Columbian College of Arts & Sciences site logo

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

 

Student Newsletter - August 2023

Welcome to the CCAS Graduate Student Newsletter! Designed to keep you up to date with news and events, policies and processes, and all things for CCAS graduate students!

Graduate Student Newsletter Archive

August 2023

The Student Services Team is here to advise, guide, and provide you with resources to aid in your success, as well as help you navigate university policies and procedures. Our office is located in Smith 118, and we are open during normal business hours on Monday – Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. You can schedule a virtual, phone, or in-person appointment with your Student Services Coordinator and our Career Counselors.

For our August newsletter, we have the following topics:

  • Fall 2023 Registration
  • Continuous Enrollment Requirement
  • Registering for Courses with Variable Credit Hours
  • Leave of Absence
  • Summer ETD Deadlines
  • Career Services & Upcoming Career-Related Events
  • Student Employment: A Great Way to Build Experience and Earn Money
  • Funding, Fellowships, Internships & Employment Opportunities

Fall 2023 Registration Reminders

Registration for Fall 2023 is open for all degree-seeking graduate students. All CCAS graduate students are required to register continuously each fall and spring semester until the completion of their program.
For instructions on how to register, please refer to our Registration page and the Office of the Registrar’s website.

  • Make sure you clear any holds on your account that may prevent you from registering. To view your holds, log in to the GWeb Information System and follow these steps:
    • Click on “Student Record and Registration”
    • Next, click on “Student Records Information Menu”
    • Finally, click on “View Administrative Holds”
  • Confirm your degree requirements and completion status on your DegreeMAP. If something looks incorrect on your DegreeMAP, please reach out to us at [email protected].
  • Interested in a consortium course? Follow the consortium registration procedures and deadlines.
  • If necessary, follow the steps to obtain Half-Time/Full-Time Certification or ISO Full-Time Certification for Graduate Students after you have registered for less than 9 credits.
  • If you are a doctoral student and have completed 72 credits, you will need to register for Continuing Research until you complete your dissertation. Continuing Research is listed in the Schedule of Classes under Columbian College as CCAS 0940 for doctoral students. 
  • If you are unable to enroll in courses this fall, please apply for a leave of absence  or contact [email protected] to discuss other options.

Leave of Absence

If you wish to take a Leave of Absence (LOA) during Fall 2023, please review our LOA policy and discuss this option with your Director of Graduate Studies. If you choose to take a LOA, please complete a Leave of Absence Application Form and submit it to us at [email protected].

Adding and Dropping Courses

Courses dropped within the first two weeks of the 12-16 week semester will result in a 100% refund. Courses dropped after those first two weeks of the semester are subject to the refund schedule. This schedule details the way in which tuition and fees will be prorated should a student drop courses or withdraw completely. Please be aware that drop penalties are non-refundable.

In addition, please note that some programs have a special refund schedule. If you wish to drop a course, we encourage you to consult with your program to determine if a special schedule applies.

If you wish to drop all of your courses, please reach out to your Student Services Coordinator at [email protected].

 

Choosing Between RTF & RTF-EZ

In most instances, students will be able to register online through GWeb. In some cases, a paper registration form is required. If paper registration is required, there are two different registration forms: the RTF and RTF-EZ. Refer to our Registration page for examples of when you should use the RTF and when you need to use the RTF-EZ.

 

Continuous Enrollment Requirement

All students must be continuously enrolled while working toward a degree, except during the summer sessions (unless required by the program or if the student intends to graduate in the summer). 

Students who have completed all required coursework except for the final thesis or dissertation must register for 1 credit of Continuing Research (CCAS 0920 for master’s students or CCAS 0940 for doctoral students) in Fall 2023. Summer term potential graduates should contact [email protected] to be registered for Continuous Enrollment (CE) in Summer 2023.

Registering for Courses with Variable Credit Hours

Certain courses, including thesis, dissertation, internship, and research courses, have variable credit hours. This means that you can choose the number of credits you will be earning when you register for the course.

