Internships & Engagement
The Department of Political Science's Internship Program is the largest in the College of Liberal Arts. Students who participate in a political internship may earn political science credits toward their major.
POL 3080: Internship in Politics or Government
Students may receive credit for an internship related to political science by taking the POL 3080 Internship in Politics or Government course.
- Effective fall 2026, the course can be taken for 3-4 credits per semester.
- Students are responsible for securing their own internship.
- Students must work at least 10 hours per week, or 150 hours total, at their internship.
- Students can take POL 3080 up to three times, provided they do a different type of internship each time.
- Students can count up to 6 credits of POL 3080 toward the political science major, and up to 3 credits for the political science minor. Any credits above these limits will count as upper division elective credit towards your degree, but not towards your political science major or minor.
- Students complete weekly reading assignments, journal entries, and conduct informational interviews. Essays and research papers may also be required.
For further information about the course itself and whether your internship is eligible for POL 3080, contact Internship Director Paul Soper. You can also visit our Syllabi Bank to view past syllabi for the course.
If you have questions on how this course will count towards your major requirements, contact [email protected].
Finding an Internship
Students studying political science have skills employers in many fields are looking for. There is no one path for students studying political science. We encourage you to find an internship to learn more about what you do and do not like, to build connections and skills, and to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom.
Internship Resources
Please note: You must have an active UMN-TC email to access these resources.
Volunteer in the Twin Cities
The Center for Community Engaged Learning is an office on campus that works with partners to provide opportunities for students to engage in off-campus experiential learning. We encourage you to get started by browsing their website full of volunteer resources.
For Organizations
Do you have opportunities for students?
If you are a potential employer or have an opportunity that may be of interest to political science majors and minors, fill out our Opportunity Form so we can share it with our students.
The sooner you fill out the form, the better, as this allows more time for students to see the post and apply.
Are you interested in connecting with political science undergraduate students? Contact political science undergraduate advising at [email protected] to discuss ideas.
We strongly believe in offering equal opportunities to our students. When sending opportunities to our students, we are clear in acknowledging that we do not endorse any particular government agency, political party, non-profit, or business. We are simply a conduit to convey opportunities to students. We expect them to investigate opportunities and entities thoroughly before applying.
We require that all participating organizations abide by the University of Minnesota's Equal Opportunity and Title IX statement, as well as the Principles for Professional Practice as set forth by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. These include compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity standards, as well as compliance with all federal and state employment regulations. The Department of Political Science reserves the right to refuse service without notification to any employer for any behavior, conduct, or content, which at the discretion of department staff, warrants denial of service.