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Political Science and International Relations Internships 

The Program
The Department of Politics and International Relations lists a 4-hour Internship as a requirement for graduation. Students frequently fulfill the internship requirement during the summer, although a limited number of internships during the school year are also possible. A  4-hour internship requires at least 200 hours of work experience. 

The internship involves working on a full or part-time basis in the office of public officials at the national, state, or local level for Political Science Internships and in international fields for International Relations Internships. These internships may involve work for government officials, political party organizations, political campaigns, interest groups, international political or humanitarian organizations, or other similar activities.

The purpose of the internship experience is to provide students with opportunities to apply what is learned in the classroom to real-world political situations. In addition, internships are valuable in that they provide experiences which can assist in making career choices. In some cases the internship can provide a bridge to future employment.

Eligibility

1. Internships are offered only to majors.  
2. A student must have completed at least 16 hours of political science or international relations credit. 
3. Interns must hold junior or senior status.

Students have recently interned in places such as the House International Relations Committee, The American Red Cross, Yuma Border Patrol, Common Cause, The International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, the US Attorney’s Office, The American Enterprise Institute, World Relief, World Vision, offices of state and national politicians, law practices and local advocacy organizations. A full listing of recent internships is available from the department.

Please see the Departmental Handbook for the requirements of internships and the process of enrolling. 
 

Off-Campus Programs
There are two key off-campus programs in which majors can participate for credit toward the major. The Wheaton-in-Washington program is a four week program combining on-campus course work with time in Washington, D.C. This program is offered in the summer of even-numbered years. Wheaton-in-Chicago is a program sponsored by the Urban Studies Program and provides a semester of living and working in the city of Chicago; it is offered each year.

Wheaton-in-Washington
Offered in alternate years, this program is a four-week summer course, with time spent in concentrated course work on the Wheaton College campus and time spent in the nation's capitol, resulting in six credit hours toward the major. The D.C. experience features visits with leaders of both houses of Congress, various lobbying and special interest groups and on-site observation of the US government at work. A frequent, practical outcome of the program is the contact with various offices and organizations that may lead to internships and job experiences. This program will not be offered in the summer of 2008, due to staffing issues, but it will be offered in either 2009 or 2010.

Wheaton-in-Chicago
Wheaton in Chicago is a semester-long, residential, experiential program of study.  During the Wheaton in Chicago semester, students consider the causes and consequences of the urban condition and examine the origins and implications of urban issues through coursework and internships.  Drawing heavily from the social sciences, students explore urban politics, policy, and political economy, among other themes.  Since the program’s inception, more than 100 students—representing every division and more than 20 majors—have joined Wheaton in Chicago downtown.  Wheaton in Chicago prepares students for a lifetime of engagement with the presence and influence of the city in an increasingly urban world while requiring that they do so in a way that integrates a faithful Christian worldview.  Students live in apartments located in Uptown—one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods—along Chicago’s north lakefront.  Renovated to Wheaton College specifications for student life and instruction, the building and its location permit robust instructional and experiential opportunities.  The program promotes the integration between faith and learning through a curriculum that combines urban theory and experience with Bible and theology, bringing together an analysis of the city with a Christian social ethic to form a critical cognitive framework. Students register for two core courses, Urban Theory and Experience (URBN 451) and Christian Thought (BITH 315), a two-to-eight hour internship, and a choice of electives. Courses are taught both by Wheaton faculty and practitioners from the city, while drawing on a rich array of guest speakers.  The "Chicago" course (URBN 231) is a prerequisite for the program.  Students must also have completed 16 credit hours within their major in order to receive major credit for their internship. Wheaton in Chicago is sponsored by the Urban Studies program, which offers a 21-credit certificate in Urban Studies.

Wheaton-in-Chicago

In addition to the Wheaton programs mentioned above, the following two programs located in Washington, D.C. allow for credit transfer back to Wheaton with relative ease. These programs run during fall and spring semesters. While in DC, students complete an internship supervised by faculty of the chosen program, which fulfills the department internship requirement.

The Washington Semester Program
This program, sponsored by American University, is a cooperative intercollegiate honors program of seminars, internships and research on governmental operations. Because it is based in Washington, D.C., students have access to a multitude of experiences which provide for a dynamic educational experience in American government and foreign policy. Well-qualified students are chosen by each of the more than 100 participating colleges to spend a semester in Washington. Students may concentrate their studies in one of six areas: American politics, economic policy, foreign policy, justice, journalism, or peace and conflict resolution. A full semester of credit may be earned in this off-campus opportunity. The program is offered in both the fall and spring semesters. The junior year is the recommended time for this program. Additional information on this program can be obtained in the Political Science Department.

American Studies Program
This program is offered by the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities. About 30 students are generally involved in the program at any given time and live together in housing located near the Congress and the Supreme Court. Like the American University program, the Coalition program seeks to combine internship experiences with lecture/discussion topics. As a general rule, students work in their internships three days a week and meet two days a week for presentations and discussion. The topics of reading and discussion vary each month and would include issues such as domestic politics, the presidency, the economy and international affairs. The program operates during the fall and spring semesters. Participants receive a full semester of credit. Students normally receive 8 hours of political science credit toward the major - 4 hours of internship and 4 hours of elective credit. The additional 8 hours earned normally count as non-political science elective credits. Any student wishing to petition for more than 8 hours of political science credit should submit that request to the department chair. The decision on that request will be based on the ASP course work. The campus coordinator of this program is Paul Johnson, Dean of Academic Records and Services, Registrar.