Internships

Interning at Peace Corps

“My internship at the World Resources Institute and my whole Washington experience helped prepare me for my career in green technology and business, where every day I apply the environmental and political skills I learned in Washington.”
Alex Fay

Internships with Resume Impact

A DC internship stands out on a West Coast resume. For UCLA students with interests in law, government, politics, foreign or domestic policy, international development, media, the arts, and more, Washington, DC is the place to be.

Endless Possibilities

Our nation’s capital is host to thousands of governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations; advocacy organizations; think tanks; professional and business lobbying and policy groups; media outlets; research firms; museums and archives, etc., many of which offer internship opportunities for undergraduates.

What do the internship courses fulfill?

All UCLA students enroll in one 8-unit UCLA course for the internship:

CESC 155DC: Tied to your internship; integrates academic learning with real-world experience and social justice themes

The internship fulfills requirements for Community Engagement and Social Change, Political Science, The Public Affairs Capstone Experiential Learning Series, Disability Studies and Labor and Workplace Studies .

Possible Internship Locations

Click HERE to view the list of internships that are organized by major.

Guidance and Support Throughout the Search

Once you have been admitted to the QiW program, the second phase begins: internship placement. Staff, here and in our Washington, DC office, will support you through the process of identifying potential internships that are relevant to your research interests, preparing professional internship applications, interviewing effectively, and sorting through offers.

Explore Internship Search Resources

Students can use many resources listed below to find great internships.

The UCLA Handshake system is where over 500 DC-based employers promote their internships to UCLA candidates.
TraverseJobs is a Career Center subscription service that connects you to current internship and job listings in Washington, DC.
Idealist.org is the major search site for Non-Profits and NGOs. Open the main page and use the drop-down menu to search over 5,000 organizations in the Metro DC region.
Students can access a list of possible internship sites here.