Internships

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Contact: Jeremy Wolf

The Political Science Department at SUNY Cortland welcomes student interest in our various internship programs. One of the most effective ways of getting political knowledge is to work at a legislative office where public policies and laws are being debated.

Internships provide valuable, hands-on experience that give you an insight into a career path and provide you with an opportunity to network. Student interns have the opportunity to get involved in the political process, make a contribution to the community and develop specialized employment skills and contacts.

SUNY Cortland has a wide variety of internship options available. There are two avenues for internship opportunities. The first is for Pass/Fail non-departmental credit through Career Services. The second is for political science credit that is graded.

The Political Science Department offers these opportunities:

POL 480: The Washington Internship

This is your opportunity to go to the U.S. Congress, the Supreme Court, the National Institutes of Health and many other great sites in Washington D.C. The Washington Semester program is administered through SUNY Brockport. You can register to receive credit from SUNY Cortland. For more information, visit Washington Program.

POL 482: The Albany Internship 

Spend a semester working for the New York State Legislature. This is a wonderful experience and a great opportunity to understand state politics, constituent concerns, parliamentary procedure. Our students also regularly participate in New York State Assembly Internships. For more information about this program, visit New York State Assembly Program.

POL 483: Public Administration and Policy Internship

You can intern in a variety of state and local government departments and agencies. gaining practical field experience combined with instructor-led seminars and workshops. This course may be repeated once with the consent of the department. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing; previous political science coursework; consent of department.

POL 484: The Pre-Law Internship

If you would like to work for a local district attorney, or maybe a judge, or possibly an attorney in your home town, you can earn academic credit as well. This is a wise choice if you want to find out if a career in law is really what you want.

POL 485: Field Study in Political Science

The field study program offers an off-campus experience related to government, politics or law.