Internships/Co-op

Mason's Programs Listing Positions Employer Tips Co-op Internship Fair

Mason's Programs

     Employers have a unique opportunity to train and develop talented, motivated employees through internships, Co-op positions, and other experiential learning programs. These work-learning opportunities provide students with career-related experience. University Career Services is a central resource for employers interested in recruiting Mason students.
     At George Mason University, experiential learning includes the following options:

• Internships: Work experiences that provide students with practical knowledge and first-hand experience in a particular field or area of study. Internships may be paid or unpaid and may or may not be credit bearing. Credit is arranged though the student's academic department. If you are posting an internship position that requires a student to obtain academic credit, George Mason University requires you to complete the Experiential Learning Agreement.
  Internship FAQ's
  Listing internships

• Cooperative Education (Co-op): A structured program through which students who meet specific eligibility requirements gain paid, professional level work experience related to their major and career plans. A minimum of 12 consecutive weeks of work with the same organization is required. For more information about participating in Co-op please review the Co-op FAQ's.

• Part-time, Career-related Jobs: Paid positions that may involve significant career-related tasks or be peripherally related to career areas but allow students to get a "flavor" of a particular kind of organization or occupation. Summer positions, both full and part-time, are included in this category.  Listing Positions

• Volunteerism/Experiential Education: The Center for Service and Leadership provides leadership development, volunteer and service-learning opportunities in a variety of formats.

• Practicum: A supervised work experience, managed and coordinated by individual academic departments, that applies specific principles of a major or discipline.

Credit vs. Non-credit: Credit is awarded by some academic departments. Consult individual departments to find out if it is possible to get credit for internships and other forms of experiential learning. Students must meet with their department's internship coordinator to make arrangements for credit prior to starting their internship. If you are posting an internship position that requires a student to obtain academic credit, George Mason University requires you to complete the Experiential Learning Agreement.

Paid vs. Unpaid: There are paid career-related jobs, Co-op positions, summer jobs, and some paid internships. Many internships are unpaid as are volunteer, practicum, and service learning opportunities.

Academic Departments: Many academic departments have information about internships and other experiential learning opportunities. The list of departments below tells you how to contact them.

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Listing Positions
How to advertise your job openings at Mason:

PatriotJobWeb: A web-based system that offers Mason students and alumni easy access to current openings including internships, Co-op positions and other experiential learning opportunities. Refer to PatriotJobWeb for specific instructions on how to list your position openings.

Please call University Career Services (703) 993-2370 if you have any questions.

Co-op: For specific questions related to Co-op please call (703) 993-2365 or email.

Job/Internship Fairs: Fairs are held annually at Mason.

Broadside: Employers may place ads in Broadside, Mason's student newspaper, by calling the Classified Ad Rep at (703) 993-2880 or visiting the website.

Center for Service and Leadership: The Center provides service-learning and volunteer opportunities which are community based.

Academic Departments: The list below provides you with contacts in academic departments regarding internship and other experiential learning opportunities. For departments not listed, please contact University Career Services at (703) 993-2370 or send an email to eheyerda@gmu.edu.

