Washington D.C. Internship Program

For Employers

Pepperdine is a Christian University, committed to preparing students for lives of service, purpose and leadership. To that end, our program seeks to provide participants with real-world experience in settings where they can develop a commitment to service, a life of purpose and a vision for leadership.

Students gain work experience through a paid or unpaid internship while gaining academic credit from Pepperdine University.  In addition, students are able to enroll in evening courses and are expected to work between 32 and 40 hours at their respected internship.

Academic internships should include the following:

• Authentic and meaningful work experience with increasing responsibility.
• Participation in a structured and planned learning environment.
• Well-defined learning objectives, which are measurable and can be completed within a semester. Learning may be creative in nature, project-oriented, facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge, and/or personal development.

Strategies for successful internships:

• Determine the functional areas within the organization that would best be served by interns.
• Designate, train, and reward intern supervisors.
• Provide specific and meaningful responsibilities for the intern that increase over time.
• Conduct an evaluation of student performance at regular intervals and hold an exit interview. File final evaluations with the University.

Benefits

Internships are a relationship between three parties: the University, the Employer, and the Student. Each party benefits from the relationship.

Benefits for Students:

• Gain experience in the marketplace
• Engage in career exploration and preparation
• Apply academic learning in a professional environment
• Contribute to an organization in a meaningful way

Benefits for Employers:

• Opportunity to impact the lives of students
• Gain innovative staff assistance at low cost
• Flexible method for helping meet short and long term goals
• Projects a favorable image in the community
• Provides a vehicle to screen potential employees

Benefits for Pepperdine University:

• Facilitate learning in a non-traditional atmosphere
• Allows the University to establish partnerships within the community
• Integrate academic and professional spheres