Students who elect to major or minor in political science have access to a wide variety of internship experiences. Most of the programs below offer three credits of academic credit, but some offer more. Students may apply six credits (two courses) of independent study, internship, or senior thesis work toward the major or minor in Political Science, but they may apply 33 credits (11 courses) toward general graduation requirements. As a result, students may pursue more than one internship. Programs are open to juniors and seniors. Additional requirements sometimes apply.
Please note: none of the internships described here can be used to fulfill the R6 requirement for the major. Internships do not replace the seminar.
INTERNSHIP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE 790:481/482 (3 credits)
The Political Science Department offers internships in New Brunswick and throughout the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area. Students with a major or minor in Political Science can earn three academic credits by working at an unpaid internship which you find in coordination with the program director, Professor William Field. Professor Field can connect you to internship possibilities in a wide range of political fields, including but not limited to the legal profession (primarily law firms but also county prosecutors and courtrooms), government service (the governor’s office, other executive branch agencies, and the state legislature, as well as local office of federal legislators), nonprofits (advocacy groups in NJ and NY, including at the UN), and political campaign organizations (candidate campaigns, party organizations and consulting firms). Students may also find their own internship ideas and bring them to the program director for approval.
Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have junior or senior class standing. Freshmen and sophomores are NOT eligible without special dispensation from the program administrator.
The structure of the course is as follows:
For the fall and spring semesters, students must devote a minimum of 120 hours to the internship site (with over 140 hours preferred), attend the weekly class, give a presentation to the class on their placement, and write a paper about the internship experience. Placements must be within commuting distance of New Brunswick, and students must clear the placement with the program director before the start of the semester. Students should consult the university schedule of classes to determine the meeting time and place of 790:481 (fall semester) and 790:482 (spring semester).
For the summer semester students must devote 160 hours to the internship site and write a paper about the internship experience. No regular class is scheduled to accompany the internship experience. The summer internship is 01:790:488 and is graded pass/fail.
Students wishing to explore the possibility of interning should contact Professor William Field prior to the start of the semester in which they wish to intern. Once you have the program director's approval for a placement, you will get a special permission number with which to register for the relevant course.
WASHINGTON INTERNSHIPS
Juniors and seniors who have at least a 3.0 GPA and 15 credits in Political Science courses (including six in American government-related courses), may pursue a fall or spring internship in Washington while remaining a full time Rutgers student. Students are generally responsible for finding their own positions; having done so, they are eligible for 3 (for 160 hours on the job) or 6 (320 hours on the job) credits of internship using course code 01:790:488. To maintain full time status, we will work with students to identify appropriate online courses here in New Brunswick. Students must find their own housing, but the undergraduate office can help with ideas.
Rising juniors and rising seniors who have at least a 3.0 GPA and 15 credits in Political Science courses (including six in American government-related courses), may choose to pursue an internship under the coordination of one of our DC partners: the Washington Internship Institute (WII) or The Washington Center (TWC). Students will receive 9 credits toward the R7 requirement of the major. Interested students should review the “Washington Internship Program” handout available at the department’s offices in Hickman Hall. For more information, please contact Prof. Field at whfield@polisci.rutgers.edu. Put "Washington Internship" in the subject line of your email.
EAGLETON UNDERGRADUATE ASSOCIATES
The Eagleton Institute Undergraduate Associates Program offers an internship to its associates. For more information see the program discription.
EAGLETON INTERNSHIPS 790:481/482 (3 credits)
The Eagleton Institute offers a number of internship possibilities to students who are not Eagleton Undergraduate Associates but who wish to get involved with the work of the Eagleton Institute. One is in the area of women and politics. Another focuses on political campaign reform in New Jersey. A third works to improve youth participation in politics.
Academic credit for these internships comes from the 481/482 Internship in Political Science course, but supervised by the appropriate Eagleton faculty or staff member. For information on internships with the Center for Women and Politics and with the Eagleton New Jersey Project, see the program descriptions here.
Eagleton’s Youth Political Participation Program also has an internship program, as does PLEN.
