Internships

Every semester and summer session, students pair classroom learning with internship experiences to connect their studies with real-world scenarios. GW's location in Washington, DC, offers students the unique opportunity to witness national policymaking up close, as well as provides access to a wide array of nonprofits, arts organizations, laboratories and private sector businesses. 

Internship Courses

Students participating in an internship can register for courses that allow them to earn academic credit for the experience. While some internship providers require registration in a such a course, students are not required to earn academic credit for the enrollment.

Elective Internship Application Form

For Faculty and Internship Supervisors

Each semester has unique evaluation documents. Web-based evaluation forms will be sent faculty advisors and internship supervisors. Please contact CCAS Undergraduate Studies Office or email to ccas2154gwu [dot] edu (ccas2154[at]gwu[dot]edu). 

Internship FAQ

Eligibility

I’m a first year and I want to earn credit for an internship. Can I apply to register for CCAS 2154?

As a first year there are many things that you will need to adjust to as a college student. While we regret you are not eligible to register for the internship course, we encourage you to focus on navigating the transition with new coursework, schedules and responsibilities before pursuing an internship for credit.

I have a cumulative GPA of below a 2.5, can I still apply to register for CCAS 2154?

As an undergraduate student there are many components that are important as part of your undergraduate experience and your coursework should be at the forefront of that experience. It is important for you to focus on your education, improve your grades, and once you reach 3.0, we encourage you to apply for the internship.

I have an incomplete grade that was updated to IB+ for a course from a previous semester. Does this mean I can’t apply to register for CCAS 2154?

This requirement is in reference to an Incomplete grade still pending, not a grade that has been updated to reflect that you finished the coursework for the class. Trying to complete an Incomplete class while attending a full course load and pursuing an internship can be quite a lot to handle. We encourage students to finish any Incomplete grades from previous semesters prior to pursuing an internship so that you can appropriately focus on the experience and your current coursework and do well.

I’m not able to submit my Application for Elective Internship until sometime after the deadline. Am I still able to apply to register for CCAS 2154?

We have a deadline as the end of the fourth week of classes so that there is ample time in the semester to work with a faculty sponsor, create and write the research paper required for the course. Therefore, we are unable to accept an application after the required deadline.

Finding a Faculty Sponsor

I’m having a difficult time finding a faculty sponsor, what should I do?

We fully acknowledge that finding a full-time faculty member (adjunct or visiting professors are prohibited) to sponsor you throughout this internship experience may be challenging. Remember that the faculty sponsor doesn’t necessarily need expertise that directly relates to your internship or the research you are interested in pursuing. They just need to have the willingness to support you throughout this journey (e.g., help you find related readings that support your topic, work with you on a schedule for submitting drafts of your paper, grade your work submitted for the course). Once you find that person, you’re good to go!

I found a faculty member to work with on my research paper and readings, but they are not full-time faculty. Can I still move forward with him/her as my faculty sponsor?

We require a full-time faculty member to sponsor you to ensure that they will be on campus throughout your internship and research experience. However, if the faculty member isn’t full-time status but has been with the University for at least 2 years, then we would consider allowing them to sponsor you.

Registration & Payment

How many credit hours of courses should I be registered for if I’ll be working 15 or more hours per week in my internship?

Typically we recommend students who are working 15 hours per week or more to only be registered for 12 credit hours of academic work during the semester. However, only you know how much of a workload you can handle so do what is most comfortable to you.

I’ve already registered for this course in a previous semester/summer session and earned 3 credit hours. Can I apply to register for CCAS 2154 again?

You are allowed to register for this class for a total of 6 credit hours towards the undergraduate degree. As long as you will not be going over that maximum amount of credit hours, you can register for the internship course again.

Am I required to pay for my internship credits?

Yes. Usually, if you register for CCAS 2154 in the fall and spring semester, the fee is included in your tuition (up to 18 credit hours), however when you register for CCAS 2154 in the summer, you have to pay per credit hour set by the university.

If you register for CCAS 2154 in the summer for zero credits, there is no tuition charge, but there is a $35 processing fee.

Earning Credit

I need a letter of verification for my employer that I will receive credit for my internship. Is that something you can provide me?

Please provide the information of your employer and what is required for the letter in an email to ccas2154gwu [dot] edu as well as the deadline for the letter and we will write a verification letter for you. Please allow three to five business days for us to provide you with a verification letter.

Am I required to earn credit for my internship?

Some internship sites require students to earn credit for their time while others do not require it. If your internship organization does not require you to earn credit for the experience, then you are not required to register for CCAS 2154. You can just as easily talk about your experiences on a résumé or cover letter when applying to jobs, other internships, and even graduate school.

I completed an internship last semester. Can I get credit for it now?

While you may have had an amazing internship experience last semester, unfortunately we cannot award retroactive credit for that internship. We want students to be learning and researching about their chosen topic concurrently to maximize the amount of learning from both the personal and academic experiences.

I was recently offered an internship abroad. Am I able to receive academic credit through CCAS 2154?

CCAS 2154 Elective Internship is only for domestic internships. Please reach out to the appropriate departments associated with the internship as well as Career Services (gwcareercentergwu [dot] edu (gwcareercenter[at]gwu[dot]edu)) and Study Abroad (studyabrgwu [dot] edu (studyabr[at]gwu[dot]edu)) offices.