Our goal is to prepare students for complex circumstances in the real world. Students benefit greatly when they have the opportunity to apply academic theories learned in the classroom to actual situations that arise in the work environment.
Internships can be important pathways to future employment. Students should consider organizations and institutions that they will want to work for after graduation. The Carter School's proximity to Washington, DC makes it possible to intern at one of the many national and international government agencies or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with offices in the National Capital Area.
Internships have both work and academic components and may take many forms including paid or unpaid internships. Whatever the form, an internship must have the following components in order to be approved:
- work that gives the student practical, out of the classroom experience with social justice, peace-building, non-profit, government, community engagement, conflict management, or similar initiatives within the field.
- Personal reflection by the student about the experience they are gaining and how this experience relates to academic theory, their classroom experience, and the career for which they are preparing.
- Planned assessment and accountability agreed upon by the student and their Carter School advisor prior to the start of the internship. Assessment will track progress toward meeting the stated learning objectives set forth by the student in the internship plan.
Internship Application Process
Undergraduate
Students may earn from 3-9 credit hours in a semester.
The Carter School requires a minimum of 45 hours of internship work per credit hour earned. (3 credits = 135 hours; 4 credits = 180 hours; etc.)
To apply to receive credit for an internship:
- Complete the Application for Academic Credit for an Internship and enter your supervisor's contact information in the Supervisor Agreement link to generate an email to your internship supervisor:
- Check your email for notification from a Carter School advisor that your Internship has been approved and the course override has been completed.
- Register for the course after you receive the override notification.
- Check the Blackboard course page during the first week of classes for the syllabus, course schedule, and first assignments.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us ugradcar@gmu.edu
Graduate
Internship credits are not requirements of the Master's program. Students can opt to register for internship credits and these credits will count as general elective credits. Students must complete 15 credits in order to be eligible to apply for internship credits - prerequisites include CONF 600, CONF 610 or CONF 660, CONF 657)
Students may earn from 3-6 credit hours in a semester. the Carter School requires a minimum of 160 hours for 3 credits and 320 hours for 6 credits of internship.
To apply to receive credit for an internship:
- Complete the following Application and Experiential Learning forms. Please remember to include your proposed internship supervisor's name and email because a link will be automatically sent to your internship supervisor to complete the Site Supervisor Experiential Agreement form:
- Check your Mason email for notification of approval from an Carter School advisor that your Internship has been approved. The approval email will include the registration CRN details for CONF 694.
- Register for the course in PatriotWeb by inputting the CRN numbers into your semester schedule.
- Check the Blackboard course page during the first week of classes for the syllabus, course schedule, and first assignments.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us.
Eligibility
- For Undergraduate credit, internships may be approved when the student has earned at least 30 credits and completed at least 9 credits of conflict coursework.
- Undergraduate students must have at least a 2.0 GPA and no outstanding incompletes in order to be approved for an internship.
- For Graduate credit, students should complete 9 to 12 credit hours of Master's coursework for the internship to be counted as an elective.
- An internship may be completed at the student’s current workplace ONLY if a student is completing different work under a different supervisor and the work has been approved by the Carter School Director of Field Experience.
- Credit will not be given for past internships.
Receiving Credit
- You may register for an internship during the Fall, Spring or Summer terms.
- For an internship to be considered for credit, the Internship Proposal Application and Internship Supervisor Agreement must be submitted by the Monday before classes begin each semester. No exceptions will be made for late submissions.
- To receive credit for internships, students must also complete several graded assignments during their internships.
FAQs
Do I need to pay tuition for internship credits?
Yes. You will receive 3 credits of academic coursework through a course that runs concurrently to the internship and this will be billed to your student account as any other academic course would be.
How many hours do I need to work?
You may receive 1 academic credit for every 45 hours worked. To receive 3 credits, you will need a minimum of 135 hours worked during the semester. This can be accomplished in many ways. You might choose to work 10 hours a week for the entire semester, 20 hours a week for part of the semester, or possibly full time for a month in the summer. Please speak to an advisor if you have a unique situation.
Can I receive academic credit if it is a paid internship?
Absolutely! Whether you are paid hourly, or by stipend, or are volunteering for the experience, academic credit is an option. If you are seeking experience and have already fulfilled your field experience requirement you likewise do not have to apply for academic credit.
Where can I find an internship?
We recommend connecting with recent alum, career services, and professors to learn about internship opportunities. You can search online for internships through LinkedIn, Indeed, and Idealist, among other sites. Carter School advisors can also help direct you to specific organizations that might match your interests.