The political science program sends students to a wide variety of high-profile internships. All political science and international relations majors are strongly encouraged to consider taking advantage of this opportunity.

Why an internship?

The Internship Program at Calvin Political Science is an opportunity for our political science and international relations majors to learn through practical experience. While internships are invaluable as a means of professional networking and career advancement, the primary objective of our program is for students to make connections between the discipline of political science and their own vocational calling.

Student-interns work in a variety of national, state, and local executive and legislative offices, governmental and non-governmental agencies, political campaigns, party and interest group organizations, think tanks, advocacy groups, and law-related organizations (e.g., courts, law firms). International relations students may also consider internships in international business or non-government organizations (NGOs). Internships may take place anywhere and throughout the calendar year.

Finding an internship

While the Internship Director and Political Science Department will help prospective interns find a suitable organization, students themselves are ultimately responsible for identifying and contacting a sponsoring organization.

One of the key steps in finding an internship is to meet with the Internship Director to discuss vocational aspirations and placement opportunities. Prior to this meeting, students should write a brief sketch of their ideal internship placement as well as consult the following resources:

Please contact the Calvin University Political Science Internship Director, Joel Westra (jhw3@calvin.edu) if you wish to use an Internship for credit. The form for the Internship Agreement can be found here. For more information about the course requirements, please see the syllabus.