Garrett Lankford

 

Program Information

  1. The Political Science internship program is managed by Department Head, Dr. Eric Austin, and Academic Services Coordinator, Madison Gordon. All internship related communications can be sent to either Dr. Austin or Madison directly by email: eric.austin@montana.edu / madison.gordonmara@montana.edu 
  2. You must have your internship learning contract completed and submitted by Wednesday, September 4 for the Fall 2024 semester. We are aligning our program with the university registration deadlines and the date noted above is the last day to add courses. 
  3. In addition to the required 4 internship reports, students will need to create a 30 second – 1-minute advertisement showcasing the organization they are interning with for their final project.
  4. For any students who are continuing an internship you are required to submit a new learning contract and you must meet with Dr. Austin and your site supervisor prior to the last day to add courses to establish the expectations for the semester. You will not be required to submit the 4 internship reports or advertisement, but instead will submit a substantive research project that elevates your internship experience, while also adding value to the organization you are interning with. This report may range in type and content but must result in a 20-25-pages research output.

 

 

Political Science majors at Montana State University are encouraged to participate in an internship experience during their undergraduate course work. The options are virtually limitless – some are formally established, such as working in Washington, DC with the Washington Center or on Montana’s U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative’s committees. Others may be tailored to a student’s specific area of interest, such as working in a law office or for a non-profit organization. During election years, the experience of working on a political campaign provides hands-on involvement in that exciting and dynamic aspect of the political process. Internships can be undertaken during the regular academic year or during summers, at the discretion of the student and the sponsoring organization.

The Political Science department is committed to supporting student internship experiences by delegating a faculty internship advisor and maintaining information on a variety of public and private sector opportunities.

Here is a list of organizations who regularly recruit Montana State University Political Science majors for internships:

United States Senate Committee on Finance (www.finance.senate.gov)
The Office of U.S. Senator (from Montana)
The Office of U.S. Representative (from Montana)
The Fund for American Studies
Institute for Humane Studies – George Mason University (www.TheIHS.org/policy)
The Washington Center – Domestic and International programs (www.twc.edu)
     *Courses taken at the Washington Center will only transfer as internship credits, not course credits *
The Student Conservation Association (www.thesca.org/internships)

Montana Women Vote
Montana INBRE Public Health Internships
Montana State Legislature

Bozeman City and County Offices

Please visit the Political Science Office for additional internship and contact information. Please direct all internship emails to politicalscienceinternships@montana.edu for consideration. Any internship contracts or questions sent to any other email may not be addressed. 

Internship Materials:

  1. Internship Instructions
  2. Internship Contract