When you register for a course with variable credit hours, the registration system will automatically default to 1 credit hour registered. If you would like to register for more than 1 credit, you will need to adjust the number of credits using the following steps:

  1. Within the registration system, click on the Schedule and Options tab on the Register for Classes menu.

  2. Under the Hours column, any courses that have variable credits will be underlined.

  3. Click on the credits displayed and a box will open up to enter your credits.

  4. Enter the credits you wish to register for within the valid range and click Submit at the bottom of the page to save the changes.

Please note that if you register for a course with variable credit hours, it is important to adjust the number of credits you register for by the end of the second week of classes. This is because your tuition fees are determined by the number of credits you register for each semester, and it is possible to make changes to course registration within the first two weeks of the semester for a 100% tuition refund. If you need to make changes to the number of credits you register for after the first two weeks of the semester have passed, you may be billed for additional tuition fees.

Summer ETD Deadlines

Ph.D. Students

August 10 - Submit ETD Access Approval Form and submit final, approved, post-defense dissertation to the ProQuest site

August 15 - Final, approved dissertation containing all post-defense revisions and required formatting is approved by ETD Administrator

More information can be found on the Ph.D. Clearance Deadlines page.

Master's Students

August 8 - Submit ETD Access Approval Form and submit final, approved thesis to the ProQuest site

August 15 - Final approved thesis and required formatting revisions must be approved by the University ETD Administrator

More information can be found on the Master's Thesis ETD Submission page.

Upcoming Student Services Events

The Office of Graduate Studies will be hosting student events this fall. Please visit the Current Graduate Student Event page for a full list of events.

Please join us at our Welcome Back Ice Cream Social

August 31 at 4:00 PM

Outside Academic Center Smith Hall 118

Career Services & Upcoming Career-Related Events

All CCAS graduate students now have access to dedicated career coaches to help with resumes, cover letters, networking, interviewing, and many other areas. (Note: The Trachtenberg School and Data Sciences program have their own dedicated career counselors.) Both career coaches are available to meet one-on-one by scheduling a time in the online career management system Handshake. More information on the services available to CCAS graduate students can be found on our Career Services website and via email at [email protected]. 

Upcoming Career Events

Below are a few of the many career-related events GW students may attend.  Click on the event link for more details and registration information.

To find information on more events, simply access the Events section of Handshake and search by date, employer, or other filters.

Student Employment: A Great Way to Build Experience and Earn Money

Every year, hundreds of GW graduate and undergraduate students work for GW as student employees. These positions are temporary, part-time positions in which students earn an hourly wage. Student employment jobs are excellent ways to gain professional experience and learn workplace skills useful for future internships or employment. These opportunities include all Federal Work Study (FWS) positions that are with an on-campus department or pre-approved off-campus organization, and non-FWS positions within GW departments. To be eligible for student positions, an individual must be an active student at the university. 

The GW Student Employment team provides students with the resources necessary to locate a position, helps them through the hiring process, and supports them after they are hired. All student employment opportunities are posted on the Student Employment Talent Management System. For more information, visit the Student Employment website.

Funding, Fellowships, Internships & Employment Opportunities

Below are a few great opportunities for funding, professional fellowships, internships, and employment. For information on other opportunities funded by CCAS, GW, and outside organizations that are available throughout the year, please visit the Funding Opportunities for Current Graduate Students page or the Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships (OGSAF) website.

Support for Your Unpaid Internship: Knowledge in Action Career Internship Fund (KACIF) Fall Application Now Open

The Knowledge in Action Career Internship Fund (KACIF) provides grants ranging from $750 to $3,000 to GW undergraduate and graduate students pursuing domestic and international internships that are necessarily unpaid and NOT a degree requirement. The deadline to apply for summer support is Tuesday, August 15. For more information and application instructions, visit the KACIF website or email [email protected].

White House and Executive Office of the President (EOP) Spring 2024 Internships

For the first time in history, the White House is offering paid internships within the White House, the Executive Office of the President (EOP), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Other offices that are hiring internships include the Office of the Vice President, the Council of Economic Advisers, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Office of Administration, the Office of the National Cyber Director, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and more. 

More information on these opportunities can be found on the White House Internship site. The deadline to apply is August 18.  

Internships with The Climate Reality Project

The Climate Reality Project has several internships available for current GW students. Details on each position and application information can be found at each of the position links below.

