In the Department of Political Science, we believe in connecting you to internships to enrich your educational experience and help you build skills, knowledge, and confidence for your career goals. Our department has a faculty member who serves as our internship coordinator and can help connect you to opportunities in Iowa, Washington, D.C., and other locations.
If you accept an unpaid internship in the government or nonprofit sectors, Iowa State offers scholarships to help cover your costs.
Academic credit for internships
You can also receive academic credit for internships related to political science. You’ll get to apply the knowledge you learn in class, explore career options, make contacts, and build networks that can help you start your career.
Iowa State students may receive academic credit for some internship activities related to politics and government. An internship combines work experience with academic performance. To obtain credit for the internship, interns enroll in POL S 4990; the permission of both an advisor and the course instructor/coordinator is required.
The number of credits earned is based on the total hours worked during a regular semester or during a summer session and upon the nature of the learning experience provided by the intern experience. Also, no more than 12 credit hours will be counted toward any degree requirements of political science majors, no more than 6 credit hours will be counted toward the major itself, and internships generally are not available for fewer than 3 credits. Please contact Dr. Kelly Shaw, our internship coordinator, if you have any questions.
The requirements to take the internship course and receive credit in political science are:
- Junior or senior standing
- At least six credits completed in political science at Iowa State, preferably in courses substantively related to the internship activity
- At least a 3.0 GPA (or the instructor’s permission and at least a 2.5 GPA overall).
Academic credit must be arranged before the internship begins. No retroactive credit will be given for internship work undertaken without being properly enrolled in advance.
When searching for an internship, a great place to begin is CyHire, Iowa State’s internship and job posting site. This online resource provides a connection between students, alumni, and potential employers. Do some research before you contact an individual, agency, or organization about a possible internship.
LAS Career Services also offers personalized career advising and tips for your internship search.
Some resources or possible internships for political science students include:
- State of Iowa
- Governor’s Office
- Iowa Democratic Party
- Iowa Green Party
- Iowa Libertarian Party
- Iowa Republican Party
- U.S. Senator Charles Grassley
- U.S. Senator Joni Ernst
- U.S. House Representatives from Iowa
- Iowa Attorney General’s Office
- National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
- Department of Homeland Security
- Story County, Iowa
- U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms Internship Program
- U.S. Department of State
- Washington Center
- CIA
- FBI
- White House Internship Program
- World Food Prize
- United Nations Internship Programme