Internship Requirements

Eligibility

In order to enroll in an internship, students:

  • Must be a Sophomore, Junior, or Senior standing enrolled at UofL,
  • Must have a minimum of 45 credit hours, including nine (9) earned credits in Political Science. (Exceptions include students who have earned at least 30 credit hours with prior related experience can also be considered for internships),
  • Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of  2.5 grade point average,
  • Can apply up to six (6) hours of academic credit or two three (3) credit hour courses toward a Political Science major or minor degree

Students should check eligibility with Dr. Kristopher Grady, the Undergraduate Advisor, for other stipulations.

Time Commitment

Before you enroll, please be aware that:

  • Paid or unpaid internships generally last one semester.
  • The start and end dates must coincide with Fall or Spring semesters.
  • Flexibility and adaptability in scheduling are necessary.
  • Students receive three (3) hours of academic credit for 120 hours minimum completed per class.

This breaks down to: 

  • On-site assignment: A minimum 120 hours (approximately 8 hours/week for 15 weeks)
  • Academic assignment: A minimum 30 hours (approximately 2 hours/week for 15 weeks)

Getting Started

The Department of Political Science is proud to offer four (4) cohort internship classes:

·         POLS430: Internship I

·         POLS511: Internship II

·         POLS510: Louisville Metro Internship

·         POLS512: Frankfort Internship

Students can enroll in the Internship I and II classes to take advantage of any pre-arranged internship that meets the educational criteria and receives approval from the Director of the Internship Program. Students in these two cohorts will find their own individual internship placements or apply to ones we advertise on our departmental website or via the University Career Center website. 

After identifying an internship that interests you, please check with the Director of the Internship Program (DIP) to make sure the internship is acceptable for academic credit. If the site is acceptable, then proceed to:

  1. Complete the Departmental Internship-Independent Study Form and forward to the DIP with a current RESUME, and UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT,
  2. Secure an interview with the DIP and with the respective site (if applicable),
  3. Confirm the position by submitting the Internship Agreement, signed by the site sponsor/supervisor (you must have a designated site supervisor),
  4. Submit copies of the site contract/materials to the Director of the Internship Program.

 These and other requirements are built into the Louisville Metro and Frankfort internship programs.

Internship listings can be accessed via the department’s website and/or the University Career Center. For more information, please click on the “Internships” page.

The Faculty Supervisors

Louisville Metro Internship -

Frankfort Legislative Internship -