Internships & Fellowships
Undergraduate
These opportunities are for undergraduate students matriculated in the Political Science B.A., the International Relations B.A., Urban and Regional Planning, B.S. and the Public Administration & Nonprofit Minor.
The SUNY Global Engagement Program in NYC includes a unique combination of direct hands-on experience, classroom learning and research, providing students with a strong foundation from which to launch a career in our increasingly interconnected world. The semester-long program, offered every fall, carries a full course load of 12-15 credit hours comprised of three well-integrated components:
- an internship in which students work 20-25 hours per week at a relevant international organization: 6-9 credit hours
- a weekly seminar on international affairs in which students integrate their internship work experience with classroom learning: 3 credit hours
- a research colloquium through which students conduct an original study related to their internship field: 3 credit hours
Applications are accepted from students who have completed at least 45 credits hours of college work and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
We place interns at local offices of politicians, government agencies, law firms, and public interest groups (e.g. NYPIRG) and, at times, for special campus projects.
- Students are expected to document 135 hours of work, which include working on-the-job and writing your journal and summary of your internship experience.
- Students must be available to work approximately 8-10 hours a week for 13-14 weeks.
- The local internship is a graded experience (A-E).
Prerequisites: PSC 203, PSC 204, PSC 399 and junior or senior standing. Field experiences that supplement departmental academic offerings; geared to students' interests. Faculty intern supervisor and department chair permission necessary. Offered every semester and summer.
The New York State Assembly offers up to 150 college students an opportunity to get involved in state government and gain firsthand knowledge of the legislative process. Interns are enrolled in a course taught by the Intern Committee Professors-in-Residence. They are assigned research and administrative responsibilities in an Assembly office. The Assembly Intern Committee awards a stipend and book allowance to each Session Intern. In the Spring of 2014, the stipend and allowance equaled $4,500.
Requirements
- GPA is 2.0
- Completion of 42 semester hours
- Open to all majors
Applications
Deadline
Spring semester only. The normal BSC deadline is mid-October. The specific date is set at the beginning of each fall semester.
Applying
Obtain an application form from the Political Science Department, Classroom Building B218.
Submit Application forms to:
Dr. Atta Ceesay, Chair
Political Science Department
Classroom Building B218
New York State Assembly
Students intern with a member of the New York State Assembly during the spring semester. You must have junior or senior status (completed at least 60 college credits) when you begin your internship. This is a paid internship. This internship carries a letter grade (A-E).
Application deadline is in the fall (October/November).
If accepted, you will need to provide a copy of your acceptance letter to the PS Internship Coordinator, who will then grant you permission to register for PSC 488, Internship.
New York State Senate
Students intern with a member of the New York State Senate during the spring semester. This is a paid internship. This internship carries a letter grade (A-E).
Application deadline is generally in early to mid-October.
If accepted, you will need to provide a copy of your acceptance letter to the Political Science Internship Coordinator, who will then grant you permission to register for PSC 488, Internship.
Costs
Buffalo State students pay normal tuition and fees. The stipend should cover most Albany lodging, meals, and transportation.
This is a highly-recommended experience for political science majors with qualifying GPA of 2.0 or above. Students express high satisfaction with this experience, and, the Washington, D.C. experience has led to many job opportunities for SUNY students in the D.C. area.
This is a 16 credit-hour experience of graded (A-E) credit. Note that your 16 credit hours are not recorded as "internship." You would still be able to take up to 15 credit hours in an internship program (PSC 488) in addition to the Washington Semester.
SUNY Brockport directs the Washington Internship Program. Their website includes more program information.
Spring and Fall Semester Program: Interns work in Washington, D.C. for 32 hours a week, take classes on Fridays, and complete a major research project. Interns earn 16 hours of credit.
Learn more about the Spring and Fall Program
Summer Program: Interns work full time for 8 weeks, take a night course and earn 6 hours of credit.
Learn more about the Summer Program
Requirements
- GPA of 2.0
- Completion of PSC 102, Introduction to American Government and Politics
- Completion of at least 42 semester hours
- Open to all majors
Applying
Download application forms OR
Email Washington@Brockport.edu OR
Call (202) 403-8507
Submit Application forms to:
Dr. Atta Ceesay, Chair
Political Science Department
Classroom Building B218
Application Deadlines
Spring Internships -- November 30
Fall internships -- May 30
Summer internships -- April 15
Need More Information?
