Opportunities are everything

Internships and community engagement play an important role in helping students build the skills, knowledge, and connections needed to compete in today’s job market. Our students gain valuable, resume-building experience in all economic sectors, including campaigns and elections, foreign affairs, government administration, law, public policy, and business.

Jackson Guilford photo

“From the incredibly helpful professors to the generous departmental scholarships that allowed me to do an internship in D.C., the department helped me every step of the way.”

Jackson Guilford
’20, BS Political Science

We Help you Find Opportunities

What we offer

The Department of Political Science maintains networks at the local, state, and federal government levels, as well as across the private and non-profit sectors, that help our students gain access to  internship and volunteer experiences during their college career. Students are informed about the latest opportunities via weekly emails and on our ICON page for political science and international relations majors.

We Help Fund Your Experience
The Department of Political Science is pleased to have funds available to help with travel, housing, and living expenses associated with internships away from the Iowa City area. Students are encouraged to apply early using the link below. Contact nicholas-martini@uiowa.edu or polisci@uiowa.edu if you have any questions.

Earn Degree Credit For Your Internship

We offer internship courses that allow students to earn ungraded elective credit toward their degree requirements while building their professional profile.

Course options include:

  • POLI:4900 Government Internships (1-3 s.h.)
    Intended for students interning on a part-time basis while still enrolled in regular courses on campus. Hours earned are based on the number of hours per week worked in the internship.
  • POLI:3124 Guided Political Science Internships (1-9 s.h.)
    This course provides students the opportunity to intern fulltime, in the Iowa City area or anywhere around the world, while continuing timely progress toward degree requirements.
  • CCP:1005 Internship in Liberal Arts and Sciences (0 s.h.)
    For students who do not need to earn credit toward degree, registering for the Pomerantz Career Center’s 0 s.h. internship course allows them to have the internship noted on their transcript and maintain student standing, without obligating the student to tuition and fee charges.

Intern in the Nation’s Capital

The Washington Center Internship Program
Through a longstanding relationship with The Washington Center, our students have access to a diverse selection of full semester-length and summer internships in the heart of Washington, D.C. Interested students can schedule an appointment with the Pomerantz Career Center to learn more. While in D.C., student are encouraged to connect with fellow Hawkeyes through the Capital Area Hawkeye Club, www.capitalareaiowaclub.com.

 

Global Experience

Study Abroad, University of Iowa International Programs
Students can build valuable cultural and language skills, and professional networks, by studying, interning, and conducting research abroad. Recent examples include interning with the U.S. Department of State in Latvia, conducting research in South Africa, and attending an intensive Arabic language school in Jordan.  To learn more about how you can build your resume through international experiences, go to international.uiowa.edu/study-abroad.