For the most up to date COVID study abroad policies, click here.
Want to know if internships are available in your career field at this location?
- Search for opportunities and examples in the Browse by Career field section here.
- View our overall Career Field Matrix PDF here.
Global Internship in Singapore:
The Global Education Office partners with CIEE to place students in an unpaid two-month summer internship program. Students work five days per week, living with in a student apartment. Students gain valuable global work experience and professional skills in various industry fields, while also earning Mason resident credit, and enjoying the culturally rich, historic Singapore.
Singapore looks like a city from the future that has many homages to its rich cultural past sprinkled in throughout. Known as a “City in a Garden,” it boasts a futuristic skyline with lush greenery all around and in its national park. A mix of many cultures, Singapore offers different districts such as Chinatown, Little India, and the Malaysian and Indian Quarter. With these different districts also comes a mix of many foods, which offers students a taste of a variety of Asian cultures. A bustling city and home to 350 parks, there is something for every student in Singapore.
Singapore offers students a wide variety of internship placements for students. STEM majors can find placements in fields like biology, chemistry IT/computing, app design and development, and some in engineering. For those who are more looking for business placements, Singapore offers placements in advertising, marketing, communication, and accounting. The strengths of program lie heavily with the business and technology fields, as the city is the Asian headquarters of many multinational corporations. As such, it offers great opportunities for students to network and build connections with people and companies in the Asian market. For a full list of career fields, please refer to the document
here.
The four official languages of Singapore are: Malay; Mandarin; Tamil; and English. English-speaking internship placements are abundant. Students with language skills in any of the four official languages will also benefit by being able to integrate and immerse themselves in internship experience and improve their language skills. During the two-month internship program, CIEE offers student support services in-country, such as a welcome orientation, group activities, 24/7 staff support, and more.
Why Singapore:
As a country in the crossroads of international trade for centuries, Singapore is a vibrant and ever-growing dynamic gateway to Asia and one of the world’s most globalized cities. Singapore is home to thousands of multinational companies, well-known for trade and finance, culture, and at the same time, tradition. It attracts internship students from all around the world.
Learn more about our partner,
CIEE.
Credits
6 credits
You will take a class online during your internship, in order to receive credits. The number of credits you can earn for your internship depends on the number of hours you intern over the course of the Summer. For this program, you would receive 6 credits for a minimum of 270 hours worked. Your grade for the class is based on the work you complete for the Mason internship class online, which will include a final report from your internship supervisor.
Course Options
Default Credit: You are automatically approved to receive one of the two course credit options below for your internship.
- Integrative Studies (INTS) 390 - International Internship (6 credits) - The INTS 390 course fulfills the Global Understanding Mason Core requirement.
- Or Conflict Analysis & Resolution (CONF) 370 - Internship Field Experience (6 credits)
Students wanting different credits can petition their department, however, these approvals are not guaranteed, and there may be additional eligibility requirements. For example, students have preliminary approval COMM 450 if they meet all requirements from the department. You can look up potential alternative credits and their requirements in the
Mason Course Catalog. There will be a questionnaire in the application process where students indicate the credit they would like to receive and we will provide you with the form required for approval. This process is handled entirely by the student, not by GEO.
Previously, students have petitioned their academic departments to receive the following credits:
- Global Affairs (GLOA) 495: Global Experiential Learning (6 credits)
- Government (GOVT) 480: Internship (3 credits) + Government (GOVT) 398: Study Abroad (3 credits)
- Psychology (PSYC) 327: Psychology in the Community (3 credits) + Psychology (PSYC) 461: Special Topics (3 credits)
- Communication (COMM) 399: Special Topics in Communication (3 credits) + Communication (COMM) 307: Field Study in Communication (3 credits)
- Integrative Studies (INTS) 490: Internship (3 credits) + Chinese (CHIN) 305: Chinese for the Business World (3 credits)
Graduate: Graduate credit may be available for this internship study abroad program but it must be approved by each student's academic department. Contact
GoIntern@gmu.edu for more information.
