Internships in the Political Science Department
Links to Specific Program Details/Application Instructions
Internship coordinator for the department: Professor Mark Hyde, Howley 304, 865-2627,
mshyde@providence.edu
All internship credit in political science, with the exception of those serving semester
long internships with the American University Washington Semester program, is earned by
enrolling in Political Science 450, Political Science Internship. The course is generally
offered both fall and spring semesters. Students must be juniors or seniors with at least
a 2.5 GPA and have an internship already secured in order to enroll in this course. While
college rules allow students to earn up to a total of six internship credits, the Political
Science Department will accept a maximum of three internship credits for the major or minor.
ALL INTERNSHIPS FOR CREDIT IN THE POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT MUST BE ARRANGED DURING THE
SEMESTER PRIOR TO WHICH THE INTERNSHIP WILL BE SERVED. Internships for the fall semester
or summer, for example, must be secured before the end of the prior spring semester. All
internships for credit, including those in the Political Science department, require that
a Providence College Learning Agreement for Internships and Field Experiences be filled out
then signed by the student, the academic advisor, and the site supervisor for the internship.
These contracts include specific information about the internship, learning objectives for the
student, and evaluation methods. Copies of the contracts can be downloaded at http://www.providence.edu/Career/Forms.htm
Providence College has formal affiliation with two internship programs focusing on government and
politics -- the R.I. State Government Internship Program and the American University Washington Semester Program.
R.I. State Government Internship Program http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/studteaguide/intern.html 401.277.6782. All
colleges and universities in R.I. participate in this program. Placements are arranged by the internship office
at the State House and include all parts of state government and some non-profit agencies.
Students work 8-10 hours per week. Credit is granted by enrolling in PSC 450 at PC.
PC students may serve an internship in this program during the fall or spring semesters. Summer internships are also available.
American University Washington Semester: http://www.washingtonsemester.com
800.424.2600. Over 300 hundred colleges and universities participate in this program; AU
has a separate Washington semester campus where students live. Four students per year are
selected from PC; 16 credits are earned, all transferable to Providence College This program
is administered at PC by Professor Hyde.
Information about other internship opportunities: Office of Career Services, Slavin 211, Patricia Goff, College Internship Coordinator. This office maintains a current list of available internships,
prints informative pamphlets and flyers about internships in general, and has staff people that are very helpful.
Any notices about internship opportunities received by the Political Science Department are forwarded to the Career
services Office in Slavin. Look for them there.
Many elected officials have internship opportunities. Students should check with both home state and
Washington based officials about serving internships in capital or home district offices. Web sites of
state and federal agencies and departments often list internship opportunities.
The Political Science Department tries to be flexible in the administration of internships outside of the above
mentioned formal programs. In some cases, the internship may be served in one semester and the academic
component completed in the following semester. Students may be able to serve internships during the
summer months and receive credit by enrolling in PSC 450 the following semester. As with other
internships, all arrangements for summer internships must be cleared with Professor Hyde before
the end of the prior spring semester.
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