The Department of Political Science encourages students from all majors to enhance the practical side of their education by engaging in an internship experience.
Political Science 4191 (3 credit hours) is a full-term course. Political Science 3191 (1 credit hour) is a second session course. Both 4191 and 3191 are offered during Autumn, Spring and Summer semesters. There are no pre-requisites for these internship courses, and they are open to students from all majors.
You may only earn political science credit(s) once per workplace and you cannot earn credit from different departments (like Communication or International Studies) or a different college (like The John Glenn College of Public Affairs) for the same workplace and term that you seek to enroll in 3191 or 4191.
Enroll in Political Science (PS) 4191 or 3191
To enroll in any of these internships, you must provide a position description or a short paragraph about your internship duties, complete the Internship Information Form and the Terms of Agreement Form (including the signature of your evaluating supervisor) and submit them to Troy Markham via email at markham.4@osu.edu.
Once these forms are received and approved your internship will be added to your schedule* and you will have access to the appropriate Carmen site where you can find the syllabus.
*PLEASE NOTE: you will need to complete a petition if the addition of those credit hours puts you over the 18 hours maximum load permitted by the University. Contact Troy Markham for help with this by calling Arts and Sciences Advising and Academic Services at 614-292-6961 or emailing askascadvising@osu.edu.
- PS 4191
- Students earn 3 credit hours for completion of any of the 4191 internships. These courses are graded A-E. In addition to your work experience, there are several required academic assignments. These assignments are designed to enhance your learning and assist in your career development. Carmen is used to manage all assignments and course communications. There are no in-person requirements for this course.
- PS 4191 is repeatable up to a maximum of 9 hours and counts as upper division credit in the College of Arts and Sciences. Up to 6 hours from 4191 can count toward the requirements for a major in Political Science or World Politics. Three (3) hours of credit from 4191 can count toward the requirements for a minor from the Department of Political Science.
- Sample syllabus for PS 4191
- PS 3191
- Students earn 1 credit hour for 3191; it is repeatable up to a maximum of 5 credit hours and is graded S/U. While 3191 is an upper division course and can count toward your 39 hours of required upper division credit, it DOES NOT apply toward a major or minor in political science. 3191 has fewer academic requirements and also utilizes Carmen and has no in-person requirements.
- Sample syllabus for PS 3191
Find an Internship
To start searching for potential internship opportunities, please visit:
- Handshake, OSU’s internship and employment platform
- International Careers provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs
- The American Political Science Association’s Internship Resources
Additionally, ASC Career Success offers a variety of services to support students in their internship search.
*PLEASE NOTE: you will need to complete a petition if the addition of those credit hours puts you over the 18 hours maximum load permitted by the College. Contact Troy Markham for help with this by visiting go.osu.edu/oncourse, calling Arts and Sciences Advising and Academic Services at 614-292-6961, or emailing askascadvising@osu.edu
Internship Highlights
(Additional internship stories)
Suzan Mchao
Hometown: Columbus, OH
Major: Political Science
Internship host: Office of US Senator Sherrod Brown
A little about my internship: I worked as a full-time Senate legislative intern on Capitol Hill in D.C. through the Washington Academic Internship Program. I specifically worked on our trade, labor and manufacturing portfolios where I drafted constituency letters which were disseminated and produced memos on important issues the senator would address. I also was a constituent advocate which allowed me to be the first point of communication between Ohioans and our office. Last, I did several administrative tasks such as scheduling interviews for incoming interns and helping to coordinate an intern lecture with the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms who I also had the honor of introducing.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: My favorite part of the internship was living in D.C. with fellow interns who aspired to change the world for the better but in their own unique ways. I learned the inner working of a personal Senate office and how they can directly impact constituents.
Courtney Picklesimer
Hometown: Plymouth, OH
Major: Political Science
Location host: Richland County Prosecutor’s Office
A little about my internship: As a legal intern, I would assist the prosecutors in any way possible and also learn about how the office runs. This included going to Common Pleas and Municipal court and attending trials, visiting the crime lab to look at evidence, or sitting in on victim and witness meetings. I had the opportunity to work on criminal cases as well, which ranged from going through evidence, making case summaries for reference, or listening to jail calls. For civil cases, I read through contracts to ensure that they were legal and approved by the county.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: My favorite part was being able to have such a hands-on role. I had the opportunity to go through a phone dump on a counterfeiting/ drug trafficking/ criminal tools case, and the evidence I found led the defendants to plead guilty rather than having to go to trial. It affirmed that the field I’m going into is rewarding and I was able to see a slice of what law can do!
Andrew Wong
Hometown: Dayton, OH
Majors: Political Science and Psychology, Pre-Law
Internship host: Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office
A little about my internship: I was an intern this summer and had the opportunity to watch multiple court proceedings in the adult and juvenile systems. I was tasked with research, completing paperwork, Spanish translation, and participating in trial school.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: It was the Spanish translation with clients! I learned a lot, including communication with clients in the English and Spanish language, more understanding about the trial process, especially Voir dire, and the ins and outs of the PD office!
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