Internship Opportunities, Independent Studies, and Off-Campus Study

Internships

NEW!!!  Levine Internship Awards
Applications due:
Spring:  Tuesday, November 27
Summer: Monday, March 24

Download Levine Internship Award forms

Government majors and minors interested in pursuing internships should contact the department's internship director, Professor Robert Turner. In addition to his encyclopedic knowledge of local, state, national, and international internship opportunities, Professor Turner is also the coordinator for the New York State Assembly and Senate intern programs. The deadline for applying for the New York State Assembly and Senate intern programs is October 31.

Many past government majors have participated in interesting and enriching internships. The following is not an exhaustive list of these experiences, but it should be sufficient to give you a sense of the kinds of opportunities available to enterprising Government students:

Rep. Constance Morella
The Saratoga Foundation
New York State Department of Economic Development
Environmental Advocates in Albany
Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Works
Saratoga Springs City Planner
NBC Nightly News
WAMC
the Saratogian
Lifetime Television
Recording Industry Association of America
City Planner of Norwich, Connecticut
New Hampshire Governor's Office of Energy and Community Services

Students interested in pursuing an internship must complete an Internship form prior to registering for either PL 299 or PL 399. These forms are available in the Dean of Studies Office. In order to complete this form, students need to solicit from their on-site supervisor a list of their responsibilities and from their supervising faculty member a description of the readings and assignments that will constitute the academic component of the internship.

Academic credit cannot be granted for internships that do not include academic work supervised and graded by a member of the Political Science Department. The supervising faculty member, the student's academic advisor, and the department chair must sign the internship form in order for the student to receive permission to pursue a credit-bearing internship.

Independent Studies

Independent studies provide advanced students with the opportunity to explore under the supervision of a faculty member a topic or question that is either not addressed or addressed only briefly in an existing Political Science course. Students may not take an independent study to substitute for an existing course, though an independent study may focus in greater depth on a topic treated in one of the department's course offerings. The supervising faculty member, the student's academic advisor, and the department chair must approve independent studies. "Special Permission for Independent Study" forms are available from the department secretary, Barbara McDonough. Students must complete this form and secure all signatures prior to registering for PL 371 or PL 372.

The Washington Semester Program

Professor Ron Seyb is the department's contact person for students interested in attending the Washington Semester Program at American University. The Washington Semester Program allows Political Science majors to combine classroom work with practical experience to gain a better understanding of American government or a specific public policy area. Most students participate in the program during the spring semester of their junior year, though students have in the past attended during the fall semester of their junior or their senior years. Each program consists of a seminar, an internship, and either a research paper or an elective course taken at American University. Students earn 16 hours of 300-level course credit from American University, which are denoted as transfer credits, and grades earned do not affect the Skidmore GPA. However, all courses and grades do appear on the transcript. Students need to receive a grade of "C" or better to earn credit for the course at Skidmore. Students may choose from among the following programs:

American politics
Contemporary Islam
Economic policy
Foreign policy
International business and trade
International environment and development
Justice
Peace and conflict resolution
Journalism
Public law
Transforming communities
International law and organizations
Israel studies

Students must possess a 3.0 cumulative GPA to be eligible to participate in the Washington Semester Program. Interested students who meet this criterion should contact Professor Seyb for application materials and additional information. All application materials must be returned to Professor Breslin by November 1 for admission to the spring semester and by March 1 for admission to the Fall Semester.

The West Point Student Conference on United States Affairs

Each November the department sends one student to West Point to attend a three-day conference on a contemporary topic of concern in American foreign policy. The November 2007 conference was “Uncertain Future: Freedom, Security, and Responsibility.” The participating student takes part in a series of roundtable discussions with other "delegates" on a particular theme or question. The United States Military academy provides students with free lodging and meals, while the department pays the registration fee and defrays all transportation costs.

The United States Air Force Academy Assembly

The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, sponsors an annual conference on a topic of contemporary significance. In February 2007 the topic was “South America: Challenges & Opportunities for Prosperity, Justice & Security.” The conference runs for three days during February and features talks by prominent academics, business leaders, government officials, and non-governmental organization members. Students also participate in a series of roundtable discussions with other "delegates." The expense of travel to Colorado Springs prevents the department from covering all transportation costs. Students in the past have applied for funds from the SGA, Student Opportunity Funds from the Dean of Studies, as well as the Dean of Student Affairs Office to cover the shortfall.

Transfer Credits

Courses completed at another college or university that students wish to apply toward the major must be approved by the department chair. Make an appointment with the chair after the college registrar has received your transcript, and bring along the catalog description and/or syllabi of the courses completed elsewhere.