Local Internships:

¤  Students may receive three (3) to six (6) hours of credit for POL 495.  Six (6) hours of credit requires 20 to 30 hours a week at the internship.

Legal Internships:

¤  Students can receive three (3) hours of credit for POL 495.

Other DC Internships:

¤  Students participating in internships other than those offered by the Washington Center can receive twelve (12) hours of credit (nine (9) hours of POL 495 and three (3) hours of POL 431 (Independent Study)).  Only POL 431 will receive a letter grade.

¤  Students must find a faculty member to sponsor them prior to their internship; they are required to sign a contract with the department chair.

¤  Students must also find an independent study advisor prior to starting their internship.  An independent study contract must be completed by the student and independent study advisor.

Washington Center:

¤ Students will receive a maximum of twelve (12) credit hours for participation:  nine (9) hours for POL 495 (a Pass/Fail grade) and three (3) hours for a course offered by the Washington Center.

¤  Students pay standard tuition to the University of Dayton for the semester.  Housing is offered by the Washington Center, but should not be paid to UD.

¤  Internships can be funded by the Ohio Congressional Intern Fund.  This fund is connected to the Washington Center and provides financial assistance to college students in Ohio.  Although not guaranteed, most students (on average) receive between $2,400 and $3,000 of assistance.  This fund is not affiliated with UD; the student has the responsibility to apply on his/her own.

GUIDELINES/CURRICULA

General:  

¤  All internship credit is Pass/Fail.  Only 6 hours can be applied to the POL major and additional hours count as general elective credit.

¤  All students will submit a portfolio that includes:

1) Résumé;

2) Description of internship placement;

3) Expectations essay (statement of goals for internship experience);

4) Daily journal;

5) Post-internship essay (should address whether or not expectations/goals were met);

6) Informational Interview (student should interview someone at the internship to get a sense of what is involved in attaining and performing in his/her position);

7) Supervisor evaluation (any sub-par evaluation will lead to an F and no internship credit).