The coordinator from SUNY Brockport makes a campus visit each semester. The Political Science Departments sends an announcement to all majors and minors inviting them to this presentation. This session is open to all Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff.
Application & Registration
After completing your application (including obtaining two letters of recommendation), you must meet with Dr. Atta Ceesay, who must approve applications before she sends them to the SUNY Brockport coordinator.
Upon receipt of acceptance notification from the Washington Center, you must make an appointment with the Center for Global Engagement. You will register for 15 credit hours of INE 390. Grace will provide you with the course registration number.
Upon completion of the Washington experience, the Washington semester coordinator reports your grades to Grace. He does so for the three components of your experience (research, work, and seminar). Grace will then convert these grades to 16 credit hours of PSC 497 (Washington Semester Research--6 credit hours, Work-6 credit hours, and Seminar-4 credit hours). These credits will then count both towards your political science electives, included in your political science GPA, and/or your total credit hour requirement (120 credits) for your B.A. degree.
Costs
Buffalo State students pay normal tuition and fees plus a program fee to SUNY Brockport. ($1,395 in the fall and spring, $514 in the summer) In addition, meals, housing, and transportation costs in Washington, D.C. average about $7,000 for the 15 week semester sessions and about $4,000 for the 8 week summer session.
Students have completed internships at the following agencies and organizations: City of Buffalo Planning Division, Buffalo Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation, Town of Amherst Planning Department, and Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council, just to name a few.
Internship Prerequisites for PLN 488
- PLN 215 and 6 credit hours of planning coursework at the upper-division level
- Background of courses or experience within area of interest
- Minimum cumulative and major GPA of 2.5
Graduate
MPA students can earn three credit hours through PAD 588 Public Administration Graduate Internship. Internships are located at nonprofit agencies and government offices in Western New York.
Contact Dr. Atta Ceesay for more information.
The NYS Internships are paid internships available through competitive application. All MPA students can apply and earn credit for this internship. NYS Assembly Graduate Internships take place from the first week of January through mid/end of June.
Applications, information, and deadlines
Stipend: ~$15,000.
Contact Dr. Atta Ceesay for more information.
Opportunity to earn credit towards the MPA
MPA students participating in the the NYS Assembly or the NYS Senate Internship/Fellowship can earn up to SIX graduate credit hours towards the MPA in any of the thematic tracks.
Students who would like to earn credit towards their MPA must register for the following courses with Dr. Ceesay:
Three credit hours requested
PAD 588 Public Administration Graduate Internship (3 credit hours)
Six credit hours requested
PAD 588 Public Administration Graduate Internship (3 credit hours)
PAD 587 NYS Government & Budget (Course by Contract) (3 credit hours)
NYS Senate Graduate Fellowship
The NYS Senate Graduate Fellowship runs throughout the academic year (September through July). The application deadline is typically in April.
Post Graduation Fellowship Opportunity
The New York State Excelsior Service Fellowship Program is a competitive fellowship available for one or two MPA students (depending upon whether a student from the CJ Master's program is selected), who have graduated the previous August, previous December, or May for the competition year. This is a full-time fellowship where the fellow gains hands-on training and experience in NYS government. It is a two-year commitment. The salary range is $55,000-$60,000 depending on previous experience. Placement includes the Executive Chamber, state government agencies, or state authorities.
Fellows works alongside senior members of the administration and play a policy-influencing role in New York State with the opportunity to focus on the most pressing issues of the day.
MPA program holds an information session each fall semester, with applications typically due in early February.
Excelsior Service Fellowship video
Previous Placements
2017- 2019
Kayla Carrasquillo Baker: Department of Environmental Conservation. Working on Adventure NY
Naima Yancey: Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Administrative office focusing on Talent Acquisition issues
2018-2020
Christopher Kuwik: Department of Environmental Conservation, Strategic Planning & Performance Management Unit, Albany, NY
Alexis Willard: Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, Bureau of Compliance, Albany, NY
2019-2021
Tyler Bridgewater: Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, DPCS Waiver Unit (Project Management), Albany, NY
Taylor Vishion: Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, Emergency Management, Albany, NY
2021-2023
Taylor Johnson