Georgia Institute of Technology | Ivan Allen CollegeSchool of Public Policy
Students on campusUndergraduate Studies in Public Policy






LawInternships

The School of Public Policy strongly encourages its undergraduate majors to complete an internship during their studies. An internship can help you integrate your academic work with professional experience. It is a good way to explore a career interest, or to learn about a policy area that is not well-covered by the School.

Credit
As a general rule, a 14 hour per week internship can qualify for 3 credits of Public Policy major or general elective credit. There are some programs, such as the Legislative Internship Program, that award 6 to 12 credits of major/elective credit, but it requires a full-time commitment. Generally, Public Policy-sponsored internships do not exceed 6 credit hours. No more than 6 internship hours may be applied to your Public Policy major electives. Work with the undergraduate advisor to be sure that your internship is reflected in your curriculum planning and, ultimately, your graduation petition.

Faculty Sponsor
You will need a faculty member to sponsor your internship to maximize the academic benefit from the internship experience. Before selecting your academic sponsor, you may want to consult with Dr.Cheryl Leggon or Dr. Richard Barke. At the beginning of your internship, you and the faculty member should agree (in writing) what evaluation criteria will be used to determine whether you pass your internship and/or on what the grade is based. Assignments may include completing a journal, writing a paper, creating an internship portfolio, and holding a debriefing meeting. The Internship Coordinator will obtain a written evaluation from your internship supervisor

Registration
Freshmen and sophomores taking an internship should sign up for PUBP 2651. Juniors and seniors should register for PUBP 4651 (which can be taken for from 1-6 credits). After the appropriate course number, the first and last initials of the faculty advisor for your internship experience. [For example, if you are a junior or senior, and Professor Jane Doe is your faculty advisor, your Internship course number will be: PUBP 4651-JD]. Therefore, in order to register for an internship, you must have a faculty member sign the Internship pre-registration form that can be downloaded from the SPP website, and put a hard copy in Dr. Leggon’s mailbox in DM Smith. When registering, be sure to specify the number of credits you agreed to with your sponsoring professor, and whether you are taking it for a grade or pass/fail. There is a limit to the number of courses counting toward the major that a student can take pass/fail. It is the student’s responsibility to make certain that they do not exceed the limit. Remember, it is your responsibility to register correctly.

All of the necessary forms for the internship can be downloaded:

Form #1 SPP Internship Pre-registration Form
Form #2 SPP Internship Learning Agreement
Form #3 SPP Internship Description
Form #4 SPP Internship Liability Waiver
(must be signed and returned to Dr. Leggon BEFORE starting internship)

Finding a Public Policy Internship

  1. Be sure that you are on the Public Policy list serve. The undergraduate list serve is: mailto:pubpol-undergrad@lists.gatech.edu
    Many internship announcements are sent to the list serve by faculty, students, and alumni.
  2. Familiarize yourself with the resources at the Career Center (Student Success Center): http://www.career.gatech.edu/
    The Ivan Allen College Specialist is:
    Marie Sewell
    Phone: 404-894-0062
    Email: marie.sewell@success.gatech.edu
    In particular, check out internships on the MonsterTrak system.
  3. Surf the web; there are a lot of internship resources available there.
    You should also check out the following: UGA Internship site: http://career.cpp.uga.edu/ccweb/students/internshipbasics.html
  4. Talk to your friends and classmates about their internship experiences.

Examples of Internship Placements

State
Georgia Department of Education
Georgia Governor’s Intern Program
Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs
Georgia Legislative Intern Program

Federal
Agency for Health Care Research
House of Representatives Committee on House Administration
Office of Civil Rights

Political
Cain for US Senate Campaign
Congressman John Lewis, District Office
The Oblander Group, L.L.C.

Private
Troutman Sanders
Brasher, Campbell & Honnold, L.L.C.

Non Profit
American Civil Liberties Union
Atlanta Youth Project
Green Corps
Natural Resources Defense Council