Internship Requirements
Internships are open to Political Science majors and minors who have junior or higher standing, at least a 2.5 GPA, completion of 12 credits of POLS coursework, and consent of instructor. The course – POLS 410 – may be repeated for a maximum of 12 credits; however, only 3 credits apply toward the BA Political Science major or minor. POLS 410 is graded S/U.
Internship credits for POLS 410 are calculated as follows:
15-week Fall or Spring semesters, students can earn 3 credits for a total of 150 hours of work as an intern (10 hours per week)
In the 10-week summer session, students can earn 3 credits for a total of 150 hours of work as an intern (15 hours per week).
Students should inform a faculty member or the head of the department of their interest in taking internship credit at least three weeks before the last day to add classes for the semester or summer session in which the internship will take place. The department does not give any retroactive credit to internships that may have been carried out without registering for POLS 410.
For more information about undergraduate internships, see these Internship Guidelines, or contact the Department head, Dr. Harvey, at nharvey@nmsu.edu.
Internships also are available for graduate students in either the MA Political Science or Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. MA students should check with Dr. Sabine Hirschauer abour POLS 510 Internship, at shirscha@nmsu.edu. MPA students should check with Dr. Christina Medina about POLS 510 Internship, at camedina@nmsu.edu
Opportunities in Washington D.C. and locally
Capital Semester Spring and Summer
Sponsored by The Fund for American Studies, Capital Semester combines substantive internships, 12 academic credits, career development activities, site briefings and lectures led by policy experts. This fast-paced, fifteen-week residential program provides undergraduate students from around the world with opportunities to gain the edge in today’s competitive job market and graduate school admissions, and experience the excitement of Washington first-hand. For more information please refer here.
City of Las Cruces
Overview: MPA students are matched to departments or city council to assist with policy analysis, budgeting, planning, public affairs, citizen participation efforts, and program development.
Contact: Dr. Christina Medina at camedina@nmsu.edu.
Other opportunities come available throughout the year, so check back for new internship openings.
Career Services: How to Search for Internships
The NMSU Career Services Office subscribes to this extensive searchable database of internships around the country. For more information on this and other internship options, check the Internship page of Career Services, at https://careerservices.nmsu.edu/intern
