Career & Internship Support

Student Opportunities

Students wishing to complete an internship for academic credit must contact the department's internship coordinator prior to the start of the internship in order to receive approval for course credit. Students may not first complete an internship and then seek credit after the experience is over.

Internship FAQS

  1. Which course should I enroll in to earn academic credits?

    The Department of Political Science offers two internship courses broadly, which are POSC 492 and POSC 493. You must enroll in POSC 492 if your internship is through the Academic Internship Program (AIP) provided by The Washington Center (TWC). In all other cases, you must enroll in POSC 493.

  2. How many credit hours can I earn?

    For 492, you can earn up to 12 credits. Most students earn 6 credits for POSC 492-001 (Internship), 3 credits for POSC 492-002 (Forum), and 3 credits for POSC-003 (Seminar).   

    For POSC 493, students must work 120 hours in their internship placement for at least 10 weeks during the semester to obtain the minimum number of 3 credit hours. For each additional 40 hours of work, students can enroll for 1 additional credit hour, up to 12 credits.

  3. What are the prerequisites?

    Junior/senior standing is required. Also, you must be hired as an intern before you enroll in the course. This means you must seek internships, apply for some of them, complete interviews and background/drug tests, and be offered an internship prior to the semester you plan to enroll in the course.

  4. What are the POSC 493 requirements?

    The course requirements of POSC 492 are decided by TWC. For a 3-credit POSC 493 course, students are required to complete 10 weekly reports, a research paper thesis statement, and a 2,500-word research paper, along with a minimum of 120 hours at the internship site.

  5. Can I repeat the course?

    Students may repeat POSC 493 in (a) subsequent semester(s) at the same or a different organization if the work required is different from the one completed in a previous semester.

  6. Would the earned credits be considered Political Science Upper Division Electives?

    All credit hours completed apply toward the 120 credit hours required for graduation by the university. However, only 9 credit hours of POSC 492/493 can be applied toward the political science major as Upper Division Electives.

  7. Should I apply for unpaid internships to earn academic credits?

    No. You can apply for both paid and unpaid internships.

  8. What are some examples of internship opportunities?

    Please refer to the information in "Internship Opportunities" menu.

For more information on internships, please contact:

Dr. Jeong Joo Ahn, Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
Office: CLA 3238
Office telephone: 410-704-3350, Email:

Internship Opportunities

This program is affiliated with the TU Global Internship Program. Summer programs are either 8 weeks or 12-14 weeks. Language proficiency is not required.

House of Ruth Maryland leads the fight to end violence against women and their children by confronting the attitudes, behaviors and systems that perpetuate it, and by providing victims with the services necessary to rebuild their lives safely and free of fear. Review the programs to determine if you think you would be a good fit. Send your resume and cover letter indicating which program you would like to intern in and why to humanresources@hruthmd.org or recruiting@hruthmd.org. 

The Lori's Hands Scholars program supports individuals who are BIPOC, Pell Grant recipients, and/or first-generation college students in pursuing their academic and professional goals. Through a tailored internship experience, scholars will gain experience in nonprofit operations, program development, and community engagement. Scholars will learn about and contribute to the work of Lori's Hands by providing in-home support for people living with chronic illness. They will support the growth of the organization through student recruitment, community outreach, and training development and enhancement. 

Established in 1980, the Maryland General Assembly's Legislative Intern Program provides college and university students internship opportunities with legislative offices during session. Upon acceptance into the program, these students begin their prestigious internship within the halls of the Maryland State House, the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use in the nation. During session, interns not only gain exposure to the daily operations of a legislative office, but they also develop a deeper understanding of Maryland's democratic process through a variety of impactful work and experiences.

TurnUp Activism is a progressive nonprofit organization dedicated to making our nation more just, fair, and equitable for all by increasing youth activism and civic engagement to strengthen our democracy. Interns work in remote teams of mission-driven young people from around the country to help amplify youth civic engagement and participate in activism on many progressive/social justice issues including climate change, racial justice, reproductive rights, ending gun violence, and combating voter suppression.

The Washington Center provides immersive internships and academic seminars to students from hundreds of colleges and universities and young professionals from across the U.S. and more than twenty-fve countries. The Academic Internship Program combines personalized career coaching, immersive hands-on experience and access to a dynamic network of peers and professionals in Washington, D.C.