Penn in Washington supports and encourages students who are interested in pursuing public policy internships and careers in the nation’s capital. PIW maintains an extensive database of opportunities in Washington and has enlisted more than 500 alumni in the Washington area who meet with students throughout the year. Participants in the four credit semester program are taught by active policy professionals, meet in small groups with dozens of policy leaders, and are challenged by some of the best internships available. During the summer PIW arranges several events a week for all Penn students spending the summer in Washington. More information is available on the PIW site and via their weekly newsletter.
Political Science majors are encouraged to pursue internships related to political affairs, particularly during the summer. Generally, internships are not given course credit. Under certain circumstances, however, a student may be able to arrange an independent study in advance with a faculty advisor with the intention of preparing a graded research paper that builds on projects undertaken in the course of the internships. Please note that this latter option is not guaranteed and that no Political Science credit is given for internships coordinated or accredited by another college or university.