Internships allow students to apply classroom knowledge to better understand political processes in the real world.
Prepare your Professional Path
Connecting students to internships is a high-impact practice linked to increased persistence, degree completion, and post-graduation success. Internships contribute to personal and professional development, fostering skills like teamwork and communication. They offer insights into workplace culture, networking opportunities, quicker job placement, higher starting salaries, and leadership development.
Students participating in internships gain real-world experience, acquire and adapt skills, explore various career paths, and establish professional networks. Internships can count toward Political Science and Philosophy majors or minors; consult with an advisor regarding academic credit early on. For internships relevant to your degree, communicate with the internship coordinator.
Your Internship Coordinator
Greg Vonnahme
Associate Professor
Email
What Are the Requirements?
If you're earning academic credit, the expectation is 10 hours of work per week on average. For a three-credit internship, that equals 150 hours over a semester. If no academic credit is involved, work hours and duration can be negotiated with the employer.
Excelling in academics, building relationships with faculty and advisors, engaging in extracurricular activities, and taking on leadership roles are crucial. Volunteer or community engagement work also serves as relevant experience toward the internship of your choice.
The Political Science Internship Policy (PDF) has detailed information on eligibility, grading and all requirements pertaining to internships for academic credit. Before enrolling in Pol-Sci 491, students must:
- Obtain an internship offer from an organization.
- Complete the Initial Intern Agreement (PDF) and Internship Application (PDF).
- Schedule a meeting with Greg Vonnahme and email the internship offer and completed forms to him.
Crafting an outstanding resume and cover letter is essential. UMKC Career Services offers support in resume and cover letter development to enhance your internship applications. Additionally, honing interview skills is vital for success when invited to interviews.
Placement Sites for Professional Experience
Office of Kansas Attorney General
What our Students Are Saying
"I interned in Washington D.C. with the United States House of Representatives in a member's office. During my time in D.C., I helped manage constituent services (including Capitol tours and phone calls), attended hearings, and assisted with legislative research. I am now interning for the U.S. Senate in a local district office. Regardless of your intended career path, I would absolutely recommend interning in any capacity that presents the opportunity because you never know where it may lead you in the future."
Brooke McCanles
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