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Mason is committed to preparing students for meaningful careers in a global society. are important opportunities to experience the real world of the workplace while gaining knowledge and skills through the application of classroom theories to practical problems. To increase their job prospects and earning potential, all ������Ƶ students are encouraged to complete at least one internship before graduation.

Take a Career Course

These can help you make major decisions, from what to major in to which career path to pursue. The Internship/Career Readiness course, for example, helps sophomores and juniors pursue career-related experiences. The academic emphasis is on the development of career-related documents (i.e. resume and cover letter), and strategies to identify internships that align with students’ personal interests, values, and skills.

Get Hands-on Experience

By working in your chosen field before you graduate, you can clarify career goals, gain résumé-building experience and become a stronger candidate when applying for full-time jobs and graduate school. can lead to future employment opportunities. You might also have the opportunity to earn transcript recognition for a paid internship or co-op which is not for academic course credit.  

Employers Come to You

All degree-seeking ������Ƶ students have access to the  4,000+ internship positions in our exclusive job and internship database, HireMason, posted annually as well as the  500+ employers who come to campus to recruit through our networking events, Career Fair and the On-Campus Interviewing program.

The offers students the opportunity to interview for positions with employers from the Washington, D.C., metro area, as well as other parts of the nation. Employers see Mason as a top institution for their hiring needs and travel to campus to make interviewing convenient and accessible to students.

Working at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Three ������Ƶ students were selected to participate in the White House Internship Program this spring.

Fatimeh Shamseddine, working on an MA in International Commerce and Policy concentrating in global governance, has been working in the Office of the White House Fellows, where she helps screen and select prospective fellows. “Through my internship, I’ve learned how to maximize my skills and work at my fullest capacity without feeling overwhelmed,” she says. “Every day at the White House has been a unique experience.”

Jacob Small, working on a JD,  has been in the Office of the Vice President, where he conducts research, writes memos and other interoffice communications and reviews legal documents. He was at the official arrival ceremony for the Prime Minister of the U.K., David Cameron. “I’ve had a chance to learn just how much work, from so many people, goes into running the executive branch and making policy decisions,” he says.

Anne Marie Poblador, a graduate student in public policy who plans to concentrate in international development, has been working in the Office of the Vice President,  where her duties include helping the advance team coordinate logistics and assisting in managing invitations delivered to the vice president. “In an office that generally entails a high volume of coordination with staff, I learned the importance of being proactive and taking initiative,” she says.

Playing Ball with Mickey

Rubbing elbows with Mickey and Minnie Mouse is all in a day’s work for ������Ƶ graduate student Kristen Zimmerman, who will be working for the next year as an intern at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Zimmerman is pursuing an MS in Sport and Recreation Studies, part of the School of Recreation, Health and Tourism in Mason’s College of Education and Human Development. Her concentration is in international sport management.  The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is the result of Disney-owned ESPN and Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex joining forces to “re-imagine” the complex. It is part of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Zimmerman is a member of the Disney Created Events and Programming team and works with events that Disney Sports creates and runs in-house. She focuses most of her time on events involving baseball, softball, volleyball and field hockey. “I really enjoy seeing the kids get excited about playing the sport they love, and it brings back memories of how playing competitive sports positively impacted my life,” says Zimmerman.