Host an Intern
Chances are, with almost 40,000 students coming to D.C. to intern every year, your office has hosted more than a few students.
The process of selecting qualified interns can be lengthy and time-consuming – interested in making it easier? Let us help! We have more than 50 years of experience placing interns in Washington, D.C.
Students participating in our programs are bright and motivated undergraduates from across the country and around the world. Most recently, our programs were made up of students from 42 states and 16 countries, the majority of whom were rising juniors and seniors. TFAS students have already been through our rigorous screening process, and the group typically boasts an average GPA of over 3.5. In addition to an internship, TFAS students are enrolled in classes at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus and live downtown on the campus of George Washington University. Students also participate in site briefings around the city and take part in an extensive orientation program plus professional development, networking and social activities. TFAS interns are ready to hit the ground running on day one.
We are looking for organizations to serve as internship sites in the following categories:
Public Policy
- Government Agencies or Departments
- Policy Groups or Think Tanks
- Congress – House or Senate Offices
- Legal Organizations
- National Nonprofit Organizations
- Local Charitable Organizations
- Trade Association or Public/Government Affairs Groups
Foreign Policy and International Affairs
- Embassies
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- International Affairs Organizations
- Foreign Policy Think Tanks
- Defense Contracting Firms
- Government Offices
Journalism and Strategic Communications
- Print Media Outlets, including Newspapers and Magazines
- Radio and Television Stations
- Online Publications
- News Services
- Corporate, Government or Nonprofit Communication Departments
- Public Relations Firms
Business and Government Relations
- Corporate Government Affairs Offices
- Trade Association Government Affairs Offices
- Government Relations, Public Affairs or Lobbying Firms
Why TFAS Interns?
Many organizations throughout the D.C. area advertise for interns, collect cover letters and resumes, spend weeks wading through the hundreds of applications and conduct interviews until the chosen few are selected. Is it worth taking all that time to make sure you have top-notch interns? Absolutely – but we think there’s a better way.
By hosting a TFAS intern, we will work as your office’s personal HR department by screening candidates and only passing along the applications of students who meet your criteria.
Not only will you be able to choose from top candidates through TFAS, but you can also be guaranteed students who are engaged. By participating in a fully well-rounded program such as ours, we’ve found that interns are more likely to be on time, reliable and committed to an organization’s goals.
“The Fund for American Studies did an excellent job placing my student interns. They understood what skills were needed and matched students to fulfill my office requirements.”
Michele Cappelle, Federal Aviation Administration
“TFAS provided a thorough package of information to introduce the student to our organization. We were able to review his academic scholarship and internship goals and clearly identify that we would both benefit by his experience through an internship. Without hesitation, we acknowledge the thoroughness of TFAS in its recruitment of students and placement process.”
Thelma Hines, Iona Senior Services
Frequently Asked Questions
As TFAS offers thorough and comprehensive programs, the start and end dates for interns are set in advance. You are welcome to work directly with your student intern once confirmed if an earlier start date or later end date is desired. With that said, TFAS cannot guarantee housing to students outside of the program dates.
Weekly hours for the interns are generally about 28-32 hours a week. We do require that internship sites provide a minimum of 28 hours per week in order to host a TFAS intern. Because students have program commitments most evenings, we ask that sites allow their students to work during the hours associated with their program. In general, weekly internship hours are as follows:
Monday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Tuesday: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Wednesday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Thursday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Friday: No Intern Hours
There is no cost associated with hosting a TFAS intern. Students applying for our programs understand that these internship opportunities are unpaid. There is also no fee associated with the placement process for the internship sites. Should you choose to, sites are welcome to provide compensation or a travel stipend to their TFAS intern.
TFAS interns can receive up to 3 credits from George Mason University for their internship experience. Students also may choose to work with their home university to earn credit. Earning internship credit is optional through our program, so please be sure to indicate on your Intern Request Form if this is a requirement for your organization to host a student.
We ask that the following paperwork be completed by TFAS internship sites:
- Intern Request Form – this form indicates to our staff your interest in hosting a student intern.
- Internship Experience Contract – should you choose to host a student, we ask that supervisors sit down with their intern and complete an Internship Experience Contract. This is not a contract in the legal sense, but more of a “memorandum of understanding” between you and your intern. We find this document helps to open lines of communication between interns and supervisors as well as set expectations for your intern’s experience.
- Written Internship Evaluation – at the end of the program, we ask supervisors to evaluate the student’s performance as a tool for professional development. If your intern is enrolled in the Internship Seminar course at George Mason, your evaluation will count toward 20% of their final grade.
The short answer is no – if you submit an Intern Request Form, you are not obligated to host a student. The Intern Request Form is used as a tool to gauge the interest level of sites in the D.C. area. While we certainly hope you will choose to hold a spot for an intern from our programs, we do not require that you do so.
We ask that organizations hosting TFAS interns provide the following:
- A direct supervisor and workspace for each intern.
- Completed written evaluation of the student at the
end of the program. - In addition to general administrative work, we
ask that internships provide a substantive professional experience where
students can learn for themselves what it is like to work in your office. - The office is accessible via public transportation.
Our programs are not open to graduate students, as only undergraduate credit can be earned through the classes that all participants take at George Mason University.
Yes. During the summer, our students live in an apartment-style dormitory on the campus of George Washington University. During the fall and spring semester programs, our students are housed in intern housing on Capitol Hill.