Note for School of Business Applicants:
The School of Business has a specific credit policy for internships for their majors which excludes internships that are not offered in the School of Business from a student’s degree. Students with a major in the School of Business have the following options:
- Enroll in a School of Business internship course (this requires you to meet their qualifications). You will be responsible for the tuition for that course and the GEO Internship program fee.
OR
- Earn INTS 390 or CONF 370 credit but the credits will not apply to your Business degree. You will fulfill your Global Understanding Mason Core requirement. You will be responsible only for the GEO Internship program fee.
OR
- Earn internship course credits towards your minor. The GEO internship credits will apply to electives in the minor. Consult with your minor department to discuss if they will count prior to participation.
Either way, you are encouraged to talk to your academic advisor about this now to make the most informed decision for you.
Internship Placements:
Want to know if internships are available in your career field at this location?
- Search for opportunities and examples in the Browse by Career field section here.
- View our overall Career Field Matrix PDF here.
This internship involves students working full-time at an international organization or company while receiving professional support by our Global Partners. The first step is for students to complete their Mason application before being accepted and nominated to our Global Partner. Students will then be interviewed by our Global Partner and accepted by them. At this point, they are guaranteed an internship in one of the 2-3 career fields chosen. Internship placements are English-speaking for all students who are not fluent in the local language, although there may be opportunities to practice language skills informally with coworkers and in daily life.
Students will work closely with our Global Partner’s placement officers to identify areas of interest and to secure an internship. Students will interview with potential employers identified by the Global Partner and receive a job offer. When working abroad, they will receive support from our Global Partners to make the most of their experience interning. This includes student support services in-country, such as a welcome orientation, group activities, 24/7 staff support, and more.
Program Cost
Summer 2022: $7085
The Program Cost for study abroad courses is assessed separately from Mason tuition and fees. This means separate charges are put on your student account for this course, a study abroad tuition charge and a study abroad program fee charge, which together equal the published Program Cost for this course.
Included:
- Application Deposit
- Tuition (6 credits)
- Housing - shared student apartment. Furnished student housing convenient to public transportation and including kitchen facilities, access to laundry, and internet. In addition, on-site local CIEE staff provide program management and 24-hour support for emergencies.
- Internship placement
- Airport pickup upon arrival
- On-site cross cultural support
- Optional weekly group social activities
- Pre-Departure Orientation
- International Emergency Insurance
Not Included:
- International airfare
- Personal expenses
- Covid-19 testing
- Vaccinations
- Passport fees
- Singapore Visa fee (if required): Learn more about Singapore entry requirements, here. CIEE will assist students with visa information.
- Meals
*Note: This program does not include a group flight. Information regarding arrival times and location will be sent out to all participants after the application deadline. Do not purchase airfare until you receive the "Green Light for Flights" notice from the Global Education Office via email. The notice will include information on the arrival/departure airports, flight times, and where to meet the group. Students who fail to follow the guidelines GEO sends out will be responsible for applicable costs of changing their flights. When the time comes to purchase airfare, GEO will be recommending the purchase of Flight Interruption and Cancellation Insurance. The “Green Light for Flights” email will provide additional information about this insurance.
Program Payments
The full program fee is charged to your Mason Student Account. Students pay the Global Education Office (GEO) Program Fee as advertised in two payments (Application Deposit + Final Payment).
Application Deposit: A $200 non-refundable Application Deposit must be received by the application deadline. This fee is paid online through the MasonAbroad application system and is included in the program fee.
Final Payment: The final balance payment is made through the Mason Bill + Payment system. Payment is due according to the Mason Payment Schedule. The amount due is the difference of your Program Cost minus the $200 Application Deposit you will have already paid.
Note:
• You can make your final payment in the Mason Bill + Payment system even if you do not see the GEO program charge on your Student Account.
• George Mason University applies payments to outstanding charges first. If you have an outstanding balance from a previous semester, your payments will first go to paying that charge. You will still be responsible for the GEO charge.
Financial Aid:
In most cases, financial aid (federal, state, institutional financial aid, scholarships, grants or loans) can be used to finance study abroad. It is the student’s responsibility to check with the Office of Financial Aid to review their financial aid package. The Office of Financial Aid is the only office that can determine your aid eligibility.
