Current Students | School of Media & Public Affairs | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

As a student in the School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA), you are a member of a small community with an extensive network. Students engage with the world around them through internships and access to decision-makers, community leaders, and power brokers.

Despite the bustle of GW's urban campus, students in SMPA experience a genuine sense of community and connection fostered through small classes, exclusive events, and a sense of common purpose.

If you are a GW student looking to transfer into SMPA, please click here.

Student Opportunities

Internships

Students gain valuable firsthand experience and new skills by working with news organizations, government offices, political firms, digital media companies, and advocacy groups. We provide access to dozens of listings through our weekly Above the Fold newsletter and offer course credit programs and funding opportunities.

Awards, Prizes & Scholarships

SMPA awards over $100,000 to students each year. SMPA also offers special opportunities for students at leading communication and journalism organizations and support for academic and professional goals and achievements.

Study Abroad

SMPA offers a short-term abroad option in Belize for all students. We also encourage students to take advantage of GW’s many study abroad opportunities and our frequent international research opportunities.

Production Facilities & Technology

SMPA’s fifth-floor production environment holds a professional studio, master control room, audio control room, vocal recording audio booth, and 42 Adobe editing stations that are available to students 24/7 in the multimedia classrooms. Students enrolled in specific SMPA production classes have access to professional-level equipment to complete their multimedia assignments.

Journalism & Mass Communication Honors

To apply for Journalism and Mass Communication Honors, graduating seniors must have a minimum 3.7 GPA and a portfolio of published work. A short letter to faculty members on the SMPA Awards Committee should outline applicable achievements and career goals. This is only open to JMC majors. The application will open on August 25, 2025, and close on October 6, 2025.

Application Form

Student Organizations

GW Hatchet

The GW Hatchet is the independent student newspaper of record at the George Washington University. First published in 1904, The Hatchet is the second-oldest newspaper in Washington, D.C. in continuous publication.

GW-TV

The student-run television station provides opportunities to produce, write, report, shoot and edit outside the classroom. The station produces shows in news, entertainment, sports and politics.

WRGW TV

The student-run radio station streams live from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week when school is in session. WRGW was founded in 1929 and features opportunities for students interested in music, sports, news and talk radio.

GWABJ

The GW Association of Black Journalists is an organization open to students of all backgrounds and ethnicities with interests in journalism, media and communication. The mission of our group and the National Association of Black Journalists is to promote diversity in the media and create a greater sense of community among student and professional journalists.

GWAHJ

The GW Association for Hispanic Journalists is an organization open to all students of any background or ethnicity that aims to connect all students interested in journalism, political communication, and communication with an evolving community of Hispanic newsmakers. GWAHJ looks to promote credible journalism that comprehensively portrays the voices and experiences of Hispanic and Latino/a/x/e people and expand the mission of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

GWAAJA

The Asian American Journalists Association is a professional membership association is a group of AAPI journalists seeking to support one another and to encourage more AAPIs to pursue journalism. Today, we continue to champion the development of AAPI representation and leadership in journalism through trainings, opportunities, and resources for our members as well as through nurturing and maintaining a network and community of AAPI journalists globally.