APSA Resources

Studying in Washington: A Guide to Academic Internships in the Nation's Capital
^{(5th ed., 2002), by Stephen Frantzich}

This booklet is designed to help undergraduates learn how to secure a Washington, D.C. internship and how to make the best of the internship experience while in the nation's capital. 

It provides detailed guidance for specific concerns about the different kinds of internships available,  the living experience in Washington (including housing arrangements, costs, etc.), resources available to interns and those seeking internships, various approaches for leveraging the experience academically, and what to do when exiting the internship.  To order, go to the Career Publications order page.

The following is a collection of non-APSA internship programs and databases.  Some are specifically targeted to minority students, undergraduates, etc. while others are general programs for any interested student. 

ACT Summer Internship Program - ACT sponsors a Summer Internship Program, offered annually to outstanding doctoral students interested in careers related to assessment and educational studies. The program provides interns with practical experience through completion of a project, seminars, and direct interaction with professionals responsible for research and development of testing programs and other educational services. The program is also intended to assist in increasing the number of women and minority professionals in measurement and related fields.

College Board Online - This site has several articles with links pointing to internship resources.  Use the site's search feature to search on "internships".

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Internships
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Internship programs bring the policy making process to life. The nation's capital serves as the backdrop for our internship programs that offer personal, educational, and leadership development. Students leave our programs better prepared to meet the complex challenges facing current and future generations.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Summer Internship - The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Program focuses on increasing Hispanic Students' awareness of the U.S. political system and enhancing their leadership skills.  

DCInternships.org - The Fund for American Studies -  The Fund for American Studies was founded to help instill in young people an appreciation for the American form of government and the free enterprise system. TFAS sponsors Institutes that teach college students about the principles and values upon which the United States was founded.  Each Institute offers classroom study, internships, and special events.  Students in the summer are housed together at Georgetown University while the Capital Semester students live in a newly-renovated intern residence building located on Capitol Hill.

Ford Motor Company/Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) Leadership Program - This program offers a unique internship experience for students to develop their personal, educational, and leadership skills.  Oppportunity for students to gain exposure to the inner workings of the United States Congress, Federal Government and Washington, DC-based think tanks and international institutions.

Foreign Agricultural Service's International Internship Program - The Foreign Agricultural Service's International Internship Program provides college students the opportunity to live and work in a paid internship at an American Embassy overseas. Through work assignments participants learn various aspects of international trade, trade policy, international relations, diplomacy, regional and cultural considerations, etc. Positions are available in Western Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The internship is offered every semester and summer for graduate students and upperclassmen (juniors and seniors).

Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities National Internship Program - This program offers internships to Hispanic Students who attend institutions that enroll significant numbers of Hispanic Students. Internships are offered in Washington D.C. as well as other locations throughout the country. 

Jefferson Consulting Group, LLC - This organization provides strategic business and marketing advice, procurement assistance, and lobbying services to clients. They offer unpaid year-round internships to Junior, Senior or Graduate students studying Political Science and Public or Business Administration. Interns work directly with Lobbying, Federal Marketing, and Government Solutions Divisions on client-related activities. Responsibilities include policy, market and issues research and analysis, development of research summaries, charts and graphs as well as other project-oriented tasks.

Morris K. Udall Foundation Native American Summer Congressional Internship Program - This program is designed to provide Native American college students with experience in the legislative process, congressional matters, and governmental proceedings.

National Academy of Social Insurance - The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), a non-profit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance, is uniquely qualified to provide students with challenging internship opportunities. These are nationally-competitive internships with a select number of placements made each year.

Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) Junior Summer Institutes - The PPIA Junior Summer Institutes (JSI) have been the hallmark of the PPIA Fellowship Program for over 20 years. JSI is an intensive seven-week summer program that focuses on preparing students for graduate programs in public and international affairs and careers as policy professionals, public administrators and other leadership roles in public service.

Rising Star Internships - This web site contains an extensive database of internship opportunities for students and is a place where they can post their resumes in order to secure internships.

The Washington Center - The Washington Center is a non-profit organization that helps locate internships on Capitol Hill and in the Washington D.C. area.

Washington Internship Institute   - The Washington Internship Institute (WII) is a project of the Institute for Experiential Learning.  The Institute for Experiential Learning (IEL), an educational nonprofit organization, is committed to individual development through excellence in experiential education. Active learning by participants, including disciplined reflection about individual goals, intercultural competence, and personal attention from IEL staff, are at the heart of IEL's mission.  They offer resources for obtaining internships in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors offer first-hand knowledge and practical experience for all majors.

From the Washington Internship Insitute, May 2006:

We've had a very strong year in terms of enrollment, capped off by a record number of summer interns we expect to arrive in less than two weeks.  But let's not forget the fall internship opportunities. As you know, Washington as a whole hosts fewer interns in the fall than in the summer -and this creates an opportunity that you might want your students to be aware of, especially given the volatile political climate and the upcoming midterm elections this November.

 In the fall, as supply and demand shifts, organizations where we place students are more actively seeking interns, especially on Capitol Hill. This often gives students a wider choice of high quality placements. And once they make their choice, interns settle in for a full 15 weeks. They typically learn a great deal about their organizations, get quite substantive assignments and have a real chance to discover and demonstrate what they can do--with plenty of time to develop a high level of expertise (with maybe a job offer to match).

Thanks for letting your students know about this opportunity --and our June 15 deadline for fall applications. Our staff is here to answer questions and look forward to working with them. Full information and an online application are available at our website at http://www.twc.edu  Just click on "Prospective Students."