GW School of Business Graduate (GWSB) Assistant Positions

The GWSB Office of Undergraduate Programs is currently seeking two Graduate Assistants to work with their Co-Curricular Learning and Marketing & Communications teams as well as co-teach within their Business Leader Development (BLD) Program. For complete position descriptions, send an email to [email protected]. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected] as soon as possible.

Jerusalem Fund Paid Internship Program for Fall 2023

The Jerusalem Fund is currently offering fall semester internship positions with its educational program, the Palestine Center. These positions are based in their office located within walking distance from the US Department of State, the K Street lobbyists’ corridor, Embassy Row, historic Georgetown, and Dupont Circle. 

The Palestine Center internship program provides students who have an interest in the Middle East, and Palestine in particular, with an opportunity to conduct research, develop writing and organizational skills, gain hands-on experience, and observe the political happenings in the metropolitan DC area. As important members of the team, interns gain valuable exposure to the functions of a highly productive non-profit organization working on issues of national and international significance. 

Duties will include archiving, cataloging, and digitization; supporting event and organizational planning; conducting research and drafting articles; assisting with producing social media content; setting up Palestine Center events; and limited administrative support. 

Hours: 15-20 hours/week, in the DC area.  

Openings: 3 (three) 

Deadline: August 15, 2023

Our internships are paid. 

Those interested should send their resume and a short writing sample (no more than 2 pages) to [email protected]

Opportunity for Graduate Students to Work with National Institute of Standards (NIST) on Cybersecurity Education

The National Institute of Standards recently released a broad call for graduate students to apply to work with the NICE program.This paid position is part of the NIST Professional Research Experience (PREP) program.

NICE is a partnership among government, academia, and the private sector focused on education, training, and workforce development that will strengthen the cybersecurity posture of organizations.The NICE Program Office is offering a work-based learning experience for a graduate student interested in gaining experience and developing knowledge and skills in one or more of the following project areas:

  • Education Policy for Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or STEM-related Fields
  • Workforce Development Policies and Practices
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Practices and Strategies
  • NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity Development and Associated Resources and Tools
  • Strategic Planning Implementation and Measurement
  • Communications and Marketing (Web, Social Media, Graphics, Multimedia, etc.)
  • Academic Engagement (K-12, Community Colleges, and Higher Education)
  • Industry Engagement (Private Sector Employers, Non-Profit Organizations, Training and Certification Providers)
  • International Engagement (Ally Countries, Strategic Partners, and Department of State)
  • Government Engagement (Federal, State, and Local Governments and Tribal Territories)

The NICE Program Office aims to augment its existing staff and contractors working in the areas above with a graduate student who is motivated to contribute to the mission of NICE “to energize, promote, and coordinate a robust community working together to advance an integrated ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development.” While prior experience is not an absolute requirement, students should have a willingness and aptitude for learning and developing new skills to be successful in one of the identified project areas. More information and application instructions can be found on the GW Prep Associate webpage.

Fulbright Public Policy Fellowships

The Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship provides opportunities for U.S. early and mid-career professionals and practitioners to serve in placements in a foreign government ministry or institution around the world. Fulbright Public Policy Fellows build mutual understanding and contribute to strengthening the public sector while cultivating public policy experience in their area of expertise. The Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship also includes an independent professional project that provides fellows the opportunity to interact with the local community and further their career goals.  Professional projects may include workshops, public lectures, or other appropriate professional experiences.

The Fellows will build their knowledge and skills, provide support to partner-country institutions, and promote long-term ties between the U.S. and the partner country. The Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship also includes an independent research component that focuses on an issue related to the Fellow's in-country work. The Fellows have an opportunity to build their knowledge and skills, provide support to partner-country institutions, and promote long-term ties between the U.S. and the partner country. General information on the program can be found on the Fulbright website. Interested applicants are encouraged to sign-up for our MyFulbrighter newsletter for more information on future events as well as join our monthly Fulbright Public Policy Office Hours and view our most recent Webinar. For the 2024-2025 program year, the deadline to apply is September 15, 2023.

Updated August 3, 2023

Graduate Student Newsletter Archive