Internships

The Political Science Department offers three different internship opportunities:
The Washington Semester Program
The New York State Assembly Session Internship
Other Department related internships

The Washington Semester Program

This program, run by SUNY-Brockport, has for over twenty-five years invited Hofstra students to become interns in Congress, the Executive Branch, the Federal Judiciary, and various Non-Governmental Organizations.

In recent years, Hofstra students have worked for various Senators and Representatives, in the State Department and the Justice Department, for the Office of the Clerk of the United States Supreme Court, and for such groups as the American Defense Institute.

Hofstra students interested in this internship normally apply to the Political Science Department at Hofstra the semester before they would like to go to Washington. In general, the department prefers to send those who will be in their junior or senior year, and a GPA of at least 3.0 is normally required. For those seeking an internship where a security clearance is required (e.g., the State Department), application is normally made a year in advance. The department faculty interview the candidates, evaluate their academic records, and select those who will be sent to Washington.

The participants in the Washington Semester Program receive 16 s.h. of credit, and all of this can be applied towards the political science major. The 16 s.h. of credit are granted for the actual internship itself, participation in the Program's weekly seminar, and the writing of a research paper based upon work done in the internship.

Students must make arrangements for their own housing, which usually means sharing an apartment with fellow interns either in Washington itself, or in one of its suburbs. Because interns are paying SUNY tuition rather than Hofstra tuition for their semester in the Program, the cost of room and board is usually compensated for by the difference in tuition.

For more information, please contact Dr. Rosanna Perotti.

The New York State Assembly Session Internship

This internship involves working in the office of a member of the New York State Assembly in Albany, and is available only in the Spring semester. Students pay SUNY tuition, and the program provides a $4,140 stipend to help cover expenses. Although the program does not arrange housing, interns are provided with information about local apartments and possible roommates.
Interns are assigned research and administrative responsibilities in an Assembly office, spending a minimum of 30 hours at the Capital each week. In addition, interns enroll in a course on Legislative Politics, for which required readings are provided and which meets periodically.

Application for the Albany internship is made a semester in advance, and students are selected based on the department's judgment of their ability to meet the performance standards expected of legislative interns. Those chosen should be in their junior or senior year, although exceptional sophomores may be selected. A GPA of 3.0 is normally required. Participants receive 15 s.h. of credit, all of which can be applied toward the political science major.

For more information, please contact Dr. Richard Himelfarb. See also the assembly internship website.

Other Department Related Internships

Internships related to Political Science/International Affairs can also be set up in the New York area. Hofstra students have recently interned at the United Nations, the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, Human Rights Watch and the Society for International Law. Students have also interned at Long Island district offices of state and local legislators and other government offices. Internships for credit must be arranged with New College.  For domestic internships, see Rene Gimiani-Caputo, Internship Coordinator– Domestic Programs, in Career Center 103A, ext. 3-5823.  For international internships, see Peter Sherwood, Associate Dean for New College – International Study Abroad Programs, Roosevelt Hall 107, ext. 3-5822.

For more information, please contact Dr. Rosanna Perotti.