Frequently Asked Questions About Internships
1. Why do an internship? An internship done for course credit can count as one of your restricted electives in the Politics and Policy concentration. Beyond that, an internship can provide invaluable real-world experience, help you clarify career goals, add a line to your resume, and perhaps even lead to paid employment.
2. What qualifies as an internship? Internships must have a substantive educational component. If you are filing, answering phones, and fetching coffee, you may be an 'intern' from the point of view of the organization you are with--but the University does not consider this a valid internship experience worthy of course credit. You should be actively engaged with environmental policy issues as part of your internship, and you should be learning by doing, not just watching. Talk with your advisor if you are not certain whether the opportunity you have identified qualifies as a legitimate internship.
3. How do I find an internship? It is the student's responsibility to find an internship. Your faculty advisors, professors, TAs, and other students may have useful suggestions. Most large organizations--government agencies, advocacy groups, businesses, law firms--have structured internship programs; many smaller and less formal groups are glad to have the help interns provide. In the Washington area there are dozens of local, state, federal, and international government agencies to choose from, as well as countless non-governmental organizations of every ideological stripe and issue focus. ENSP maintains a bulletin board listing lots of opportunities (see link at top of this page). There are also services that will match students to internships, for a fee--but with a bit of thought and legwork this should not be necessary.
4. What work must I do and how am I graded? You must find a faculty sponsor for your internship. This could be Dr. Conca, another GVPT professor you know, another professor associated with ENSP, or any faculty member that would be a sensible choice. Normally, a student will produce a term paper or other written product related to the internship. This could stem directly from work done as part of the internship, or it could be a project related to the internship experience but done independently. The focus, length, and other attributes of your graded work should be discussed with your faculty sponsoir in advance, and you should keep your sponsor informed of your progress as the internship proceeds.
5. How
do I register to get course credit for my internship? Once you have found
an internship and a faculty sponsor, you should complete an internship application.
The application asks for a statement of purpose, an explanation of how the internship
relates to your career goals, a discussion of how you will be evaluated, and
other information. The application is signed by four people: (1) your faculty
sponsor, (2) Dr. James, ENSP director; (3) your "site supervisor"--the
person to whom you will report as part of your internship duties; and (4) you.
It's a good idea to prepare a draft of the application, show it to your faculty
sponsor, revise if necessary, and then collect the signatures.
Once you have completed the internship application and collected the necessary
signatures, you may register for ENSP 386. Each faculty member has a unique
section number in this course. Submit the application to Joyce Brown in the
main ENSP program office and your registration block for ENSP 386 will be cleared.
Click here to go to the ENSP major's web site and download the guidelines and
application for ENSP 386.
6. How many course credits will I earn for my internship? The general rule of thumb is that ten hours per week over the course of a 15-week semester, or 150 hours, is roughly equivalent to 3 course credits. For summer internships or internships involving an intensive commitment of time over a shorter period, we typically use the same rule of thumb (150 hours = 3 credits).
7. May I do an internship in the summer and register for course credit in the spring or fall instead of summer session? Normally, students are expected to register for course credit while they are performing the internship. There may be special circumstances that make it desirable or necessary for you to register during the academic year for an internship performed in January or during the summer. See your advisor if you find yourself in this situation.
8. May I accept pay as an intern and still get course credit? Yes. Occasionally, an internship will provide a student stipend or other form of compensation. It is perfectly legitimate to get both course credit and compensation, provided that what you do meets the general requirements of a valid internship.