Political Science Internships

The Political Science Department offers three distinct types of internships: The Philadelphia Area Internship Program, The Global Smarts Mentoring Program and The Washington Center Internship Program.

The Philadelphia Area Internship Program allows students from any major to work 10 hours per week in the public sector, private sector or non-government organizations in the Philadelphia area during the fall semester and receive credit for an upper-division course in political science and international relations. Our program uniquely connects academics and professional life, and students who completed the course have found work in the offices of senators and mayors, financial and public relations firms and not-for-profits. We take enormous pride in how our graduates offer exclusive leads and connections for internship and job opportunities on our private Facebook group.

Please contact our department to receive additional information about the Philadelphia Area Internship Program. 

During the spring semester, our department offers the Global Smarts Mentors Program, a service-learning opportunity sponsored by the World Affairs Council and in collaboration with the Department of Political Science. Students of all majors are competitively selected to serve Philadelphia elementary and middle school students through this highly regarded partnership with the World Affairs Council, a thought leader in education about international affairs. As mentors, Saint Joseph's University students interact, teach and lead middle schoolers towards participation in the annual Junior Model UN Conference that takes place at the end of each spring semester. Students receive credit for an experiential learning course in political science and international relations.

Look for the call from our department to apply for the program. Applications and interviews are held every fall for the spring cohort.

For students of all majors interested in spending a semester or a summer in Washington, D.C., Saint Joseph's University participates in The Washington Center (TWC) for internships and academic programs.

Founded in 1975 as a nonprofit independent, experiential education organization, The Washington Center has over 50,000 alumni worldwide. It has educational partnerships with approximately 850 colleges and universities nationwide and throughout the world and works with over 3,000 public, private, and non-profit organizations in the nation's capital. Saint Joseph’s University has sent more than 500 students to DC to participate in TWC’s various internship and seminar programs.

Students who are selected as TWC participants spend a semester or a summer in our nation’s capital while earning academic credit. Students work at one of several internship sites and take classes specific to their major and professional field of interest. TWC students also participate in a Leadership Forum that prepares them for entering the workforce by assisting with resume building, networking venues and interviewing skills.

Visit Saint Joseph's Washington Center Program website for more information or contact Lisa Baglione, Ph.D. or Katherine Sibley, Ph.D. the University's TWC liaison.