About the Washington Internship Program

Students who participate in the Boston University program have the opportunity to explore a variety of interests in many different types of organizations, including the United States government, national lobbying organizations, media operations, and legal institutions. Working personally with those involved in the process of determining federal laws and policies and witnessing firsthand the daily debates, rulings, and compromises of the democratic system, Washington interns explore potential careers and learn about the decisions that shape this country.

The Washington Internship Program offers a semester of study and work in the political center of the United States: Washington, D.C. The program combines a full-time internship with evening coursework on the legislative process, U.S. government, politics, and foreign policy.

An academic internship through Boston University’s program in Washington, D.C. means learning about the world in one of its most important cities. Washington is the center of the nation’s government, but the city also plays a pivotal role nationally and internationally for those in law, business, the environment, the sciences, the arts, and the media. To intern in Washington means to participate actively with many of the nation’s leaders in an exciting atmosphere of debate and commitment, and to acquire experience and contacts which will enable students to launch their future careers.

Boston University’s Washington Internship Program is changing the meaning of off-campus study by encouraging students to get involved and to gain knowledge through experience. Interns from all academic disciplines enjoy the benefit of Boston University’s academic excellence, its extensive experience placing students in a variety of positions and its local housing and support staff. This program open to students from colleges and universities nationwide.

US Capitol at night Washington D.C. is more than the “Hill.” While some students pursue opportunities directly in government and politics, others study and work in some of the nation’s most important business, environmental, news, nonprofit organizations, or in the country’s greatest art institutions, like the Smithsonian, the Phillips Collection, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Unlike other programs in Washington, D.C., Boston University’s internships are full-time and challenge students to meet both the expectations of the everyday work environment and the rigor of coursework in the evening. Often the two overlap: what one does during the day in the Office of the Vice President, for example, will relate to class work on public policy and vice versa. As a result, Boston University’s interns participate in a complete academic learning experience.