Internships

Political Science students are encouraged to obtain internships in local, state or national government agencies, with political parties and interest groups, or with other organizations of their choosing.

In order for internship credit to be considered for the Political Science major or minor, the internship must be (1) supervised by a Western faculty member, or (2) offered through a formal internship program relating to Political Science broadly understood.  The department offers two types of internships for credit:

  • Administrative Internships
  • Legislative Internships

If you are interested in a local internship, please contact the Faculty Internship Coordinator at least one quarter in advance of registration, sooner if you are interested in a state or federal internship. Any internship completed for Political Science credit must be approved by the Faculty Internship Coordinator. 

Please note that students may count only 10 credits of internship and independent study combined toward the Political Science major; up to 5 internship credits count toward the minor but will not count toward the required 10 credits of upper division courses.

Faculty Internship Coordinator

Professor Todd Donovan

Political Science Department
Western Washington University
AH 418, 516 High Street
Bellingham, WA 98226-9082S  360-650-3018
Todd.Donovan@wwu.edu

Internship Opportunities

Internships are available in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer.  Political Science students have interned locally, across the state and in the nation's capital.  The chance to complete an internship in your field is a fantastic opportunity to "get your feet wet" in your chosen field and make connections that can be helpful down the road as your career develops.  For a complete list of past internships, please contact the Internship Coordinator, Professor Todd Donovan.

Campaign Internship Opportunities

List of current campaign internship opportunities.

Please note that sharing information with students about internship opportunities is part of the regular conduct of the Political Science Department.  Political campaigns may request to post internship opportunities in this database by contacting the internship coordinator Todd Donovan; please provide an internship description (pdf format) that includes contact information and application requirements.  As a state entity and in compliance with RCW 42.52.180, Western Washington University is neutral with regard to party affiliation or campaign interests. 

 

General Internship Opportunities for Political Science Students

The following is an evolving list of internships that may be of interest to Political Science students:

 

Additional information is available at Idealist.org and Looksharp, two on-line tools for identifying internships opportunities.  Students interested in doing an internship abroad may wish to consult with the Education Abroad office and view the International Internship Guidelines program.