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CONTACT

Department of Political Science
316 Woodburn Hall
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6317
Morgantown, WV 26506-6317
Phone: (304)-293-3811
FAX: (304)-293-8644

Internships in Political Science

Students majoring in Political Science are able to pursue internships to further their interests in state and local politics, national affairs, and/or comparative and international relations. Internships can be pursued with a wide variety of organizations, e.g., government agencies or institutions, policy think tanks, or with the private sector (e.g., a law firm). Internships with the Political Science Department can range in durations from one week during the semester, to several weeks during the summer, or even a full semester. Students can earn course credits by enrolling in the Department’s internships course (POLS491 Professional Field Experience). The exact number of credits can range from three to 12 hours, depending on the duration of the internship and worked out in consultation with the student’s advisor. Although students are welcome to identify internship opportunities on the own initiative, the Political Science Department and the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences offer the following opportunities and arrangements.

Internships in West Virginia State and Local Government

The Department offers two internships that enable its majors to intern with the WV state government in Charleston. The Frasure-Singleton Internship enables students to work for one week during the annual sixty-day legislative session, being assigned to a legislator, participating in committee sessions, and engaging in research. A second legislative internship, the Judith A. Herndon Internship, offers students a more extended internship experience in Charleston. This internship program allows the student to participate in the full sixty day legislative session, performing research and other assistence for an assigned state legislator. Further information can be found at this link of the Herndon Internship website. Political Science students also can take advantage of internship opportunities offered by the West Virginia State and Local Government Internship Program. Administered through WVU’s Institute for Public Affairs, this program offers students who are interested in public service the opportunity to experience working and doing research for state and local government officials. For further information click on this link to the website of the Institute for Public Affairs.

Internships in Washington, D.C.

Federal agencies, such as the State Department, CIA, and White House, and policy “think tanks” typically have internship programs for undergraduate students, and the Political Science Department encourages talented and interested majors to pursue such opportunities. Such programs are very competitive and require much advance planning that often involve receiving government clearances (see agency websites for more information). An often more practical avenue for interning in Washington, D.C. is through WVU’s affiliation with the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. The Washington Center maintains a well-established network of internships throughout the government and policy community, and it offers programs for fall, spring, and summer terms. The center is typically able to arrange an internship for a student that meets his/her precise interests in policy and/or political process. Furthermore, the center provides student housing and offers academic seminars, as well as scholarships and financial aid. As with other internships, Political Science majors earn course credit through WVU for these internships, although students must work with their academic advisor in arranging academic credit. Click on this link to access The Washington Center website.

Internships Abroad: London and Munich

It is possible for Political Science students also to arrange internships in foreign countries. The Eberly College of Arts of Sciences, in fact, supports two internships opportunities in Europe. Although housed in other academic departments, Political Science and International Studies majors have typically been selected for these internships. One of these internships, offered through the History Department, is with the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. One Eberly College student is selected to serve as an intern for the Rt. Hon. Christine Russell, who represents the constituency of Chester, England. This is a ten month internship in London (November to July) in which the WVU intern serves directly as an assistant to Ms. Russell and often does constituency (and campaign) service in Chester. The other Eberly College internship is with the West Virginia’s European Trade Development Office located in Munich, Germany. Housed in the German Department, interns in this office aid in its efforts to develop economic trade and investment between West Virginia and countries throughout Europe. Political Science majors benefit from this internship by being exposed to the operations of a WV state agency, experiencing the day-by-day global connections between WV and the European economies, and being immersed in a foreign culture.