Updated for Fall 2026
At Monmouth College, we definitely recommend you make use of our Wackerle Center for Career, Leadership & Fellowships. They are our primary on-campus resource for things such as internships. That said, all of our political science faculty are willing to work with Monmouth students on internships related to politics and the law!
General Tips
- Start thinking about this early. Begin looking in the fall for summer internships. Pay attention to the deadlines.
- Use your connections. If you know (or have family who knows) people connected to politicians or particular government agencies, they can be a great resource.
- Consider creating an account on the USA Jobs website. They also have a “students” page.
- Some internships are paid, some are not. Consider what is possible for you.
- Course credit is likely possible. Be sure to reach out to faculty advisors early if you are interested in that.
- Be professional. As you reach out to potential contacts and employers, be aware of how you present yourself. Your faculty and our career center can be good resources for helps with this.
Interning with a politician
Individual politicians usually manage their own internship programs, particularly at the federal level. Information can often be found out on their official website.
For instance, our own current US Representative is Eric Sorensen and his website includes application requiremetns and deadlines: https://sorensen.house.gov/services/internships
Similarly, Illinois’ US Senator Tammy Duckworth’s website has its own internship page: https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/help/internships
Some internships are tied to the offices politicians hold, such as these internships at the Illinois Governor’s Office: https://gov.illinois.gov/about/opportunities.html. The Curry internship is paid: the Curry internships are paid: Michael Curry Summer Internship Program.
Interning in DC
Many undergraduates want the experience of going to the nation’s capital and interning there. That could be through one of your representatives or senators (see above), but there are other pathways as well.
The US House of Representatives has a page dedicated to positions with members and committees: https://www.house.gov/employment/positions-with-members-and-committees. However, it can be helpful to go direct to the webpages for those membes and committees. For instance, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs has a website about its internship applications: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/about/internships.
Individual government agencies also have internships. Consider, for instance:
- The FBI: https://fbijobs.gov/students-and-graduates
- The Department of State: https://careers.state.gov/interns-fellows/
- The US Department of Agriculture: https://www.usda.gov/farming-and-ranching/agricultural-education-and-outreach/youth-agriculture/internships-and-career-opportunities
- and so on!
Other Programs:
The Washington Center for Internships is an independent non-profit that matches/supports students in DC internships: Academic Internship Program | Programs | The Washington Center. Their list price is pretty substantial, but they give financial aid, including from Pi Sigma Alpha: Internship Scholarship – Pi Sigma Alpha
The Fund for American Studies is an organization established to “educate students about the principles of limited government and free-market economics.” TFAS D.C. Academic Internship Programs. Again, a pretty substantial list price, but financial aid is available, and it includes housing.
Nonprofits in District of Columbia – Nonprofit Explorer – ProPublica
As noted above, also be sure to go to USAjobs.gov: USAJOBS Help Center – Students. Make an account at usajobs, and set alerts so you’ll get notice when internships open up. The application window is generally pretty short for these. These would be a mix of paid and unpaid internships.
Mike Nelson 