Internships

The Office of Federal Relations helps facilitate three major internship/semester programs in Washington: Vanderbilt Internship Experience in Washington (VIEW), the Human and Organizational Development (HOD) Undergraduate Internship program and the Washington Fellowship in Education Policy.

Office of Federal Relations Internship
The Office of Federal Relations invites Washington, DC-area undergraduate students who are who are interested in higher education and science public policy issues and are originally from Nashville, TN to apply for fall and spring semester internships. Students must complete an application and submit it to the Office prior to the appropriate deadline. Students will be notified of their selection and the Office will work with them to coordinate an appropriate schedule.

VIEW
VIEW provides pre-arranged eight-week internships in Washington during the summer. Students must apply for and be accepted to the program, which is organized by the Office of Active Citizenship and Service. The students complete at least 12 hours of community service in Washington and participate in a weekly evening seminar series of guest speakers which are often held in our offices. The Office of Federal Relations also hosts one VIEW intern throughout the summer.

HOD
Unlike the VIEW program, the HOD internship is a requirement for HOD undergraduate majors. In addition to their internships, the students attend weekly classes organized by the Center for Evaluation & Program Improvement, which are held in our offices. The HOD internships are conducted throughout the year and are offered in several cities.

Washington Fellowship in Education Policy
The Vanderbilt/Peabody Fellowship in National Education Policy is a four-month program in Washington, D.C., designed to give participants an unparalleled opportunity to engage policymakers in Washington, D.C., about significant national education issues and higher education policy. Participants will have substantial exposure to federal legislative and regulatory processes, and learn how public opinion, special-interest groups, and the media influence these processes.

Maymester

The Washington office hosts Vanderbilt undergraduate students each year for an intensive Maymester course, "Civic Activism, Leadership, And Citizenship In Recent American History" (HIST 292). The course is taught by a Vanderbilt faculty member with numerous guest lectures from experts in politics, national policy and civic engagement. The course is organized by the Office of Active Citizenship and Service.