Department Name	Contact
Arts Management (Master's)	Richard Kamenitzer, (703) 993-9194
Administration of Justice	Jim Jones, (703) 993-9419
Anthropology	Alexander Benitez, (703) 993-2129
Art History	Shelia ffolliott, (703) 993-1011
Art Studio & Visual Technology	Rebecca Chase, (703) 993-8690
Biology	Cynthia Beck, (703) 993-1050
Chemistry	John Schreifels , (703) 993-1082
Communication	Mike Dickerson, (703) 993-3776
Computer Science	contact department @ (703) 993-1530
Conflict Analysis & Resolution, Institute for	Undergrad: Sarah Sweetman, (703) 993-1683 Grad: Daniel Rothbart, (703) 993-1293
Earth Science, BS, Earth Systems Science, MS, Geology, BA	Randy McBride, (703) 993-1642
Economics	contact department @ (703) 993-1151
Electrical & Computer Engineering	contact department @ (703) 993-1569
English	Susan Lawrance, (703) 993-1088
Environmental Science & Policy, MS	Albert Torzilli, (703) 993-1062
Environmental Science & Public Policy, PhD	Albert Torzilli, (703) 993-1062
Geographic & Cartographic Sciences, MS	Barry N. Haack, (703) 993-1215
Geography, BA & BS	Allan Falconer, (703) 993-1360
Global Affairs	Ming Wan, (703) 993-2995
Government & International Politics	Suzanne Robbins, (703) 993-3581
Recreation, Health & Tourism, School of	Cindy Waddell, (703) 993-4160
Health Science	Jay Shiver , (703) 993-1955
History	Joan Bristol , (703) 993-1014
Information Technology & Engineering, School of	contact department @ (703) 993-8461 or 3565
Management, School of (Acct, DMIS, Fin, Mgmt, Mktg)	School of Management and University Career Services
Mathematics	Jay Shapiro, (703) 993-1460
Molecular & Microbiology	Diane St. Germain, (703) 993-4263
New Century College	Sarah Sweetman, (703) 993-1683
Modern & Classical Languages	Mark Goldin, (703) 993-1231
Nursing	Faculty assists with preceptorship appointments, (703) 993-1900
Physics & Astronomy	Physics: Phil Rubin, (703) 993-3815 Astronomy: Joe Weingartner, (703) 993-4596
Political Science	Suzanne Robbins, (703) 993-3581
Psychology	Michael Hurley, undergrads, (703) 993-1342 (PSYC 327 - 3 credits, 328 - 1 credit) Graduate Practica in MA Handbook
Public & International Affairs (GVIP, PUAD, MPA, Political Science)	Suzanne Robbins, (703) 993-3581
Public Policy, School of	Duane Bradshaw , (703) 993-3188
Social Work	Undergraduate: Molly Davis, (703) 993-2028 Graduate: Mary Kiernan-Stern, (703) 993-4245
Sociology	Patricia Masters, (703) 993-1432
Theater	Kristin Johnsen-Neshati, (703) 993-1122
Other Departments	Mason Academic Departments

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Employer Tips

     Designing a Position: Students have many talents and traits that benefit employers: enthusiasm, dedication to learning, and an eagerness to work and do a good job. An internship, Co-op job or other experiential learning opportunity is really a partnership between the employer, the student, and the university. While there are many aspects to establishing a successful work-learning experience, the work assignment is a key element in the planning process. Here are some tips for creating a successful work assignment:

• Review current job descriptions of employees and determine what types of work can be expanded or augmented. Develop a student assignment from that information and provide a thorough job description.

• Involve the manager who will be responsible for supervising the student in the development process.

• Be sure that 50% (Co-op) or more of the student's tasks are career-related and will build on his/her academic knowledge.

• Develop positions that will challenge students. Don't underestimate their abilities.

• Remember that students learn quickly and want to contribute meaningful work to your organization.

• Be prepared to discuss "learning objectives" with your student workers. Many students will need to develop clear objectives for the learning they want to achieve while working in an experiential learning position.

     Recruiting/Hiring for a Position: The students you hire for internships, Co-op jobs and other career-related opportunities should be as carefully chosen as other employees. These are individuals in whom your organization is making a significant investment. They may well be your future permanent employees. To recruit students successfully, consider the following points:

• Determine in which academic majors you will find students with the course work, interests and career goals that fit well with your organization's experiential learning assignments.

• Contact the appropriate academic department(s) as well as University Career Services to find out how they can assist in advertising your positions.

• To build your organization's name among students and broaden your pool of applicants, engage in some traditional college relations activities, e.g., attend job fairs, establish relationships with student professional associations, and advertise in the school newspaper.

• Once you have received resumes from interested students, interview them in-person at your organization, if possible, so that they can meet potential co-workers and see the actual work environment.

• Try to elicit information from students about their immediate work interests and career goals to develop a good match between the student and your work assignment.

     Supervising Students to Ensure a Successful Experience: Providing quality supervision is an essential element in establishing a successful experiential learning opportunity. Consider the following points:

• Place students with carefully selected and trained supervisors.

• Be sure that supervisors provide students with detailed information about the work they will be doing, including specific tasks, relevant equipment, and work flow.

• Have students and supervisors meet at least weekly to address students' questions and provide them with feedback on their performance.

• Provide an orientation to your organization (by the supervisor or student program coordinator) so that students will learn about policies, benefits, the facility, etc. Having a handbook that is geared for student workers can also be extremely helpful.

• If possible, have supervisors encourage students to participate in your organization's training programs as well as cross-department assignments.

• Involve supervisors and students in a formal evaluation process. Be sure that students know how and when their performance will be evaluated.

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