Meeting with your financial aid officer prior to applying to study abroad will help you understand if, how much, and when your aid can be used to study abroad.
Confirmation of your financial aid award may not be available until registration and billing for the term in question is final. If aid eligibility changes, or the amount of aid disbursed is lower than anticipated, students are responsible for all remaining account balances or risk late fees, holds on their accounts, and program dismissal.
To assist students in the processing of their financial aid, GEO will communicate with the Office of Financial Aid those students who plan to utilize financial aid for their specific study abroad program through their application with GEO. Please note there is no guarantee to students that their aid can be utilized for their specific study abroad program.
If you plan to use federal, state, institutional financial aid, scholarships, grants or loans to finance your study abroad, you must:
• Mark “Yes” to “Do you plan to use Financial Aid to finance your program (federal, state, institutional financial aid, scholarships, grants or loans)?” in your profile in MasonAbroad.gmu.edu.
After acceptance:
•Complete the Financial Aid questionnaire item in your application.
• Schedule an appointment with your financial aid officer.
* Students must be enrolled at least half-time for federal loans and the majority of grant funds. Please refer to the Financial Aid website for a definition of half-time for undergraduate and graduate students.
VA Benefits: This program is ineligible for VA Benefits.
Withdrawal and Refund Policy: All participants are bound by the Mason GEO Withdrawal and Refund Policy.
Payment Instructions
For more information on payments, financial aid, and information for non-Mason students:
Payments
Directions for Budget Sheet
Scroll to the top of this page and look for the Budget Sheets: Summer link under Locations and Program Terms. Click on this to see the estimated costs.
Scholarships
GEO offers a number of need-based and merit-based scholarships. All Mason students are welcome to apply:
Scholarships
Application Deadlines:
Application Deadline: February 10, 2022
Please note that for the Singapore program, earlier applications are encouraged due to an extensive visa process.
Eligibility
This program is open to all undergraduate students who meet the GPA requirement and the requirements below. Please note that if a student is below a 3.0 GPA in this location, they should be very open-minded about internship placements because they are very competitive. Students from all universities are eligible to participate. Graduate students should contact the
GoIntern@gmu.edu to inquire about graduate GPA and credit requirements before enrolling in the program.
Current Singapore visa constraints:
- No students who study political science or anything politically related
- Only students between the ages of 18-25
Application requirements:*
Program Deposit: $200 for all applicants.
Mandatory Meeting: With Experiential Programs Administrator
Course Selection Questionnaire: You will choose the course(s) you would like to be receive credit for on this program. Check the "Academics" tab to see what courses are offered on this program. If you need help selecting your course, check with your academic advisor.
Passport Status Questionnaire: You do not need a passport to complete this questionnaire or the application. However, if you do not have a valid passport, you should begin applying for one now. The Global Education Office offers Passport Grants to help.
Personal Statement: Your personal statement is a letter given to a potential internship host along with your resume. A personal statement is your chance to describe and give examples of the skills you possess and to give a potential internship host a better idea your goals and interests. As you are writing your statement, think of your audience - your potential employer abroad.
Resume/CV: Your resume (Curriculum Vitae or CV) is given to a potential internship host along with your personal statement.
Signature Documents: Read and electronically "sign" the documents regarding the acknowledgement of risk, the pre-departure orientation, and your financial responsibility.
Additional requirements for non-Mason applicants:
Official transcript: To be mailed or emailed to the Global Education Office at George Mason University.
Non-degree Contract Course/Admission Form: Please complete the form and upload it into the questionnaire.
* Additional application requirements may apply to individual programs. Once you open your application, you will see all application requirements.
Application instructions:
Program Links
AIC
Contact AIC
Examples of Internship Placements
Travel Links
U.S. Passports & International Travel - Singapore
U.S. Department of State Singapore Country Fact Sheet
Mason Links
Mason University Career Services Resources
Mason Career and Internship Guide
Mason University Career Services Resume and Cover Letter Review Services