Make your internship work for you
Political science students have a wealth of opportunities to start making a difference right here, right now, with internships for class credit and/or for pay. Our students work for public and private organizations that deal with issues related to politics, law, government, public policy, public affairs and international affairs.
Internships for political science students:
The political science department partners with the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee to create internships during the spring semester. Information and applications are sent out via POLINOTE each fall.
Additional internships may include:
- South Carolina Office of the Governor
- South Carolina Attorney General’s Office
- South Carolina Department of Commerce
- South Carolina Law Enforcement Division
- Richland County Public Defender’s Office
- South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
- Office of the Mayor of Columbia
- State and federal legislators' offices
- Campaign offices
- South Carolina Republican Party
- South Carolina Democratic Party
- Federal Government
The Washington Semester provides students an opportunity to take an internship with the federal government and other organizations while living and studying in Washington, D.C. Check out USAJobs, the federal government’s official system for federal jobs and employment information, which contains information about internships available for students.
Students have interned at non-governmental organizations in Columbia and other locations.
Examples include:
- The League of Women Voters
- Project Vote Smart
- The Columbia World Affairs Council
- Various think tanks in Washington, DC.
South Carolina Honors College students can enroll in the State Government Program, a competitive internship program that affords students the opportunity to learn about South Carolina government operations. After a 3-credit seminar class in the fall, participants are placed in an internship with a state agency in the spring.
Academic Credit for Internships
Do you have an internship? You may be able to earn class credit in political science.
- Three credit hours: 150 work hours (fall or spring).
- Six credit hours: 300 work hours (fall or spring).
You also have options to earn class credit for internships worked during the summer, as well as our new internship course opportunity for political science undergraduates.
For mor information, contact your advisor or Joshua Meyer-Gutbrod.
New avenues for political science internships
Our department offers additional support for political science students to find and succeed in internships, especially with our state government partners. Each 3-credit course combines internships and classroom learning to equip students for careers in the state legislature, the governor’s office and other agencies.
- POLI 378 (Fall semesters) provides an opportunity to learn about the state legislature, the governor’s office, the budget process and the judiciary.
- POLI 379 (Spring semesters) focuses on the broader executive branch, including information on the different state agencies across South Carolina.
Students may take one or both courses, in either order. Courses are built on an experiential learning model where students connect in-class content with internships experiences.
Get started by filling out the Online Form.