INTERNSHIPS

Undergraduate Political Science Internships

In keeping with our goal of providing majors with practical knowledge of the main political actors, institutions, processes, and dynamics in the United States and abroad, we recommend internships as a practical complement to the academic study of politics. Internships related to politics, government, public service, and other areas can offer interesting and exciting insights into the practical side of politics, as well as the experience that many employers or graduate professional schools seek in prospective employees or graduate students.

Opportunities can range from the mundane to the profound: While a few students have reported internship experiences that they felt were boring (such as bearing responsibility only for simple clerical duties in a local law office), more often than not, political science interns are confronted with both the monotony and excitement inherent in a career in a modern office environment, because tasks both routine (such as answering phones, taking messages for the principal, responding to constituent mail, etc.) as well as ad hoc (e.g. helping to restore public services to a constituent, or responding to intense lobbying by voters or interest groups on particularly controversial issues, etc.) are often assigned to interns as the "gatekeeper" to the principal.

One important benefit that students often derive from internship experiences is the development of a network of contacts in local, state, or national politics. The expertise and knowledge of the people encountered in internships also can be deployed later, whether in contributing to the student's own understanding of how politics works or in further complementing the student's continuing study of politics. Most important, these opportunities also enable students to begin to integrate their academic training in political science with a more comprehensive understanding of the practical and routine matters of politics and public policy that political actors face.

Students have interned in a wide range of organizations, departments, agencies, and offices - both governmental and non-governmental. Some recent examples include:

POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND PARTIES

• Presidential election campaigns: Barack Obama; John McCain
• Gubernatorial election campaigns: Ed Rendell, Dan Onorato (exploratory committee)
• US Senate campaigns: Bob Casey; Arlen Specter; Pat Toomey
• US House campaigns: Jason Altmire; Melissa Hart; Tim Murphy
• City of Pittsburgh mayoral campaigns: Bob O'Connor, Luke Ravenstahl, Patrick Dowd
• Debra Todd (candidate for Justice of the PA Supreme Court)
• Allegheny County Democratic Committee
• Allegheny County Republican Committee

GOVERNMENTAL OFFICES AND AGENCIES

• United States Commercial Service
• United States Department of State
• District offices of US Representatives Jason Altmire, Mike Doyle, Jim Gerlach, Tim Murphy
• District offices of US Senators Bob Casey and Arlen Specter
• District offices of PA Representatives Paul Costa and Dan Frankel
• District office of PA Senator Jane Orie
• City of Pittsburgh, Office of Council Member Patrick Dowd
• Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• Office of the District Attorney, Allegheny County
• Office of the District Attorney, Philadelphia County
• Office of the Medical Examiner, Allegheny County
• Office of the Mayor, City of Pittsburgh
• Office of Judge Eugene Ricciardi, Magisterial District Court
• Office of Judge Kopriva, Blair County Court of Common Pleas
• ADA Compliance Office, City of Pittsburgh

NON-GOVERNMENTAL, CORPORATE, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

• America Reads
• American Civil Liberties Union
• Blumling & Gusky (law offices)
• Goldstein & Associates (law offices)
• Federal Home Loan Bank Corporation
• Global Pittsburgh
• GSP Consulting
• Make-a-Wish Foundation of Greater PA & Southern WV
• National Flag Foundation (Boy Scouts of America)
• Oakland Planning and Development Corporation
• Peoples' Oakland
• Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors
• Pittsburgh League of Young Voters
• Pittsburgh Technology Council
• The Project to End Human Trafficking
• Propel Schools
• Teach for America
• Thomas Merton Center
• University of Pittsburgh, CERIS
• University of Pittsburgh, External Relations
• University of Pittsburgh, School of Law, Health Law Clinic
• University of Pittsburgh, Study Abroad office
• Women’s Law Project

Earning Academic Credit

Typically, students enrolled in PS 1900 earn 3 units of non-graded (S/NC) credit in internships for which they work ca. 10-12 hours per week. To receive the academic credit, students must submit a written assignment that is coordinated with the faculty sponsor (a reflective journal OR Portfolio of work completed on-site AND a 15-20 page integrative paper). More (or less) credit can be earned, based on the time spent on-site and the volume of written product submitted for academic credit. Enrollment requires advisor's permission and the completion of an internship contract. See the departmental advisor for more details.

Besides the departmental opportunity - which students coordinate together with a faculty sponsor or undergraduate advisor in political science - two other resources on campus help students to coordinate structured work-study internships.

In the area of politics, gvernment, and public policy, the Institute of Politics offers a 4-credit letter-graded course that integrates internship and seminar components (PS 1910). Students must apply for this in person at the institute's main office (710 Alumni Hall), and seats are typically awarded on a competitive basis. Political science majors may count this course as their major elective.

Students who seek to complete an internship outside of politics and government may choose to have the Office of Experiential Learning (B10 Thaw Hall) act as the coordinator (ARTSC 1900). This office acts as a clearinghouse for information about internships that are publicly announced, and it is often the best first place to start, regardless of which of the three options most interests the student.

For more information about finding these kinds of internship opportunities, students should meet with an undergraduate academic advisor in political science.