Policy Internship
The Cal Poly Master of Public Policy Programs Internship
The Cal Poly Political Science Department offers course credit for supervised work experience in a government or related public agency that uses the skills relevant to policy analysis and problem-solving. The intern will function as any employee engaged in comparable work. Internships provide students the opportunities to exchange responsible service for first-hand experiences of organizational life. Students complement classroom and laboratory learning with that of the work world. Internships may be paid or unpaid.
Course Credit
Cal Poly MPP candidates with 16 or more units of graduate study are eligible for internships. Graduate students from other disciplines may also be eligible dependent on prior coursework and experience. A student enrolls for POLS 586-Policy Internship in the academic quarter of the work experience or in the nearest term. This course has a credit/no credit grading. The student may enroll for 4 units per quarter. (Students may enroll in 8 units over the summer as the summer term is actually two, 5-week quarters.) Each unit corresponds to approximately thirty hours of work experience. The credits may be earned with the same organization or with different organizations. Dr. Elizabeth Lowham serves as coordinator of the internship program for the Department. Any questions may be directed to Dr. Lowham at elowham@calpoly.edu.
Arranging an Internship
The University serves as a clearinghouse for internship placement. The Department identifies organizations willing to supervise interns and refer students to opportunities. The University has cooperative arrangements with the California State University at Sacramento, which operates an internship program in Sacramento. Additionally, the Washington Center provides internship placement in the Washington, D.C. area. Information internships, grouped by category of interest, are located in the hallway of building 11. However, graduate policy internships are designed to fit each candidate’s interests. Most students arrange their own internships. A student may have contacts for internship placement and may work to develop an internship independent from the Department. At other times, a student may be employed in a position that may qualify for internship credits. The University does not provide internship credit for past work experience. The faculty coordinator must approve of the internship prior to arranging for credit.
Obligations of the University
The faculty advisor insures that the academic training meets the needs of the sponsoring organization and supervises the academic part of the internship. The University grants academic credit for qualifying work experiences. The coordinator assists to help make the internship a satisfactory one for both the student and the sponsoring organization.
Obligations of the Organization
The participating organization will confirm the start-up of an internship in a letter or e-mail to the faculty intern coordinator. The letter states the name of the intern and of the supervisor, the position duties and responsibilities, the duration of the position, scheduled hours, and rate of pay as appropriate. Any special responsibility or project negotiated with the student may be stated in the letter, which serves as an informal contract for the student, organization, and University. When the internship is completed, the supervisor submits a letter of evaluation to the faculty advisor. The letter reflects the performance of the intern.
Obligations of the Intern
The intern fulfills the agreement negotiated with the organizational supervisor and abides by the rules and regulations governing employees. If the intern has difficulties in the internship, it is the intern’s responsibility to notify the faculty intern coordinator. The intern will submit an essay progress report that evaluates the internship experience. The evaluation should be typed and submitted by the seventh week of each quarter in which the intern is attached to an employer and receiving internship credit. Only one progress report is due each quarter. Guidelines for progress reports are available in the Departmental Office.