Courses & Internships

Students accepted to the program will take 8 credits of internship at a site chosen for their specific goals or interests and 8 credits of classes.

Courses

We expect you to complete one academic course that you will choose from The TWC Course Guide. Students will log onto the TWC website and make their course selection. Students will complete a 4 credit online course taught by an Emerson Professor. You are also expected to complete all academic portfolio requirements.

Internships

Internship Search and Process

The internship supervisors expect you to work 32 to 36 hours per week, depending on program enrollment, for the duration of the program. Internships are available in a variety of areas, including international affairs, economic justice, social advocacy, government, and media and technology arenas. TWC has ties with thousands of organizations that provide high quality internships in the Washington, D.C. area. Internship areas a student can explore include media and communications, social advocacy, mental health, politics and lobbying, international affairs, business, economics and trade, law and criminal justice, health, science and the environment, arts, humanities and education. Emerson students of any major can find an internship to suit their academic profile.

TWC’s Internship Management team will work closely with you to help find a suitable internship to match your interests and goals. You will work closely with an assigned program advisor. When the time is right, your application will be referred to potential internship sites, usually between five and eight organizations. You should stay in close contact with your program advisor throughout the placement process, and you can use TWC’s online system to track where your application has been sent. You will likely have phone interviews with any potential supervisors interested in your candidacy, and you will have the opportunity to accept or decline offers.

Your program advisor will offer advice regarding specific options to help you make decisions. Based on the offers you receive, you will ultimately select where you want to intern. Most of the time your internship placement will be confirmed within the time you are accepted up to 3 weeks prior to your arrival in Washington, D.C. Placement in a federal agency will require security clearances. All students should feel confident that an internship will be secured.

The type of work will vary depending on the placement, but you will be given substantive work that will provide an entry-level professional experience. To list just a few examples, you might find yourself:

• Organizing conferences
• Developing websites and databases
• Attending congressional hearings
• Assisting in television and radio production
• Evaluating capital markets
• Advocating policy positions
• Writing press releases
• Developing marketing strategies
• Summarizing Capitol Hill briefings
• Presenting the results of research

All internships will be documented, reviewed, and evaluated, and interns will develop a portfolio that will evidence relevant activities and accomplishments to prospective employers.

Internship Attire

Remember that dressing for work is different than dressing for class. If in doubt for your first day of work, dress in something conservative, then take cues from personnel in the office on what to choose for your daily wardrobe. "Business casual" means button-down shirts, trousers, blouses, sports coats, and skirts or dresses. Avoid sneakers and open-toed sandals. "Business attire" for men means a business suit and tie, no exceptions. "Business attire" for women means skirts or pressed trousers and nice tops.

Internship Placements

Possible internship opportunities are available in a range of positions and sites. Below are just a few of the more than 1,000 placement opportunities available:

• ABC News, C-SPAN, Cable News Network, Inc. (CNN)
• Sirius/XM Radio, Talk Radio News Service,
• Voice of America
• Children’s Defense Fund
• Interpol
• Library of Congress
• To the Contrary
• The White House
• Ford’s Theatre
• National Mental Health Association
• Progressive Democrats of America
• Democratic National Committee, Republican National Committee
• Tribune Broadcasting
• The Washington Post, USA Today, The Washington Examiner, National Geographic
• Smithsonian Associates
• Peace Corps
• Face The Nation
• Amnesty International
• Save the Children
• Leadership Africa
• Earth Day Network
• Potomac Advocates
• Rock the Vote
• Tricom Associates
• National AIDS Network
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
• Massachusetts Office of Federal Relations
• The Daily Caller
• US Marshall Service
• Washington Parks & Recreation
• Arthritis Foundation
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Congressional press offices
• Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.
• Various lobbying and political consulting firms