Internship Placement Process

After successful completion of the application process for the internship program, The Washington Center (TWC) for Internships and Academic Seminars works hard to provide opportunities closely tailored to a student’s interests and needs.   The program places students at one of TWC’s partner internship sites, unless a student is able to secure their own internship. Because the program must often wait until a given semester approaches for internship sites to determine their needs, the internship placement process can sometimes take several weeks.  Although this process maximizes a student’s opportunities, it can sometimes lead to anxiety.  Placement process timelines are different for each student, depending on the credentials of the student and the needs of internship sites.  Below is a general timeline of the internship placement process.

(1)  After an applicant has been approved for the program, the student will be contacted by an internship advisor to begin the internship placement process.  Accepted students will also be given access to a pre-arrival course that will provide important information about the placement and pre-arrival processes.  The internship advisor and the student will schedule an advising session to:

  • Define goals and expectations based on your interests, knowledge and skills.
  • Review your resume and offer tips for improvement.
  • Discuss next steps in the internship matching process.
  • Explore potential internship site opportunities.

(2)  In the next few weeks, the following steps are taken:

  • You apply to targeted internship sites.
  • An internship site will reach out to you and conduct a phone interview (repeat, if necessary).
  • An internship offer is made, and you confirm your internship site.

(3)  During this internship placement process, the internship advisor will provide the following to enhance a student’s professional skills:

  • Mock phone interviews
  • Online workshops
  • Decision-making guidance
  • Professional development resources

Click here for additional information from The Washington Center (TWC) regarding the internship placement process.

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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Mark Mullenbach, UCA Liaison
Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies
Irby Hall 217
markm@uca.edu

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