Internships

text says: Career, Ready, Set, GO

An internship is still one of the best ways to land a full-time job. 

Practicum, field placement, internship—no matter what you call it, work-based learning is a critical part of any student’s career preparation. Not only do these experiences introduce students to their chosen careers and help confirm or rule out job choices, they are the surest path to a full-time job. “Employers are more likely to convert interns to new hires than any other kind of positions,” says Saskia Campbell, executive director of University Career Services (UCS) at George Mason University. “That’s their recruitment strategy. That’s their pipeline.” And Campbell says George Mason students are in demand.

Beyond George Mason's job search platform, Handshake, students find internships by leveraging their personal connections and relationships with faculty who have close ties to federal agencies, government contractors, and nonprofit organizations in the Washington, D.C., area.

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Hear from George Mason students about their experiences

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Learn about Cody's summer internship experience running social media for Capitol Dystrikt Music

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Featured Stories

George Mason University Student Internships

  • August 26, 2024
    Nathaniel Socks, Pathways Internship, Department of State. George Mason University senior Nathaniel Socks has had two internships in his field, and he credits a course he took his sophomore year with his advisor Jane Walker for helping him get them.
  • August 23, 2024
    Hanna "Bell" Tucker, FOX 5 DC News Weather Channel. Meteorology student Hanna "Bell' Tucker interned at FOX 5 DC News Weather Channel in Bethesda, Maryland, this summer.
  • August 15, 2024
    U.S. Navy chaplain Andrew Hoyle studied hard in the classroom to complete his master of science in conflict analysis and resolution at George Mason University in one year, but he hasn’t stopping learning and gaining more experience. This summer, the active-duty officer interned at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, D.C.
  • August 14, 2024
    Sachita Pandey, Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum. During the academic year, George Mason graduate student Sachita Pandey serves at a graduate assistant at the Communication Center where students go to develop oral communication skills. This summer she took an internship at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum.
  • August 1, 2024
    Samuel Dalachinsky could have attended college tuition-free in Florida. But his experience at the George Mason Institute of Forensics in the summer of 2022, before his senior year of high school, convinced him to look at George Mason University.
  • July 31, 2024
    George Mason rising junior Vidhi Pathak spent a year searching for the perfect summer internship, before landing her current position as asset management intern for Summit Ridge Energy.
  • July 29, 2024
    Livija Kaktaite started her journey at George Mason University in 2018 as an undergraduate global affairs major. This past May, she graduated with her master’s in international security from the Schar School of Policy and Government. During her time as a Patriot, she also played point guard and shooting guard on the women’s basketball team. Now as an alum, she continues to run up the hill—Capitol Hill.
  • April 5, 2024
    Practicum, field placement, internship—no matter what you call it, work-based learning is a critical part of any student’s career preparation. Not only do these experiences introduce students to their chosen career and help confirm or rule out job choices, they are the surest path to a full-time job.
  • March 18, 2024
    Schar School junior Minh-Dy Pham and senior Kalkidan Zewdu received the Partnership for Public Service Award, recognizing young leaders in federal government.
  • February 21, 2024
    Schar School senior Maaz Abbasi juggles full-time studies while working as a teaching assistant and legislative intern.
  • February 12, 2024
    The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Northern Virginia Node (CCI NoVa Node) is preparing for the third iteration of its Cybersecurity Traineeship Program, which offers a seven-week course to Virginia residents interested in pivoting into the cybersecurity sector followed by career support from George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College professionals.
  • January 12, 2024
    Open to all undergraduate and graduate Mason students, the Scholarship for Unpaid Internships offers a much-needed infusion of funding that can often mean the difference in allowing a student to take on a career advancement opportunity without compromising themselves financially.
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Handshake is Mason's job search site, where you can find on-campus, part-time, work-study, internships, and full-time jobs related to your major, interests, and skills. Log in with your Mason credentials and get started by completing your profile.

 

 

Internship doesn’t pay? Mason’s got you covered 

 

Learn more about the Scholarship for Unpaid Internships > 


“Employers are more likely to convert interns to new hires than any other kind of positions.

 

~ Saskia Campbell, executive director, George Mason University Career Services