In Cornerstone DC, you will gain substantive real-world experience in the workplace. You will expand your network and acquire valuable knowledge that gives you an edge to compete in the job market. 

You are not automatically placed in an internship. Cornerstone staff will support you with your internship search and applications through one-on-one/group coaching. Cornerstone staff and AU Career Center staff will lead various Internship Prep Events that help students learn the steps to a successful internship. 

International students in F-1 immigration status are eligible for on-campus professional learning placements for 20 hours/week as part of Cornerstone’s Practicum class. Note that international students in F-1 immigration status are NOT eligible for off-campus placements and therefore receive special support to confirm an on-campus internship placement. After one academic year of full-time AU enrollment, students are eligible for off campus employment and/or internships through Curricular Practical Training.

Professional Training

Step 1: Resume & Cover Letter

We work with you to develop a professional resume and cover letter to optimize your work, volunteer history, and academic achievements.

Step 2: Internship Search Assistance

Cornerstone staff will help students find internships to apply to in organizations and companies they are interested in working for. Cornerstone students have exclusive access to Intern & Learn, a platform that contains hundreds of internship opportunities. Cornerstone students also have access to Handshake, a platform where employers post hundreds of internship opportunities. 

Step 3: Interview Training

From an elevator pitch to practice questions to mock interviews and dress code, we work with the Career Center to provide group training and individual coaching to Cornerstone students.

Step 4: Secure an Internship

Our program coordinator and employer relations coordinator work with students to master the skills essential to land an internship, including how to search for roles, how to network to find opportunities, and more. You can check out a list of internships our students got during the 2023-24 school year. If you'd like to see a comprehensive list of the internships our students have gotten in the past 5 years, just send us an email at aucornerstone@american.edu and we'd be happy to share.

Step 5: Ongoing Support

We engage with you throughout the spring semester through the Cornerstone Practicum. This is a course you take alongside your internship, preparing you for what to expect in the workplace and providing solutions to challenges you may face. 

Cornerstone Students Develop Real-World Skills

In the Cornerstone Program, students see firsthand how policies are made or how organizations are run. They build a professional network while developing the skills employers are seeking. These skills and professional work habits build students’ confidence and motivation.