The Political Science Internship Program at UNC Charlotte

Students undertaking an internship earn academic credit by working at an organization—such as a government office, political campaign, community organization, or private business—to gain hands-on experience, explore possible careers, and develop employment and professional networks.

Most internships have the student working on a particular project for the host organization. The details of the project and the student’s responsibilities are worked out between the student and the host organization and approved by the Political Science Department’s internship coordinator before the internship begins. As well as completing the work on the project, the student (1) arranges for the host organization to provide an evaluation of her or his work and (2) the student prepares a paper that describes the host organization, the activities of the project, assesses the outcomes of the project, and relates their experience to what they have learned in the classroom.

How to Obtain an Internship

Begin by identifying possible internship opportunities which are of interest to you. This process involves finding possible host organizations and thinking about the kind of projects which interest you. Internet searches are a good place to start in identifying possible host organizations. You can consult a folder with internship information located at the front desk in the Political Science department. We also maintain an online list of organizations that contact us for internships. You might also want to consult with your major advisor or the Political Science internship coordinator, Professor Walsh, to start generating ideas about possible internship locations. Then call or email the organization to determine who you should contact regarding internships. Some of the organizations where students have held internships in recent semesters include:

United States Attorney, Western District of North Carolina

City of Charlotte GIS Division

Immigration law firm

Criminal law firm

Democracy North Carolina voter participation group

Charlotte Bobcats

University YMCA

US House campaign of Larry Kissell

Washington office of Senator Richard Burr

Next, send an email to the contact person in which you outline your interests and objectives; attach a copy of your resume as well as the Political Science department’s information for internship host organizations (which you can find here). Note that some organizations have formal internship programs that have specific application procedures and deadlines; be sure to follow these. But many organizations handle internships less formally, and are happy to get the assistance of qualified and interested students.

If the organization is interested in you as a possible intern, set up an interview. Come to the interview dressed in appropriate attire, with a copy of your resume, prepared to listen to ideas the project supervisor has for your internship project and with ideas of your own about what you would like to get from the experience. Make sure you discuss details such as hours of work, supervision, how to get help, expectations for the quality and format of your work, due dates, and practical issues such as parking. Write a thank you letter or email within two days of your interview.

Once you agree with the host organization on the terms of your internship, have your supervisor contact the Political Science department’s internship coordinator, Professor James Walsh, with the following information: the start and end dates of the internship, the total number of hours to be worked, and a brief description of the intern’s duties. Your supervisor can email this to Professor Walsh at jwalsh@uncc.edu, fax it to (704) 687-3497, or mail it to: Political Science Department, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte NC 28223.

The student should also fill out and submit to Professor Walsh the internship contract, which can be downloaded here. Once both of these tasks are completed, Professor Walsh will issue a permit for the student to enroll in the internship class, POLS 3400. The student is then responsible for actually enrolling in the class. For a three-credit hour internship, the class is POLS 3400A01; for a six-credit hour internship, the class is POLS 3400B01.

Note that the professional activities of interns are covered by liability insurance. You can find more details on this coverage here. Students enrolled in a political science internship pay $17 for this insurance, and sign a waiver form (the form is available here). Visit the political science department on the fourth floor of the Fretwell building to pay for your insurance and to sign the waiver form once your internship has been established.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Do internships pay?

Some organizations pay their interns; many do not. Both paid and unpaid internships are eligible for internship credit as long as the student does substantive work for a minimum number of hours (see below for more on this). You should discuss payment with your supervisor when setting up the internship. The objective of the internship intended to provide students with experience, career information, and networking opportunities that may prove useful in getting a job after graduation.

What do I do during the internship?

This varies a great deal and depends largely on the needs of the host organization. Your internship needs to involve at least 150 hours of substantive work to earn three hours of college credit (or 300 hours of work to earn six credits). The key is that the work is substantive; it should not primarily involve tasks such as typing, filing, or photocopying. Instead, you spend most of your internship doing things such as research, taking information from clients, creating presentations, etc.

