Internships

The Department of Political Science offers credit for internships for undergraduate and graduate students. In the past, political science students from the University of Montana have served as interns for elected officials and in a variety of federal, state, and local agencies. The internships include Presidential Interns in the White House, various government agencies, and Congress. During election years, many of our students work as interns on political campaigns. The Legislative Internship in Helena has been popular for many years (it is only offered during legislative sessions).

Students are responsible for arranging their internships. Typically, students contact the organization where they plan to be an intern and make the arrangements with a member of the faculty to receive credit. The Department of Political Science awards credit only for political-related work, such as working on a campaign, lobbying activities, or working in a government office. Students must complete the appropriate paperwork with Internship Services and then have the completed application signed by a faculty member of the Department of Political Science. Details about other requirements for the internship, such as keeping a journal or writing a paper, must be arranged with the faculty member.

Undergraduates must complete a Learning Agreement (available in the Lommasson Center) and a Course Override form. After the faculty member has signed the documents, students may register for PSc 498 for the amount of credit hours agreed upon with the faculty member. The maximum amount of credit allowed for an internship (PSc 498 or PSc 598) is six credit hours. Graduate students must complete the Learning Agreement, a Course Override form, and register for PSc 598. All internships in the Department of Political Science use the credit/no credit grading system (formally called the pass/fail grading system). Although all credit hours generally count toward the required 120 hours* needed for graduation, only a total of 7 hours of combined internship (PSc 498) and independent study (PSc 496) may be applied to the requirements for the political science degree. A similar rule applies to graduate students in the M.A. program; only a combined total of 7 hours of internship (PSc 598) and independent study (PSc 596) may be applied to the requirements for the M.A. degree. For more information about the M.A. or MPA degrees, see Graduate Programs in Political Science.

Like study abroad programs, internships can provide life-changing experiences and supplement classroom learning. Assuming that a suitable internship can be arranged, the Political Science Department offers one semester credit for each 60 hours of work. The following is a brief list of places to look for internship opportunities.

  • UM’s Internship Services Office Located in Lommasson 154, this office maintains lists of organizations seeking student interns. It is especially useful when the state legislature is in session. http://www.umt.edu/internships.
  • Montana Legislative Council This state agency appoints at least one student intern from each campus during legislative sessions. PDF document
  • Internships with Montana’s Members of Congress Members of Congress often rely on student interns. Students should make inquiries through the local field offices, or by contacting them directly (http://www.senate.gov or http://www.house.gov), or by contacting the committees that they may head. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Baucus regularly seeks interns as committee staffers. For more information contact Jim Frisk .
  • Project Vote Smart Located in Phillipsburg Montana, Project Vote Smart interns help compile information on candidates for office, including biographical information, issue positions, voting records, campaign finance, and interest group ratings. http://www.vote-smart.org/program_internships.php
  • Internships USA This service seeks to link students with internship opportunities. http://www.internships-usa.com/
  • Studentjobs.gov This federal government web site lists student employment opportunities with many government agencies. http://www.studentjobs.gov
  • Washington Internship Institute This nonprofit organization helps place students in internships with a variety of agencies and organizations in Washington D.C. http://www.wiidc.org
  • National Institute for Research Advancement This organization maintains a list of all research-based Think Tanks around the world. Students would need to contact each organization individually. http://www.nira.go.jp
  • Groovejob.com This site lists a few organizations in Montana and elsewhere seeking interns or volunteers. http://www.groovejob.com/browse/internships/in/MT/Montana
  • The Washington Center Pricey but valuable program combining academic coursework with internship experiences in Washington DC. http://www.twc.edu

For more information contact a faculty member in the Department of Political Science and Internship Services in Lommasson, Room # 154 (Telephone: 406-243-2815).

* Undergraduates can have a maximum of 18 credit/no credit hours (called pass/fail hours in the past) count toward the 120 hours needed for graduation.

Beginning in the 2006-2007 academic year, the maximum amount of credit allowed for an internship (PSc 498 or PSc 598) is six credit hours. Also, only six credits of internship can be used toward graduation. This is a rule that affects internships in all academic departments.