Co-Curricular Opportunities
In the Global Human Development (GHD) program, your learning goes beyond the classroom.
GHD’s small, tight-knit cohort encourages opportunities for hands-on, practitioner-focused learning through retreats, structured mentorship opportunities with members of the GHD community and practical professional experiences in Washington, DC, and around the globe.
Ethics Retreat
The GHD program is committed to grounding students in the need to be ethical, socially responsible development leaders, and has designed a series of retreats throughout your time in the program to engage with topics such as identifying corruption; analyzing and dismantling traditional development hierarchies; understanding your own social identities and how they manifest in various settings; and how you can ground your practice in a commitment to social justice and a desire for human flourishing. In this series of retreats, beginning with our Ethics Retreat in your first month in the program, you’ll participate in dialogue with your peers, faculty and staff about the frameworks you would use to address these situations. This weekend bonds you with your cohort and sets the tone for interactions throughout the program.
Mentorship
The summer before arriving on campus for the Global Human Development program, you will be matched with a faculty advisor, alumni mentor and second-year student mentor, typically based on your shared interests. They can answer your questions about life in the program, like how to select courses or where to live in the city. Your mentor-mentee relationship will be a personal, professional and academic connection that will link you across cohorts and beyond graduation, and is an early example of the culture of support in the GHD community.
Summer internships
As part of the Global Human Development program experience, you will complete a 10-12 week summer internship at an overseas field site in the summer between your first and second year. You can choose from various development organizations, including NGOs, aid agencies, development consulting firms, social enterprises, multinational corporations and foundations. Previous students have worked with host agencies across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
The summer internship provides a forum for practical application of learnings from your first-year coursework, including program design and monitoring and evaluation.
In many cases, where budgets allow, the GHD program provides funding for your travel expenses as well as a modest stipend. In certain instances, host agencies where you are placed for the summer may provide funding. Safety and security protocols for travel and arrangements are coordinated with Georgetown University’s Office of Global Services.
Summer internship highlights
Our students use this experience to transform research, innovate online engagement and foster peace, among other activities, to make a global impact.
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Aramide Apo-OyinGlobal Human Development Alumni -
Umutesi QueenGlobal Human Development Alumni -
Richard NewsomeGlobal Human Development Alumni
DC internships
In addition to your summer internship, you will complete at least one additional internship in your area of specialization. This will further develop your professional skills, enhance your resume, and clarify how you should refine your career objectives building on lessons learned in your academic coursework.
DC internship criteria
- 10-14 weeks during the academic year
- Work with one organization or across multiple, depending on your area of specialization, thematic focus and regional interests
- Paid or unpaid
- On-site, virtual or hybrid
- Must be with a development organization in the DC area, or within the continental U.S. unless approved in advance.
Previous DC internship partner organizations
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Complete this form for more information about the Master of Global Human Development.