UA

USDA APHIS / independent application guide

Career Experience Program (ACE): eligibility & how to apply

A paid, year-long USDA Pathways internship combining APHIS technical work with cohort-based leadership and professional development.

Reviewed by FirstInternships · Report a correction
Jump to a useful section
College yearRising sophomores and juniors
CompensationPaid
Location / arrangementUnited States · placement-specificFull-time summer plus part-time school year
Availability at reviewCheck USDA Pathways openings

Who can apply?

  • APHIS says ACE is open to rising college sophomores and juniors in good academic standing.
  • Interns work full time during the summer and at least 16 hours per week through graduation.
  • The current USAJOBS announcement controls citizenship, enrollment, degree, academic standing, location, tuition assistance, and all required documentation.
Easy to miss

ACE is not only a summer internship; accepting it requires ongoing work of at least 16 hours per week through graduation.

Dates, pay & program timing

No universal cutoff confirmed

ACE is structured as a year-long program beginning with full-time summer work and continuing part time through graduation. APHIS directs applicants to current Pathways opportunities on USAJOBS rather than giving one permanent deadline.

View the deadline calendar

These details reflect the sources at the review date. An overview is not a live job offer. Check the official page for today's application status and the selected opening's written terms.

How to apply to USDA APHIS

  1. Search USAJOBS for USDA Pathways opportunities and confirm that a current announcement identifies the APHIS Career Experience Program.
  2. Check rising class year, academic standing, location, degree, citizenship, summer availability, and the 16-hour school-year commitment.
  3. Prepare the requested USAJOBS resume, current transcript, proof of enrollment, and any veterans' documents, then submit before the announcement closes.
Check official program & apply

You leave FirstInternships to apply. We do not accept applications, offer referrals, or represent the employer.

Our editorial advice · not employer requirements

How to prepare a stronger application

Show how your science, agriculture, animal or plant health, operations, communications, business, or data experience connects to the announced APHIS track.

Make a realistic schedule with your academic adviser because the internship continues during the school year rather than ending after summer.

Your preparation, on this device

Make it a plan.

Checking an item saves this program. These are planning prompts, not a substitute for the employer's full requirements.

Add a stage & next action

Official sources & update notes

We reviewed these publisher pages on . They establish the program facts above; our preparation suggestions are independent editorial guidance.

We do not infer deadlines, remote eligibility, or guaranteed offers from older recruiting cycles. Read our editorial process.

Prepare the documents you need

Other pathways worth checking