Do I have to complete the internship during the semester?

No. Your internship does provide credit during the semester for which you register. But you do not have to complete all of the work during this semester; often it is it is difficult to schedule your internship so that it coincides exactly with the regular semester. Students can arrange internships so that the work is spread out over two semesters, or takes place during the winter break or other periods when the University is not in session. The important thing is that you work the minimum number of hours required for the credit hours you are receiving and that you get the agreement from your host organization’s supervisor and the Political Science department’s internship coordinator about when you will complete this work.

What about summer?

Summer is a great time to take on an internship. Your schedule is often more flexible, and many organizations have programs in place for summer interns. So you can easily arrange to register for internship credit during the summer.

Does the internship have to be in Charlotte?

You can do the internship anywhere in the world. Location does not matter; what does matter is that you will undertake substantive work. While most of our interns do of course work in Charlotte, we have had others that interned as far away as Washington DC, Nairobi, Kenya, and Lagos, Nigeria.

When should I start looking?

Since it is up to you to locate an appropriate host organization and negotiate the terms of your internship, it is a good idea to start exploring internship possibilities early. It can often take a few months to locate an organization that interests you, persuade them to offer you an internship, and handle the paperwork.

How many credit hours will I earn?

POLS 3400 is offered as either a three hour or a six hour course.  You must work a total of at least 150 hours on the job to earn three hours credit.  To earn six credit hours requires at least 300 hours of work on the job.  If the duties are only partly of a suitable nature for an internship (e.g. part of the job may involve clerical work) you may be required to work more than the minimum to earn the number of credit hours you desire.

What about the internship paper I write?

The report is an in-depth examination of the internship.  You should explain your duties in detail.  But it is more than an essay on “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.”  A chronological list of activities is tedious and unnecessary.  You must relate what you learned on the job to what you have learned in other courses at the University.  Since the paper will be treated as confidential, feel free to criticize the employer as necessary.  The important thing is to tell what you learned, how you learned it, and how you will use that knowledge.  If the internship was a bust and you learned nothing, tell the instructor why it was so bad and how it would have been better.  You are free to include anything with the paper in the way of supporting material.  For example, a copy of reports and projects you worked on during the internship would be very helpful.

However, you should include nothing in the paper or the supporting material which your employer would consider confidential.  The paper for three hour internship should be a minimum of eight pages typewritten, double spaced, exclusive of supporting material.  For a six hour internship the paper must be a minimum of twelve pages in length.  To prepare in advance for this paper it is wise to keep a daily journal (diary) of your activities and thoughts about the work.  This journal should not be part of the supporting material of your paper.

How are internships graded?

This is a pass/no credit course.  But it does not count as one of the four pass/no credit courses you may choose to take, and it does count toward the major or minor in Political Science.

The grade in POLS 3400 is determined by the written report and the employer’s written evaluation.  If the employer’s evaluation is negative, it will weigh heavily in determining your grade.  The weight given a positive evaluation will depend on its length and quality.  A one or two sentence evaluation saying you did a “good job” will force the instructor to depend entirely on your written report to determine your grade.  However an in-depth appraisal by the employer could count as much as 50% of your grade in the course.  If the evaluation from the employer and the written report are not received by the end of the semester, you will receive an incomplete for the course.

Do I need to be a political science major to enroll in internship?

Students of any major can enroll in the Political Science department’s internship program.

What if my internship ends early?

Occasionally an internship is terminated before the work has been finished.  If the instructor believes that you are not responsible for your termination you will receive a “W” for the course.  If you completed 150 hours of work, but were enrolled for a six hour internship and the termination was not your fault, you will receive three hours credit instead of six.  You should be aware that if you do not drop the course and you fail to live up to the internship agreement, the grade awarded will be “No credit”.  In no instance will the University intervene between you and the employer.  If the employer fails to live up to the agreement, you will not suffer a bad grade; but no further remedial action can be taken by the University.