Internships

Internships are the best way to integrate the professional experience into the academic program. Political Science alumni frequently remember internships as pivotal experiences in their career paths. Our students have interned at the White House, on Capitol Hill, and for political campaigns, think tanks and nonprofits.

Political science majors with junior credit standing may complete internships for credit. Students must register for PSC 2987 and complete a final paper as well as other requirements to earn credit. No more than three credits of PSC 2987 may be counted toward the major requirements.

Courtesy of Scott Kennedy, CSIS, August 2019

"Over the summer I interned with the World Wildlife Fund Oceans Department working on both domestic and international policy. We worked closely with Congress and the World Trade Organization to reduce the plague of illegal fishing and impose stricter penalties on the import of endangered species."

Anthony Tusino, BA '18

Sample Internship Sites

For more ideas and opportunities, visit GW Career Services.

Think Tank Internships

American Enterprise Institute
American Foreign Policy Council
Atlantic Council
Brookings Institution
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
CATO Institute
Center for Global Development
Center for New American Security
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Fund for Peace
The Henry L. Stimson Center
The Heritage Foundation
Human Rights Watch
Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy
Institute for Policy Studies
InterAction
National Endowment for Democracy
The National Security Archive at George Washington University
United States Institute of Peace
Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Government Internships

Agency for International Development
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Congressional Budget Office
Department of Education
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of State
Federal Communications Commission
Millennium Challenge Corporation
US House of Representatives
US Senate
White House Office of Administration

NGO Internships

Have you had a rewarding internship? Let us know and we'll add it to the list! Email us at [email protected].

Requirements to Register for PSC 2987

Students must meet all eligibility requirements to earn internship credit:

Declared a PSC major.
Hold at least junior standing.
Obtain a confirmed internship position involving substantive political science research and work.
Complete an internship contract.
Download and fill out a Registration Transaction Form (RTF).
Submit the internship contract forms and RTF to Associate Professor Susan Wiley for signature.
Deliver the signed registration transaction for processing to CCAS Undergraduate Advising.

Requirements to Receive Credit

Complete required hours. PSC 2987 is variable credit, semester-long course, and it is graded Pass/Fail.
- For 1 credit, intern a minimum of 8 hours per week and write an 8-10 page paper.
- For 2 credits, intern a minimum of 10 hours per week and write a 10-12 page paper.
- For 3 credits, intern 12-15 hours per week and write a 12-15 page paper.
Communicate with faculty advisor. Communicate with Professor Wiley in person or by email at least once a month.
Complete final paper. Papers are due the last day of classes of the semester in which the student is interning. A hard copy of the paper should be delivered to Professor Wiley's mail box in the main department office. Papers will not be accepted as email attachments.
Receive an evaluation. The internship supervisor must complete an evaluation for the student at the end of the semester and email, fax or mail the evaluation to Professor Wiley.
Complete student internship survey at the end of the semester.

Emily Bauwens

BA '21

“I researched ex-felons for the Civil Rights Enforcement Agency in St. Louis. ... I interviewed nonprofits, reporters and government officials. At the end, I composed a report that was reviewed by city officials.”