Internships
Internships
Welcome to the Political Science Department’s internships page! We’re excited you are interested in pursuing internship opportunities. Please look over this page to find out more about the Department’s internship courses and how to earn course credit by working at an internship.
The Political Science Department has two internship courses: POSC 447 (Fall) and POSC 448 (Spring). By working 90 hours at an internship and completing coursework associated with POSC 447 or POSC 448, you can earn 3.0 units of credit towards the major in Political Science. Students can enroll in both POSC 447 and POSC 448 and earn a total of 6.0 units by completing both courses and 180 hours of work. Additionally, POSC 447 and POSC 448 satisfy the practicum requirement for the Political Science major.
To enroll in POSC 447 or POSC 448, your internship must meet several Department requirements. First, the internship must be with an organization that has a political aspect to its mission. Many types of organization fit this description including law offices, political campaigns, local/federal government, and many non-profits. Second, the internship must involve meaningful work—volunteer positions with non-specific duties do not qualify. Third, the internship must be tracked by a supervisor that will monitor your progress at the internship site.
To enroll in POSC 447 or POSC 448, you must already have an internship lined up and that internship must be approved by the Department’s internship director. If you are actively looking for an internship, please see the listed opportunities and resources below.
When you are ready to enroll in the course—or if you have any questions or concerns about finding an internship—please contact the Department’s internship director, Dr. Charles Mahoney.
Internship Director: Dr. Charles Mahoney
Charles.Mahoney@csulb.edu
Current Internship Opportunities
The following organizations have contacted the POSC Department and are actively seeking to provide internship opportunities to CSULB POSC students. Please note, you may work at an internship that is not listed below and earn credit as long as the internship meets Department criteria. Additionally, the POSC Department does not endorse any of the office holders or politicians listed below.
Offices of Elected Officials
The White House / Executive Office of the President
- White House Internship Program (Paid Internship)
US House of Representatives
- US Representative Linda Sánchez
- US Representative Raul Ruiz
- US Representative Judy Chu’s Spring 2023 Internship Program (Paid Internship)
- US Representative Michelle Steel (Cypress, CA Office)
- US Representative Jimmy Gomez
- US Representative Jim Costa
- US Representative Eric Swalwell
- US Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán
US Senate
California State Senate and State Assembly
- California State Senate Member Lena Gonzalez (Paid Internship)
- California Assemblymember Cristina Garcia
- California Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal
- California Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell
- California Assemblymember Tri Ta
- California Assemblymember Lisa Calderon
- California Assembly majority leader Ian Calderon
Long Beach City Council
- Long Beach City Council Member Stacy Mungo
- Long Beach City Council Member Al Austin
- Long Beach City Council Member Mary Zendejas (Paid Internship)
- Long Beach City Council Member Suely Saro
Programs in Washington DC and Sacramento
- Washington Center Internships
- Cal State D.C. Scholars Internship Program (via CSU Fullerton)
- The Sacramento Semester Program
- CSU Capital Fellows Program (Post-Graduate)
Political Campaigns
- N/A
Federal Government Internships
- U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
- National Museum of American History
- U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Executive Office of the President of the United States (Paid Internship)
- Panetta Congressional Internship (Paid Internship)
State and Local Government Internships
- Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Internship in Sacramento (Paid Internship)
- City of Seal Beach City Manager’s Office
- City of Signal Hill Public Works Intern
- City of Long Beach Human Resources Department (Paid Internship)
- City of Long Beach Department of Financial Management (Paid Internship)
- City of Long Beach Public Service Corps (Paid Internship)
Non-Profits and Advocacy Organizations
- Common Cause – Student Organizing Series
- #CaliforniansForAll College Corps
- Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association Summer Internship (Paid Internship)
- Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) Outreach and Social Media intern
- Peter G. Peterson Foundation – Washington D.C. Internship (Paid Internship)
- Fierce Courage Consulting
- JusticeCorps – Los Angeles Superior Court
- Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy Meltzer Internship (Paid Internship)
- Long Beach Mayor’s Fund for Education
- Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
- Liberty in North Korea (LiNK)
- Environment California
- Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
- Strada Education Network – Future Leaders Fellowship
- Cottonwood Scholarships at Rancho Los Alamitos
- Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs)
- Project Super Bloom PAC
- Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO)
- Fund for the Public Interest (Paid Internship)
Think Tanks
- Atlantic Council Young Global Professionals Program (Paid Internship)
International Internships
Additional Internship Resources
College of Liberal Arts Internship Resources
CSULB Study Abroad Internship Information