Student Internship Opportunities
Many internships exist for students at the local, regional and national levels, offering students opportunities to engage in practical or vocational activities that supplement their educational experience. Internships provide students with relevant learning experiences in career environments off-campus, and may prove to be invaluable stepping stones along their chosen career paths. Participating in an internship is an option available to all Political Science majors. Students should contact Professor Richard Levy for further information.
The Department of Political Science provides you with the opportunity to participate in an internship as a part of your degree program. Students in all of our degree programs must undertake either an internship (POL 520) or a directed study (POL 500; see also Undergraduate Research Opportunities below). Internships generally enable you to earn three(3) credits during a given semester upon successful completion of all internship requirements, although some internships (especially summer internships locally or in Washington, DC) may qualify for more than three credits. With guidance from the department's internship coordinator, presently Professor Richard Levy, students have successfully found internships that allowed them to evaluate and apply in a practical setting what they had learned in the major, while gaining hands-on knowledge and experience in a range of real-world workplaces related to Political Science. Internships typically also make it possible for students to clarify and explore potential career choices. Students often make contacts during their internship which may prove very helpful to them in their future careers.
A binder with internship announcements is available in Meier Hall 333B. Some of the locations where our students have had Political Science internships include:
- The office of U.S. Congressman John Tierney (who has, as a graduate of our department, been very supportive of our students)
- The office of U.S. Senator John Kerry in Washington, DC
- The office of U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy in Washington, DC
- The offices of Massachusetts state senators and state representatives
- The office of the Mayor of Salem
- Medford City Hall
- The Massachusetts Department of Education
- The Massachusetts Water Resources Agency
- Local newspapers, courts, and law firms
- Various local and national political campaigns
- Various non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
- The Peabody Essex Museum
Two specific internship opportunities available to Political Science students are especially noteworthy:
- The Political Science summer internship program in U.S. Senator John Kerry's Washington office. The department is guaranteed one internship opening every summer for one of our students.
- The Washington Center (TWC) internship program in Washington, DC (see also the Salem State University Undergraduate Catalog).
Internship Coordinators for the Department of Political Science
Professor Richard J. Levy
Office: Meier Hall, Room 333C (North Campus)
Email: richard.levy@salemstate.edu
Phone: 978.542.6161
Fax: 978.542.6973
Copies of the POL520 Internship in Politics syllabus can be found on Professor Levy's door.
The Washington Center Internship Program
Professor Elizabeth Coughlan
Office: Meier Hall, Room 333D (North Campus)
Email: elizabeth.coughlan@salemstate.edu
Phone: 978.542.7296
Fax: 978.542.6973
The Summer Internship in Senator John Kerry's Washington Office
Professor Jennifer Jackman
Office: Meier Hall, Room 333B (North Campus)
Email: jennifer.jackman@salemstate.edu
Phone: 978.542.2241
Fax: 978.542.6973
The William H. Bates Center for Public Affairs
The Bates Center for Public Affairs at Salem State University, established in 1969 in memory of the late Congressman William H. Bates, is integrally associated with the Department of Political Science. In pursuit of its goal to foster academic excellence in the fields of government and politics, the Bates Center sponsors a range of activities including lectures and forums, field trips, internships, and other public activities. Please contact the chairperson of the Department of Political Science if you are interested in the activities of the Bates Center.
