Added to the core curriculum in the late 1960's, the internship experience has become an integral element of the Washington Semester Program. While they vary in form and content, all internships can:

• provide needed on-the-job experience

• allow you to test career interests

• integrate classroom learning into real world situations

• enhance personal development and the development of interpersonal work skills

• provide practical knowledge of and exposure to the real world

Above all, the internship presents you with an exciting challenge−and requires a great deal of adjustment. A typical internship will expose you to the commuting scene, require you to adjust to varied office routines and co-workers, allow you to learn by being involved in the political process or private work force, and provide you with the opportunity to make contacts that may prove useful when you are pursuing future career goals.


Remember, however, that your internship is what you make it−it can be as rewarding as you allow it to be. Although it may prove trying at times, an internship is an exceptional method of learning by doing and can be one of the most valuable components of the semester.