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Internship Opportunities in Political Science

Internships are among the best avenues for students to gain work experience, develop the skills necessary for success, and move smoothly through the college-to-career transition.

Below you will find information related to internship programs within and connected to the Department of Political Science that our students partake in throughout the academic year, which include:

Local Internship Research Program

UCDC Program

UC Center Sacramento Program

UCSD REAL Portal

UCSD Academic Internship Program & InternLink


If you are interested in internships focused on law and politics, please review the opportunities posted on the Department's Law and Politics Initiative Internship page.


Additional Internship Opportunities

Below is a table of internship opportunities relevant to Political Science students. Please review any that interest you! 

If any of the links do not work, or the information is incorrect, please reach out to the Undergraduate Advisor, Emilie Hines, with information about what needs to be corrected so that the issue can be taken care of as soon as possible. 

Additionally, if you participated in an internship opportunity that is held regularly, and would be beneficial for other students to learn about and apply to, please reach out as well.

Resource for working from home: Keys to a Successful Work From Home Internship

 

Internship Organization Category/ies Quarter(s) Available Location(s) Application Details
American Enterprise Institute's Summer Honors Program Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Summer Washington, DC See website for application details.
American Pakistan Foundation Law/Courts Summer Pakistan https://shallot-ocelot-bxxc.squarespace.com/apply-to-fellows-program
American Public Health Association Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Not Specified Washington, DC https://internships-apha.icims.com/jobs/intro?hashed=-435799285
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Academic Year Washington, DC https://apaics.formstack.com/forms/20202021_fellowship_application
California Department of Justice Other Not Specified Multiple Locations Multiple Internships.
California Innocence Project Consulting/Fundraising/Communications All San Diego, CA https://californiainnocenceproject.org/about-the-project/volunteer-opportunities/
California Policy Lab (CPL) Data-focused policy research Summer  Berkeley, CA  https://www.capolicylab.org/careers/cpl-undergraduate-summer-institute/
Capital Fellows Program State Government Academic Year Sacramento, CA https://csus-horizons.symplicity.com/index.php?au=&ck=
Center for a New American Security Other Not Specified Washington, DC https://cnasnextgen.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk039re?source=CNAS%20Website
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Other All Multiple Locations Multiple Internships.
Citizens' Climate Lobby Consulting/Fundraising/Communications Not Specified Multiple Locations https://citizensclimatelobby.org/intern-ccl/
City and County of San Fransisco Other Summer San Francisco, CA http://www.sfstudentintern.org/create.aspx
City of San Diego Other Not Specified San Diego, CA Multiple Internships.
City of Temecula 2023 Summer Legal Scholars Program Law/Courts Summer Temecula, CA See website for application details.
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Not Specified Washington, DC https://cbcfinc.academicworks.com/opportunities/688
Congressional Hispanic Causcus Institute Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Not Specified Washington, DC Multiple Interships.
Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Other Summer Washington, DC https://www.chli.org/gl-application
Cordova & Fernos Internship Program Other Academic Year Washington, DC See website for application details.
Corn Refiners Association Business and Government Affairs Not Specified Washington, DC https://corn.org/about-cra/careers/government-relations-internship/
Cornerstone Business and Government Affairs All Washington, DC See website for application details.
County of Orange Other Not Specified Orange County, CA Multiple Internships.
Dell (Government Relations and Public Policy) Other  Spring Columbus, Ohio  See website for application details.
Democracy Policy Network Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Summer Remote See webstie for application details. 
Drug Policy Alliance Other Not Specified New York, CA Multiple internships.
Environmental Defense Center Other Summer San Francisco, CA https://www.environmentaldefensecenter.org/join-our-team/
FAA Minority Serving Insitutions Intern Program Other All Washington, DC and other locations https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/9a0122d9dbb0402b9ec7c37350da750f
Federal Diversity Internship Initiative Federal Government All Washington, DC and other locations https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/d0bdc9fbb6764a92aa0448fde8d19214
Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship Other Summer Washington DC and other locations https://www.faitfellowship.org/how-to-apply/
Foreign Policy Research Institute Other All Philadeplphia, PA Multiple Internships.
Foreign Service Officer Test        
Fulbright Canada Globalink program Other Summer Canada https://www.fulbright.ca/programs/undergraduate-students/fulbright-canada-mitacs-globalink-program/application-instructions
Global Competencies Intership Other Not Specified Washington, DC https://portal.e.twc.edu/
Graduate Immersion Conference (GIC) Other Spring Columbus, Ohio https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSev7d-HxcY8ZwNVOWTnGbkCuXBCtxE8WN3dwuW1v2QOZS6iJw/viewform
Green Corps
Don't Cage
Our Oceans
