between June and September
Check-ins: Interns check in weekly during the summer with program director or substitute faculty
Reflection essay: Interns complete reflection essays on their experience in September
Information sessions: Interns join info sessions for incoming applicants the following year