This course brings together academia, your internship, and your professional future. Our goal is to develop your professional skill set, gain expertise in policy analysis, and better understand the political and policy job market. Unlike the typical political science course, you will be an integral part of teaching the curriculum. With the exception of early classes devoted to policy analysis and careers in politics, pairs of students will deliver interactive workshops on topics ranging from legislative research to campaigns and fundraising. Groups will research topics and engage the class through presentations, discussions, and interactive projects. Following student presentations, the instructor will add his two cents and present additional relevant research. The instructor is also available to assist in developing your presentations.
Success in this course will depend upon your strong performance in each of the following areas. First, it is necessary to be reflective about your experience in the internship and be able to link what you are observing to theories, concepts or principles studied in previous political science courses. Second, you must be able to think and write analytically, not just descriptively, about your experience. Third, much of the course work requires you to be self-directed, it is important that you keep track of deadlines and submit the assignments on time. The assignment schedule is intended to have you examine and reflect on various aspects of the experience at key times in the internship. The effectiveness of the assignments is diminished if they are submitted late. Finally, you must be a hard-working, reliable, competent staff member for your experience provider (employer).
I encourage you to contact me by email or make an appointment if you have questions about the material, your internship experience, or would like to provide me feedback about the course.