Professional Internships

Internships are the core of the CMC Washington Program. Internships give students excellent opportunities to apply their knowledge outside the classroom and learn professional skills that improve their employment prospects. Once accepted to the program, Claremont college students are free to pursue internships ranging from legislative opportunities on Capitol Hill to non-profit and private sector positions. There are hundreds of possibilities.

Click here for a list of previous CMC Washington Program internships and here for a resource guide to begin your search. Because the opportunities are vast, students are encouraged to begin searching for internships that match their interests early on, giving themselves plenty of time to apply.

Finding an Internship

Most Claremont interns work a full-time, 40-hour week, distinguishing themselves from other interns in DC. Full-time internships allow students to be treated as regular junior staff and help them integrate quickly into office routines as trusted employees. In cases where full-time internships are not available, 30-hour professional internships may be approved as per the Washington Program policies.

Intern duties vary by organization and assignment. Responsibilities may include drafting legislation, working on foreign policy issues, planning activities for organizations, interacting with visitors and advocacy groups, supporting administrative processes, writing press releases, or conducting research.

Internship Search

Students are responsible for securing their own internships, however, there are plenty of resources available to support students in the process. Students are encouraged to reach out to the following offices and websites for support:

Students are also encouraged to explore the CMC internship database and review the document titled “Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government,” by Congressional Research Service.

Some internships, such as those in the U.S. State Department, require Department of State Security Clearance which tends to take months to receive; CMC recommended deadlines to apply for security clearance for an accepted internship placement (even before being accepted to the program) are:

February 1st or earlier of prior spring for fall semester internships
June 1st or earlier of prior summer for spring semester internships

Internship Sponsors

A commitment to full-time internships combined with a prestigious liberal arts background at the Claremont Colleges makes CMC Washington Program students among the most professional and sought-after interns in Washington, D.C. According to a recent study, CMC is one of the top private colleges in the nation to provide a strong pipeline to congressional employment. Claremont college students arrive well-prepared with in-depth knowledge of U.S. government, politics, economics, and advocacy. This thorough preparation helps ensure that students will quickly become valuable members of a professional team during their time in Washington, D.C.

If you have an internship opening or if you are interested in listing your organization as a prospective internship site on our website, please email WashingtonProgram@cmc.edu

Recent Internships

United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
The White House
Departments and Agencies of the U.S. Federal Government
Law firms and Political Consulting / Lobbying companies
Independent Agencies of the U.S. Federal Government
Nonprofit / Advocacy Organizations
Think Tanks
Political Organizations
Foreign Embassies
The Smithsonian Institution
National News Media Organizations

For more information about internship placements over the years and current opportunities, please visit Professor John Pitney’s website.

Supervisor Comments

The director of the program overseas GOVT 30: Washington Internship and grades the internships in part based on supervisors’ evaluations. The assessment form includes a list of tasks the student has performed and an evaluation of his/her skills, capabilities and overall professionalism. At the end of the form, supervisors are asked to make additional comments.

Claremont students have distinguished themselves for their excellent work performance. Here are some of the comments their supervisors have made:

Nathanael Baumann CMC '24

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

"I have managed 35+ interns over the past 7-8 years and Nathanael is one of the strongest. He took care in his work and understood the value of what we were doing. I was so impressed that we extended Nathanael’s internship over the summer. He would be up for hire as well depending on timing."

William Chance '25

Senator John Cornyn's (R-TX) office. F23

"Will was a joy to work with and always completed tasks efficiently and thoroughly. He has stood out from other past interns we have had. We wish we could keep him!"

Lauren Chen, Scripps '24

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

"She showed initiative by diving into learning all about Ethics law and because of that, she is the first intern that we permitted to draft email responses to fellow interns who had Ethics questions. She was thorough with her assignments and was very detailed oriented, which is something that is highly valued in our office. …I would highly recommend her for another opportunity in the future."

Stephanie Espinoza

The Bipartisan Policy Center. The Housing/Infrastructure Team

"Stephanie was an exceptional policy research intern. Throughout her time with our team, Stephanie consistently displayed remarkable initiative and an ability to work independently – a quality we value greatly. She was unfailingly dependable, routinely finishing projects ahead of deadline while demonstrating strong writing, policy research, and data analysis competencies. She demonstrated a strong interest for housing and infrastructure policy, and added meaningful capacity to our team during the months she worked with us."

Brandon Karagozian, Pomona '24

The White House, Office of the Vice President

"Brandon was dependable, hard-working, and a pleasure to have in the office. He continuously exceeded my expectations and moved on to more difficult tasks with ease. I often overestimated the amount of time it would take Brandon to complete a task, but he always completed tasks with care and attention to detail. He brought a passion for equity and inclusion that benefited the whole office. His work ethic and positive attitude will be missed"

Richa Parikh CMC '24

The White House, Office of the Vice President

"Richa was one of the highest performing interns we have had here in our office at the White House. She beat every deadline we set, exceeded every goal, and brought a positive energy to the office that benefited our team and our work. When onboarding interns, I envisioned what her role would look like, but she so impressed us with her work ethic, attention to detail, and quick learning that she soon assisted with tasks far more difficult than I anticipated an intern could handle. She has made a significant and long-lasting impact on our office, and she will be missed."

Colin Scanlon CMC '25

Senator Chuck Schumer

"Colin was a delight to work with! He brought a passion to the internship and was always willing to help with any task – big or small! I hope he considers a career in government."

Pieter van Wingerden CMC '24

The U.S. Congress

"I have spent more than a few years on the Hill working with well over 100 interns. I can confidently state that Pieter is an exclusive group of interns that absolutely rocked every aspect of their job. He is diligent, eager to learn, and has worked hard to hone his policy knowledge. Pieter is a rockstar; if he had graduated already, I would have offered him a job."