College of Arts and Sciences
Political Science majors and minors participate in internships locally, nationally, and abroad.

The College of Arts and Sciences supports several types of internships that draw on skills possessed by Political Science majors. Many of our students take advantage of such internship opportunities. Some of them do a semester-long internship program with state legislators. Through the course CAS 2990, they gain hands-on experience working with a state representative in the capitol and get credit towards the completion of their major. Others do summer internships, often with financial support from the college and department. Our students have done internships with environmental advocacy groups, the Department of Corrections, the public defender’s office, and political campaigns, to name a few! And every year the department hosts information sessions and provides regular communications to connect students with these kinds of opportunities! 

To enroll in credit for your internship, please see the CAS internship credit page

Political Science Department Internship Policy:

Selected internships sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences may be awarded credit to complete the major in Political Science.  Other internships will be granted  credit that counts towards the student’s degree, but not their major. Please consult the UVM Catalogue for more information.

 

Recent Internships

Items about: Recent Internships

Caitlin Warshaw

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During the summer of 2025, Caitlin Warshaw worked with Migrant Justice in Vermont. Migrant Justice is a program working with migrants, specifically farmworkers, to build the voice, capacity, and power of the immigrant farmworker community to organize for economic justice and human rights.

Caitlin’s role in this was to provide logistical support for protests, pickets, and meetings. Caitlin was also a part of the push to expand Migrant Justice outside of Vermont by visiting different towns in New York, advertising pickets in the area. Through her work with Migrant Justice, she was introduced to the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project. With the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, she helped to author a policy memo for the Vermont legislature, petitioning for state support to create a database to track Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees. She also visited the Northwest State Correctional Facility, a men’s prison in Swanton, VT, to provide legal intake and translate legal advice for ICE detainees there. This work has continued into this semester via the Working with Refugees Service Learning Course.

 

Kathryn Hersey

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During her 2025 summer internship with the State of New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families, Kathryn Hersey worked with Probation and Parole Services in Southern New Hampshire, gaining hands-on experience supporting adolescents and young adults involved in the justice system. Throughout the summer, Kathryn helped facilitate hundreds of juvenile and adult court hearings, interacting directly with judges, lawyers, and law enforcement, and developed a deep understanding of how the state’s legal processes impact people’s lives. 

One of the most impactful aspects of Kathryn’s internship was the opportunity to build relationships directly with youths and their families, often in their homes, partnering with a parole officer. Through these experiences, Kathryn discovered the importance of meeting people where they are and helping them grow from there, realizing that even small acts of compassion can create lasting change. By the end of the summer, Kathryn departed with a deep appreciation for the human side of the justice system and a strengthened commitment to pursuing a career that promotes fairness, growth, opportunity, and hope within it.

Internship Opportunities

Political Campaigns
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Students have acted as campaign managers for state legislative candidates, worked as interns for statewide candidates in Vermont, and worked for state and local party organizations. An internship with a political campaign will insert you into the political process and can be very rewarding. 

Past Internships

  • Bernie Sanders for President
  • Carina for Mayor
  • Christine for Vermont
  • Deaglan McEachern for Congress
  • Dr. Dan for Congress
  • James Ehlers for Vermont
  • Jane Knodell
  • Matt Dunne for Governor
  • New Hampshire Democratic Party
  • Richard Deane for Burlington City Council
  • Sue Minter for Governor
  • Vermont Democratic Party

Government Agencies
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Students have interned with local and national government agencies, including with Vermont's congressional delegations. 

Past Internships

  • Burlington Department of Public Works
  • Burlington Housing Authority
  • Consumer Assistance Program
  • Hart Senate Office Building
  • Massachusetts State House
  • Midcoast Regional Planning Commission
  • Office of Senator Patrick Leahy
  • Office of the Governor (Vermont)
  • Office of the Lt. Governor (Vermont)
  • Peter Shumlin
  • Peter Welch
  • Senate Internship Program
  • Town of Dennis Council on Aging
  • U.S. Census
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Office
  • USCIS
  • U.S. Department of State (Office of Global Change)
  • Vermont Council of World Affairs
  • Vermont Department of Public Works
  • Vermont Speaker of the House

Media Organizations
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Interning with a TV station or news organization can help you get a new perspective on the politics of our nation. 

Past Internships

  • Community News Service
  • Boston Magazine
  • The Brattleboro Commons Newspaper
  • Broad Reach Productions
  • Burlington Free Press
  • CCTV
  • Coed Media Group
  • Independent Media Institute
  • New York Minute Magazine
  • Vermont Business Magazine
  • Vermont PBS
  • Vermont Public Radio
  • VT Digger

Law
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Interested in law? Getting an internship with a local law firm can help you determine whether it is the right environment for you. 

Past Internships

  • Chittenden County Public Defender
  • Dutchess County Public Defender’s Office
  • Vermont Department of Corrections
  • Shaw & Morrow Law Firm
  • UVM Student Legal Services
  • Vermont Private Eye
  • Office of the Federal Public Defender

Advocacy Groups and Non-Governmental Organizations
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If you want to see politics from another angle, get involved with an advocacy group or NGO. 

Past Internships

  • 1% for the Planet
  • 350 VT
  • 826 Boston
  • AARP
  • Access Challenge
  • The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
  • All Breed Rescue
  • Center for Cultural Pluralism
  • Church World Services
  • Commonwealth Care Alliance
  • Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO)
  • The Consortium on Gender, Security, and Human Rights
  • Council for Court Excellence
  • Emily Post Institute
  • Energy Action Network
  • Human Rights First
  • Hunger Free Vermont
  • Marine Stewardship Council
  • MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
  • National Association of Federally Impacted Schools
  • Peace & Justice Center
  • Planned Parenthood
  • PolitiCorps
  • Project Hope
  • Protect Our Wildlife Vermont
  • The Peace Corps
  • Results for Development Institute
  • United Way of Northwest Vermont
  • Vermont Workers' Center
  • Voices for Vermont's Children
  • VPIRG
  • VT Cares
  • Zatz & Renfrew Lobbyists

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