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Political internship education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a political internship. Political interns usually study political science, international relations, or communication. 77% of political interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,959 real political internship resumes to see exactly what political internship education sections show.
The most common colleges for political interns are the American University and the American University.
There are also many online political internship courses to help get the education required to be a political internship.
What education do you need to become a political internship?
What degree do you need to be a political internship?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a political internship?
- Political Science, 47%
- Communication, 5%
- Business, 5%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for political interns
| Political internship common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| American University | 10.95% |
| George Washington University, The | 8.46% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 7.46% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.46% |
| Florida State University | 5.97% |
Best majors for political interns
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science | 47.0% |
| 2 | International Relations | 7.6% |
| 3 | Communication | 5.1% |
| 4 | Business | 4.5% |
| 5 | History | 4.3% |
Best colleges for political interns
The best colleges for political interns are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
A political internship with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for political interns. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become political interns.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Texas State University
San Marcos, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,280
Enrollment
34,187
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
10. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
20 best online courses for political interns
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1. Data Streaming
Learn how to process data in real-time by building fluency in modern data engineering tools, such as Apache Spark, Kafka, Spark Streaming, and Kafka Streaming. ...
2. Understanding Korean Politics
This course will select six most outstanding issues in contemporary Korean politics and will engage in an in-depth, interactive inquiry of those issue. They include Korean politics in history, institutional setting of Korean politics, and dynamics of political culture in Korea, profiles of political leadership, myth and reality of the developmental state and the Korean economic miracle, and debates on Korean unification. The course will expose students to contending theories and empirical...
3. American Politics, Foreign Policy, and US-India Ties
This specialization is intended for people interested in politics and international affairs. You will learn about the United States and how its history, culture, politics, and foreign policy leave a significant impact on the world. You will also gain insights into US-India relations - which is the most important bilateral relationship among democracies of the world...
4. International Politics Mastery: Levels of Analysis
Learn '3 Levels of Analysis' to speak confidently about international problems even without prior university education...
5. Master Polite English
Learn the 3 Golden Rules and 6 Principles of Polite Speaking in English...
6. Chinese Politics Part 1 – China and Political Science
This course offers a conceptual framework for understanding China that highlights the intersection of politics and economics. It shows that rather than develop into a full blown market economy, state and party officials at all levels of the political system maintain significant influence in economic development. Such a “political” economy has had both positive and negative outcomes, which we will assess in detail. We also look at the origins, views, backgrounds and relations among leaders, and...
7. The Politics of Skepticism
This is a course about the history of Skepticism from the ancient Greeks to today, with special attention to the political ramifications of questioning man's ability to know the world and himself with any certainty. We will discuss the debates raging between Plato and the Sophists, the rise of Christianity in the Roman world, and the so-called 'Skeptical Crisis' of the Renaissance as well as Pierre Bayle's Skepticism and David Hume's. In addition the Natural Law tradition will be explored and...
8. Navigating Office Politics: Get What You Want at Work
Learn how to gain influence and get more done in your organization by understanding and navigating office politics...
9. 2017 Great Decisions: Foreign Policy Association
Learn about leading foreign policy challenges confronting U.S. policy makers and the American public...
10. Comparative Political Systems
Comparative politics covers a wide variety of topics and themes. The course starts with the definition of the comparative method giving special emphasis to concept formation and historical and institutional approaches. The bulk of the course is devoted to the theory of coalitions and the processes of government formation, functioning, termination. Through several in-depth analyses, the course will throw light on the way democratic regimes are governed. Electoral rules will receive special...
11. Politics and Ethics of Data Analytics in the Public Sector
Deepen your understanding of the power and politics of data in the public sector, including how values — in addition to data and evidence — are always part of public sector decision-making. In this course, you will explore common ethical challenges associated with data, data analytics, and randomized controlled trials in the public sector. You will also navigate and understand the ethical issues related to data systems and data analysis by understanding frameworks, codes of ethics, and...
12. Successful Events: Event Planning, Marketing & Management
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13. How to Throw Events and Attract Corporate Sponsors
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14. Power and Foreign Policy in International Relations
Welcome to the Power and Foreign Policy in International Relations course! This course acquaints you with how power matters in the conduct of international relations and how it affects the strategies and tactics of a nation-state in dealing with other nation-states. It demonstrates the link between a country’s ranking in the international system and the means and methods it adopts to deal with the rest of the world. The course begins with introducing a few concepts about what constitutes power...
15. Digital Governance
Big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomous cars, chatbots, just a few terms that have become a part of our professional legal and political vocabulary. Emerging technologies and technological advancement have confronted us in our daily practice and will continue to do so in the future. Whether we’re buying something online, taking part in an election, or chatting with friends across the globe. Technology is here and it is here to stay. However, as convenience as these new...
16. The Constitution and American Government
History, Government, and Civics in the United States...
17. Event Management for Beginners
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18. Learn how to become an Event Planner
Join one of the most lucrative, and fastest growing industries... Learn how to become an Event Planner...
19. Master Public Policy Analysis In Six Easy Steps: The Basics
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20. The Ultimate Guide to Professional Event Planning Management
Learn techniques to become an amazing event planner. You'll get all the skills you need for event management & planning...
Top 10 most affordable universities for political interns
The most affordable schools for political interns are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for political interns are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for political interns.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for political interns
The hardest universities for political interns to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for political interns are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for political interns based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,531
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for political interns
The easiest schools for political interns to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and saint joseph's college of maine.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a political internship without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for political interns.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
Average political internship salary by education level
| Political internship education level | Political internship salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,218 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,392 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025