Other Spring Los Angeles, CA https://forms.gle/TgNAistQnAUnyEsD8
Governers Internship Program Other Not Specified Washington, DC See website for application details. 
Hertog Foundation Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Summer Washington, DC https://hertogfoundation.org/application
Hoover Institution Summer Policy Boot Camp Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Summer San Francisco, CA https://www.hoover.org/hoover-institution-summer-policy-boot-camp-application
Hudson Institute Political Studies Summer Fellowship Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Summer Washington, DC https://app.hudsonpoliticalstudies.org/intro
Human Rights Campaign Other Not Specified Washington, DC Multiple internships
Internet Association Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Academic Year Pennsylvania, CA https://internetassociation.org/careers/internship-opportunities-government-relations/
ISF Congressional Fellowship Program Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy All Washington, DC http://app.smarterselect.com/programs/63272-Islamic-Scholarship-Fund
Legal Services Corporation Other All Washington, DC https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/careers/internships
Max Kampelman Fellowship Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Fall Multiple Locations See website for application details.
Mobilize America Campaigns and Parties Not Specified Washington, DC https://www.mobilizeamerica.io/jobs?gh_jid=4373144002
Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows Program Other Spring, Summer Washington, DC See website for application details.
Mozilla        
National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Other Summer Washington, DC See website for application details.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Other Summer Washington, DC See website for application details.
National Academy of Social Insurance Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Summer Washington, DC https://www.nasi.org/internship-opportunities
National Head Start Association Business and Government Affairs Not Specified Virginia, CA See website for application details.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Other Not Specified Multiple Locations https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/72041.htm
One Acre Fund  Other   Not Specified    See website for more information.
Our Time to Act United (OTTA United)  Public Policy/ Advocacy Winter/ Spring San Diego, CA https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8DttTaGVu_4F_SNlQxSRq3VfY8b61W0QOe-a9pM7r9cCFbg/viewform
Pacific Forum Young Leaders Program Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Not Specified Multiple Locations https://form.jotform.us/form/43386119798167
Pathways for Students & Recent Graduates to Federal Careers Federal Government Not Specified Multiple Locations https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/students/
Public Service Internship  Other All Washington, DC Multiple Internships.
Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Program Other Summer North Carolina, CA https://www.apsanet.org/DIVERSITY/Ralph-Bunche-Summer-Institute/How-to-Apply
Rangel Undergraduate International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program Business and Government Affairs Summer Washington, DC https://apply.rangelprogram.org/Default.asp
Ray Diversity Fellowship Other Summer Multiple Locations https://rayfellowship.org/apply
Republican National Committee Other Academic Year Washington DC https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=e7db135f-80fd-4c0c-b306-c69d8c7c09ba&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=334695&lang=en_US&source=TW
Rotary Peace Fellowships Other All Multiple Locations See website for application details.
San Diego County Taxpayer Association Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Not Specified San Diego, CA See website for application details.
Senator Brian W. Jones Internship Other Not Specified San Diego, CA https://jones.cssrc.us/node/773
Southern California Edison Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Summer Rosemead, CA See website for application details.
The Borgen Project Other All Seattle, WA
and remotely
https://borgenproject.org/tag/internships/
The Fund for American Studies  Other All Washington, DC https://tfas.radiusbycampusmgmt.com/crm/sites/The_Fund_for_American_Studies/dcinternshipsapplynow
The United States Department of Justice Other Not Specified Washington, DC See website for application details.
The US-Panama Innovation, Competitiveness and Leadership Program Other Fall Washington DC See website for application details.
The Washington Center: Academic Internship Program Other All Washington, DC https://portal.e.twc.edu/
The Washington Leadership Program Congressional Offices Summer Washington, DC https://www.thewlp.com/apply-to-wlp
Tikvah College Summer Programs Other Summer New York, CA See website for application details.
UC Center Sacremento  Other Not Specified Multiple Locations https://uccs.ucdavis.edu/for-students/UCCenterSacramentoApplication20192020.V2.pdf/view
UN Youth Envoy Fellowships Other Not Specified New York, CA See website for application details.
United Nations Other Not Specified New York, CA https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=SJ&exp=INT&level=0&location=4560&occup=0&department=All&bydate=0&occnet=0&lang=en-US
Unites States of Care Other All Washington, DC Multiple Internships.
US Department of State Labor/Civil Rights/Public Policy Summer Washington, DC Multiple Internships.
USAID From the American People Other Not Specified Washington, DC Multiple Internships.
Vote Run Lead Campaigns and Parties Not Specified Multiple Locations https://www.voterunlead.org/volunteer