The Washington Center

During a TWC internship, you’ll engage in 3 activities:  

1. Work at your internship site, which is typically around 32 hours a week and via hybrid mode;  
2. Professional Development programming, in which the student will enroll and/or participate in 10 different professional development events (7 for summer terms) such as panel talks, workshops, keynote speeches, etc. that are run by TWC staff, and  
3. Weekly academic course, where students choose a class out of ~12 options and enroll in a 3-hour course held at the RAF (more on this below) 

 You can read more about a TWC experience by reviewing their Program Guide. 

Students who wish to apply for a TWC internship must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program, have a cumulative G.P.A of 2.75, and have completed at least 2 semesters of coursework. Students from all majors and degree programs are encouraged to apply. Students must speak with the Career Development Internship Coordinator (IC) via drop-in or scheduled 1-1 appointment and state their interest in applying. The IC will work directly with the student throughout the application process, until they receive the results of their application. Please visit the TWC website for more information.  

All interns who are accepted as a TWC intern are eligible to stay at the Residential and Academic Facilities (RAF), which is located in the NoMa neighborhood of D.C, 10 minutes walking distance from the capitol and the metro. 

While most internships with TWC are unpaid, NAU works with the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) to be able to fully fund 100% the total cost of the program for students, including the program fee, NAU tuition/fees, and housing for the student in Washington D.C at the Residential and Academic Facilities (RAF). Additionally, NAU has limited funding for an additional $1000 living/travel stipend for student’s airfare to D.C or other personal costs. TWC projects that students should budget between $115-$170/week for personal expenses related to food, travel, entertainment, eating out, etc.  

Please schedule a 1-1 appointment with the Internship Coordinator Tyler Lawhead via Handshake or send an email at tyler.lawhead@nau.edu. You are not able to apply to this internship without the approval of the Career Development office.  

Please keep in mind that TWC requires the following application materials: 

• One-page resume 
• Transcripts (official or unofficial) 
• A 100-word Statement of Professional Interest 
• A 450-750 writing sample of a key issue you are passionate about 

NAU also requires candidates to include one letter of recommendation in their application. This may come from a past supervisor, professor, mentor, or another individual who can recommend you for this internship program.

Candidates must submit all application materials as a single PDF via the TWC Application Form.

TWC application resources

NAU Students who are interested in applying for The Washington Center Academic Internship Program will first apply to the university. Students should first submit all the required TWC application materials plus one letter of recommendation via NAU’s TWC application form. The application form will open on September 15 and close on October 15. The NAU TWC hiring committee will evaluate applications using a scoring matrix based on the quality of the application materials, and will reach out to candidates before Thanksgiving to let students know they have been recommended by NAU to apply. Recommended students will then submit their application materials (minus the letter of recommendation) via the TWC application portal found on their website. Students who apply via the TWC website without applying to the university first will not be approved.

Please see the TWC website for current, updated dates and deadlines.