Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to some of the commonly asked questions we receive. If you can't find answers to your questions here, or on our other pages, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
No. Hinckley Internships are for students of all disciplines.
You can view internships listed by discipline or if you can’t find a good fit on our list, we can help you set up your own.
Yes. Students can register for up to 12 credits (or 15 for a legislative internship), but need to register for at least 3 credits.
Choose WHERE you want to intern:
We recommend you complete a Local or Washington, D.C. internship before doing a Global internship, unless you have lived abroad.
If you are a freshman, or if you have a less competitive GPA, we recommend you start with a Local internship.
Taking the Forum Series Course is another way to increase your competitiveness.
Choose WHEN you want to intern with these considerations in mind:
Application deadlines are at least one semester in advance, so plan ahead. (Some Global host offices require applications two semesters in advance).
The most competitive semester for Washington, D.C. and Global placement is summer.
If you can fit a fall/spring semester internship into your schedule, your chances of securing your dream host office, and qualifying for funding is much stronger.
Research and Rank Host Offices of Interest:
Browse our website to view what host offices the Hinckley Institute has to offer.
Make a ranked list of which internship offices are of the most interest to you.
You are welcome to drop by our office for one-on-one guidance.
View internships by discipline.
You can only apply to one internship program per semester (Local, National, or Global)
Please do not start more than one application.
Make sure to set up a time to interview with a program manager after you submit your application.
Be available for interviews with host offices
It is your responsibility to be available and proactive when the requests for interviews arrive.
Be sure to check your email and phone messages regularly.
The Hinckley Institute of Politics seeks to send undergraduate students who have a high GPA and demonstrate independence, maturity, and responsibility.
If you have a lower GPA, we recommend starting with a Local internship and/or the Forum Series Course as they can boost your eligibility for a Washington, D.C., Legislative, and Global internship later.
Capital Encounter is a one-week intensive opportunity in DC for students unable to complete a full semester DC internship. Students travel to the nation's capital at the culmination of a preparatory spring semester course.
Global Encounter is a one-week intensive opportunity abroad for students unable to complete a full semester abroad. Students travel to London and Brussels at the culmination of a preparatory fall semester course.
Yes, but it has to be the semester after you graduate. Otherwise, you will have to re-enroll in the university.
Alternatively, to secure scholarship funding for your internship, you can walk with your intended graduating class, and then have your official graduation date be after your internship.
GLOBAL Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
The overall cost depends on location and each person’s own lifestyle choices, but the common costs are:
Tuition. It’s reduced to $45 per credit for undergraduates and $60 for graduate students. That means for a 3 credit internship, tuition is only $135 or $180 and for the maximum 12 credits, tuition is $540 or $720.
There is a program fee of $315.
So, the university billing costs will be around $450-$855 TOTAL, depending on the number of credits.
Each location has varied costs for flights, housing and ground transportation and you are encouraged to look early online to help gauge what your own costs might be. Jean can give you some helpful tips and connect you with former interns to your location.
No, due to foreign tax issues, most global internships are not paid. However, many scholarships are available to greatly reduce the financial burden for students.
It works like any other semester of off-campus housing at the U. Program Director Jean Oh can give you some tips and connect you with former interns to learn what they did, but it’s up to the student to decide where to live.
Some host offices do have housing available, either onsite or through host families, and the costs vary from location to location.
That depends on which location. Some hub spots like Australia or Vietnam have a number of students who go every semester, so sharing housing is almost always a possibility. Some host offices only have space for one intern per semester, so it’s possible to be alone, depending on where you go.
Visa requirements differ from location to location and Program Director Jean Oh will work with you after your specific internship has been secured.
All global host offices working with the Hinckley Institute require interns to be fully vaccinated against COVID19 (2 Pfizer/Moderna shots or 1 Johnson and Johnson).
There are some internships that require advanced fluency in the local language, but most Hinckley global internships do not require language fluency.
Of course, it always helps to at least have some basic survival language learned before you go.
Interns who are nervous about traversing language barriers should consider english-speaking countries such as Australia or England.
For internships with global parliamentary offices, they require students to have experience in a domestic government office. First completing an internship with one of our other programs that places you with a government entity or elected official is a great way to accomplish this.