Political Science Internship Program

POLS 498C: Political Science Internship Program

Course Description

The Political Science Internship Program offers Political Science majors with upper division standing the opportunity to earn 3 units of academic credit while interning in fields related to politics, government, and public policy. Interns are able to apply what they’ve learned in class to “real world” situations and gain valuable work experience.

Application Deadlines

Fall 2010 Semester

TBA

Course Requirements

Program is open to Political Science majors with upper-division standing and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5.
Students must secure their own internship that meets the approval of the Internship Coordinator before applying to the Program. The Career Center and the Internship Coordinator can assist with this.
Interns must work a minimum of 120 hours over the course of the semester (roughly 8 hours per week for 15 weeks). Internship hours must be completed during the semester in which students are enrolled in the course.
Interns must complete several writing assignments and online workshops over the course of the semester.
Interns must meet with the instructor and other interns several times throughout the semester to discuss their internship experience.
At the end of the semester, interns must turn in an Agency Letter written and signed by their internship site supervisor attesting to their internship, the tasks accomplished, and the number of hours worked from the sponsoring agency, as well as a Performance Rating from their internship site supervisor.

Qualifying Internships

Qualifying internships include, but are not necessarily limited to…

Government agencies
Legislative offices
Campaign organizations
Non-profit organizations providing community or social services
Private sector organizations with a public service, public policy, or political orientation

Recently, students have interned for...

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
City Councilmember Tony Cardenas
CA Assemblymembers Felipe Fuentes and Bob Blumenfield
U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman, Linda Sanchez, and Buck McKeon
U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein
Non-profit organizations U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Equality California
the Democratic and Republican National Committees

Internships that do not have a public policy or government component or that primarily consist of manual office labor such as answering phones, photocopying, filing, and faxing will not be considered for academic credit. Internships at law firms do not qualify. Students interested in legal internships should apply for the Judicial Internship.

How to Find an Internship

Complete the online Internship Orientation and Quiz.
Visit the Career Center in UH 105 to register and to review the binder of internship opportunities.
Vist the Career Center's online list of internship opportunities and check for internships with the government agenices and non-profit organizations listed on this page.
Confirm with the internship coordinator that the internships you plan to apply for qualify for academic credit.
Complete the online Resume Workshop.
Write a resume. Print the Resume Checklist and check it against your resume. You can also bring your resume to the Career Center to have it reviewed by a professional. Check the workshop schedule for resume clinics and Resumania.
Write a cover letter. Refer to the cover letter guidelines.
Submit your internship application.
Prepare for the interview. Complete the online Interview Workshop.
Nail the interview and be sure to send a thank you note within 24 hours of the interview.

Internship and Career Resources

Page Description

Professor michaud's website

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