Internships

Drake’s location in Des Moines, Iowa’s capital and largest city, means you will have many chances for professional experiences.

The learning that happens in the community, state, and even around the world—in hospitals, boardrooms, classrooms, studios, labs, and nonprofit organizations—is just as important as what takes place inside the classroom. It’s all part of preparing you to excel in the professional world.

Des Moines is home to industry giants like The Principal Financial Group, Wells Fargo, Meredith Corporation, and Hy-Vee, Inc., as well as more than 60 insurance companies. In Des Moines, you’ll also find opportunities with numerous nonprofits, state and local government agencies, media outlets, political campaigns during Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, and more. In addition to all of the internships available locally, professors also work to connect students with national and international firms—from publishers in New York to legislators in Washington, D.C., to practicum experience in Africa.

Access to these opportunities—coupled with exceptional preparation in the classroom and guidance from the Professional and Career Development Services staff—is just one of the reasons the majority of our students graduate with at least one internship under their belt.

Where can Drake take you? Here is a sampling of some of the places that Drake students have interned recently:

Around Des Moines

• ABC, Iowa Caucus Coverage, Des Moines
• BBC, Iowa Caucus Coverage, Des Moines
• Better Business Bureau, Des Moines
• BHG.com Food Channel, Des Moines
• Mercy Hospital, Des Moines
• Department of Human Rights, Des Moines
• Des Moines Community School District
• Des Moines Radio Group, Des Moines
• Des Moines Register, Des Moines
• Ernst & Young, Des Moines
• Governor of Iowa, Des Moines
• Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, Des Moines
• Head Start, Des Moines
• Iowa Attorney General’s Office, Des Moines
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines
• John Deere, Ankeny, Iowa
• Kemin Industries, Des Moines
• Meredith Corporation (Better Homes & Gardens, Country Life, WOOD Magazine), Des Moines
• MidAmerican Energy, Des Moines
• Office of U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Des Moines
• Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Urbandale, Iowa
• The Principal Financial Group, Des Moines
• The World Food Prize Foundation, Des Moines
• Vote Smart, Des Moines
• Wellmark, Des Moines

Around the Nation 

• ABC News, New York, New York
• Disneyland, Orlando, Fla.
• Ernst & Young, Minneapolis, Minn.
• FDIC, Chicago, Ill.
• Feeding America, Chicago, Ill.
• Hearst Corporation (Seventeen, Elle, Woman’s Day, Popular Mechanics), New York, New York
• Ingram’s Business Magazine, Kansas City, Mo.
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
• Milwaukee Magazine, Milwaukee, Wisc.
• Monster Worldwide, Chicago, Ill.
• MTV, Chicago, Ill.
• NASA , Johnson Space Center, Houston, Tex.
• National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Mo.
• Office of Rep. Leonard Boswell, Washington, D.C.
• Office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, Washington, D.C.
• St. Louis Cord Blood Bank, St. Louis, Mo.
• SUPER VALU Pharmacies, Franklin Park, Ill.
• Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D.C.
• Teen People, New York City, New York
• The Huffington Post, Washington, D.C.
• U.S. Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs, Colo.
• United States Public Health Service, Yuma, Ariz.

Around the World 

• Churchill Museum, London, United Kingdom
• Grazia Daily Magazine, London, United Kingdom
• Hillside International, Belize
• Kemin Industries, Brussels, Belgium
• Oxfam Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Pioneer Hi-Bred Switzerland S.A., Lugano, Switzerland
• Prague TV, Prague, Czech Republic