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DC SEMESTER: INTERN ACTIVITIES

The Division of International Studies will place students with interested organizations. While every effort is made to place students in internships that match his or her interests, the Division of International Studies is unable to guarantee specific internship placements. All internship placements are tentative. Students will need to contact the organization to which they have been assigned to schedule a phone interview to receive final confirmation for the placement. If accepted they will receive from the organizations a contract/letter detailing their duties and terms of the internship. The majority of internships are unpaid.

Interns at Tunisian Embassy- 2007
Interns at Tunisian Embassy- 2007

All students enrolled in the Washington DC Semester in International Affairs will be bound by regular UW-Madison deadlines (see the timetable for details).

Students must be prepared to work with the organization a minimum of 20 hours per week, and most students work closer to full-time. If students are either unable or unwilling to make this time commitment, then they should not enroll for this course. Failure to work at the internship is grounds for automatic failure in the course. Organizations that find that the performance of their intern is unsatisfactory are urged to discuss this with the program coordinator as soon as a problem becomes evident.

In general, the exact details of the intern’s work will be agreed upon in discussion with the organization, although a general position description is prepared in advance. The intern will usually find it helpful during the course of the semester to be able to discuss his/her various activities with the contact at the organization, a supervisor as well as with the internship coordinator. Regular feedback will enhance his/her performance and assist in making the necessary adjustments to the work environment.

Some interns at the November 16, 2010 reception with host, Ms. Sophie Heidi Mautle, deputy chief of Mission, Embassy of Botswana in Washington DC, and Dr. Leon Weintraub, program director.
Some interns at the November 16, 2010 reception with host, Ms. Sophie Heidi Mautle, deputy chief of Mission, Embassy of Botswana in Washington DC, and Dr. Leon Weintraub, program director.

 

State Department Internships:

The US Department of State has an extensive and independent internship application process. Students interested in interning with the State Department while also participating in the UW-Madison Washington DC Semester in International Affairs will need to apply directly to the State Department as well as submit an application to the UW-Madison program*. Students should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the State Department’s application process and guidelines on their Web site: http://www.careers.state.gov/student/

*Please note in your UW application that you have applied for a State Department internship.

 

More program information: