The Tulane Center for Public Service Internship program provides students the opportunity to bridge academic learning with service in the community. Internships foster professional development, promote practical application of knowledge acquired in the classroom and encourage civic engagement.
- Sophomore, Junior, or Senior status
- Completed first tier of Tulane's Public Service Graduation Requirement
- 3.0 GPA (2.7 GPA's will be considered with a letter of recommendation from a faculty)
- Unpaid public service internship placement
- Complete 60 to 70 hours of service over the course of the semester
- Attend a weekly internship seminar
Important Note: Summer internships can be done outside of the New Orleans area if students can commit to the online summer internship seminar. Students considering full-time summer internships may be permitted to receive financial compensation for work completed after the initial 60-70 unpaid hours are completed and a statement from the supervisor is provided.
Students should login to Wave Sync . Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the application.
- Students can apply before or after they have an internship, and should apply before the semester they intend to participate.
- The application asks for the department for credit. Most students earn credit through their major or minor department.
- Students who already have internships should include this information in their personal statement. Otherwise, students have until the start of the semester to find an internship placement.
- The program application is for the CPS Internship Program and will not be viewed by any outside organization. CPS staff will review applications and contact students about the next steps in the process.
CPS Internships are unpaid, with nonprofits, schools, or government, unpaid, and community engagement focused. Most community organizations, including schools, nonprofits, hospitals, governmental agencies, and neighborhood associations qualify as public service community partners. Internships with for-profit businesses will be considered if the work with them is part of a pro bono or community outreach project, but public service needs to primarily benefit the non-Tulane community.
During the academic year, students need to intern in New Orleans. During the summer, students can intern anywhere in the U.S.
If students need help finding an internship, they are encouraged to attend the CPS Internship Fair (offered every fall and spring semester), consult professors and other campus resources, or do their own research and find their own organization. You can also browse potential internship sites and specific internship opportunities here. Please note: some internship descriptions may change due to remote summer courses and internships. For more information, contact a CPS Internship Coordinator.
Once students finalize an internship, they will need to complete internship paperwork with their supervisor. A CPS Internship Coordinator will be in touch with students about the paperwork to complete. This paperwork will need to be completed before the start of the semester students plan to participate.
The internship seminar is a weekly class that all CPS interns are required to complete. Students not fully registered for the internship program should still attend the internship seminar during the first week of classes. Students will receive information on the seminar meeting time and location. During the summer, the seminar is conducted online via Canvas.
