WAIP Internship Opportunities

Learn How to Apply

Internship opportunities abound in our nation’s capital.

From legislative internships on Capitol Hill to positions with think tanks and advocacy groups, there is truly something for everyone. You don’t have to be interested in government work to land a great internship in Washington, D.C. Our staff is here to assist with placement, but students are strongly encouraged to do background research on their own. What’s great about the Washington Academic Internship Program is that we don’t have a prearranged set of internships that we use each semester. Rather, we work hard to help students find internships sites that are aligned with their respective policy and career interests.

While there are near-limitless internship possibilities in Washington, feel free to use these examples of past internships to help get you started with your search process.

Students are expected to apply to internship sites while working closely with WAIP staff to craft strong applications.

 

Learn How to Apply

Where do Glenn Fellows intern?

Capitol Hill 20%

Federal agencies 31%

Nonprofits 35%

Private – research or consulting 7%

Private – not research or consulting 6%

State/local government 1%

Past Internship Sites

  • U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown
  • U.S. Sen. Rob Portman
  • Senate Committee on Housing, Banking and Urban Affairs
  • U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty
  • Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

  • United States Department of Transportation
  • United States Agency for International Development
  • Peace Corps Headquarters
  • United States Department of State
  • United States Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
  • United States Food and Drug Administration 
  • Federal Judicial Center

  • SOS Children’s Villages
  • American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  • Brookings Institution
  • Battelle Memorial Institute
  • Partnership for Public Service
  • NAACP Legal Defense Fund 
  • America Votes
  • Oxfam America
  • Democratic Governors Association 
  • World Wildlife Fund

  • Marathon Petroleum
  • G2G Consulting
  • Nucor Public Affairs  
  • Invariant Government Relations
  • Finsbury Glover Hering

  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival
  • National Museum for Women in the Arts

Internship Preparation

It is never too early to start thinking about where you might like to intern!

Learn how to apply

Before you apply to WAIP

WAIP is designed to allow students to apply what they have learned on campus to a substantive internship in Washington. To get started:

  • Review the list of past internship placements, but be aware that this is not an exhaustive list of internship placements in the Washington area; it is a good starting place as students begin to think about internship options.
  • Look into possible internships using organizations’ websites, Idealist, HandShake, the WAIP Instagram (@WeTheWAIPers) or other job/internship search engines.
  • Meet with your career advisor to strengthen your resume and explore D.C. internships in your field.

After acceptance into WAIP

Once you are accepted, WAIP staff will work with you individually to understand your interests, connect you to WAIP alumni, and help you prepare competitive internship application materials. WAIP staff are not responsible for placing students in internships but will guide students through the placement process.

Things to remember

Summer is the most competitive time to secure an internship in Washington, due to the large number of students looking to obtain an internship. To secure an internship at a more competitive or prestigious organization, students should consider participating during fall or spring semesters.

Many government agencies require a large amount of lead time. If you are interested in working in a federal agency, you should begin applying six to nine months in advance (be sure to notify program staff).

In the past, the program has sometimes been unable to accommodate students interested in interning with the White House, U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Defense. These organizations require a large amount of lead time in submitting applications (approximately nine months to a year), in addition to security-clearance requirements. Most students are required to work a full five-day week, as well.

 

For more information on this program, contact: