Political Science Internships

Political Science Career Paths and Major Requirements

• Knowledge and Choices to build your career with Political Science training and a degree for unlimited types of jobs and contributions to community, country, and the world.
• Public Service for government/policymaking careers at local, statewide, national, and international levels.
• International Organization careers at the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, Interpol, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, World Bank, International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, etc.
• Public and Private Sector bridge building by advising, consulting, and contracting for Non-Governmental Organizations and Multinational Corporations, as well as connecting to government policymaking and academia.

Key Political Science Leadership Skill Sets learned at Fitchburg State for interning:

• Working in teams and learning to delegate authority for crisis management
• Strategizing with experiential learning via simulations, case studies, and role-playing
• Understanding trends using evidence to prepare effective: research and analysis

Internship Requirements for Political Science (Minimum of 3 Political Science Credits and up to 12 credits):

• Complete minimum of 60 credits prior to internship (at least 12 credits at Fitchburg State)
• Maintain 2.5 cumulative GPA prior to registration and internship placement
• Avoid conflict of interest at internship (examples: supervision by student’s family member, internships in existing job)
• Distinguish potential job from internship by tasks outside normal job duties
• Ability to intern for more than 3 credit hours during a semester (up to 12 credit hours of Political Science credit – more than 12 credit hours can then be taken as Free Electives)
• Opportunities to intern more than once in different semesters before graduation

Political Science Internship Coordinator:

Dr. Joshua Spero, Professor of Political Science
Phone: 978.665.3214
Email: jspero@fitchburgstate.edu

For possible internship scholarship support, please coordinate closely with Dr. Spero jspero@fitchburgstate.edu and Finance Counselor, Ms. Andrea Johnston ajohnst5@fitchburgstate.edu when considering the submission of the Financial Aid Office's State University Internship Incentive Program form (SUIIP), ensuring you qualify for its requirements.

Internship Placements for Previous Interns

(Please note that other internship sites can be arranged):

• Boston Student Advisory Council at Boston Public School Headquarters
• City Commissions of Fitchburg
• City Council of Fitchburg
• City Solicitor of Fitchburg (including law office of Pusateri Law Partners)
• District Attorney's Office (Essex County)
• Fitchburg Historical Society
• Malden Courthouse
• Massachusetts Environmental Police (Westborough)
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Mass in Motion Initiative in MetroWest (Hudson, MA)
• MASSPIRG - on-campus or off-campus
• Mediation Services of North Central MA (Leominster)
• Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (Leominster-Fitchburg)
• Office of the Mayor of Fitchburg (including: Community Development, Economic Development, and Health Departments)
• Office of the Mayor of Leominster (including: Planning and Development Department)
• Office of the Town Manager of Ayer
• Office of U.S. Congressman James McGovern (Leominster) - competitive
• Office of U.S. Congresswoman Lori Trahan (Acton, Fitchburg, Hudson, Lawrence, Lowell) - competitive
• Office of the State Senator in the Worcester and Middlesex District (Fitchburg Office)
• Office of the State Representative for Fitchburg and the State Representative for Leominster (other MA State Representative offices available depending on student's location preferences)
• Office of U.S. Senator Edward Markey (Boston) - competitive
• Office of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (Boston) - competitive
• LaPointe Law Office (Winchendon)
• Pawlak and Higgins Law Partners (Fitchburg)
• Pusateri Law Partners (Fitchburg)
• Worcester Courthouse (Superior Court)
• Worcester Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center

Check out the Washington Center Internship Program