Internships in Politics, Policy and International Relations

Many politics, policy and international relations internships exist for students at the local, regional and national levels, offering students opportunities to engage in practical political or professional activities that supplement their educational experience. Internships provide students who are majoring in politics, policy and international relations 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 politics, policy and international relations majors. Students only in the politics, policy and international relations department should contact Professor Jennifer Jackman jjackman@salemstate.edu for more information.

General inquiries about internship opportunities for students in all other academic majors and departments should be directed to Career Services. 

Politics, Policy and International Relations Internships

Current political science majors and minors can access the department’s Canvas site for links to internship opportunities. Some of the locations where our students have had internships include: 

• The district and Washington, D.C. offices of U.S. Senators and Congressional Representatives, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Congressman Moulton

• The offices of governors and state agencies
• The offices of state senators and representatives, including Senator Joan Lovely and Representative Manny Cruz
• The offices of mayors, town managers and other departments in Salem and other cities and towns throughout Massachusetts
• Offices for Veterans’ Services
• The Massachusetts Department of Education
• The Massachusetts Water Resources Agency
• Numerous local newspapers, courts, and law firms
• Various local and national political campaigns
• The Salem District Court
• Salem State Human Dimensions of Wildlife Unit
• Research work with professors (as Salem State and elsewhere) 
• Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Mass PIRG, Emerge, Borgen Project, American Civil Liberties Union and more
• The Peabody Essex Museum

Two specific internship opportunities available to politics, policy and international relations students are especially noteworthy:

• The Politics, Policy and International Relations department's Rich Levy Congressional Internship Program awards a stipend each year to support student internships in the Washington, DC offices of members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation. To learn more, contact Professor Jennifer Jackman.
• The Washington Center (TWC) internship program in Washington, DC (see also the Salem State University Undergraduate Catalog). To learn more, contact Professor Elizabeth Coughlan.