Internship Policies & Expectations

Students are expected to work 8 to 10 weeks during their internship with a minimum of 40 hours per work week and their work must address some aspect of public policy in their area of specialization. When negotiating the terms of their internship, students should be aware that required law electives begin one week prior to the start of the regular school year.

Once an internship has been accepted, students need to provide the program office with the offer letter which they received from their employer. Click here to upload this letter and complete information about your internship.

By the beginning of the student’s internship, the W&M Public Policy Director will email letters (click here to see a sample of this letter) to the student's supervisor detailing the internship expectations as well as requesting an evaluation of the intern's work at the end of the 8 or 10-week period. Note: often the student’s supervisor contact is not known until close to the start of the internship.  Please email publicpolicy@wm.edu with that information as soon as you receive it.

Financial Aid for unpaid/low paid internships
The Program has a pool of funds available to assist students who accept unpaid or low paid internships. Assistance is contingent upon the number of students requesting it and the availability of funds.

In order to  receive funding, students need to have an I9 on file (if you have been on the W&M payroll as a student, then you will have already processed an I9 and will not need to do so again).  

Note: this award may be subject to both federal and Virginia state taxes and/or may affect your tax liability. Support for an external internship is considered employment and therefore reported on a W-2. 

Please see this letter for general treatment of scholarships and fellowships for tax purposes. Contact your tax adviser for possible implications; Public Policy staff members do not give tax advice.