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The
internship course is an upper division
course. You must be a junior or preferably a senior to participate in the
course and receive academic credit for an internship. This requirement serves
students' best interest as well. In terms of career-exploration and job
opportunities, the later in your degree program you do the internship
(perhaps your last semester is best of all) the better able you are to take
advantage of such possibilities. You should have had at least 12 units of upper division course work in Government before undertaking the internship; one of these courses should be Govt. 180, California State and Local Government, unless you are planning on doing the Sacramento Semester program. See separate description of the Sacramento Semester. Do not assume you will receive credit for something you have set up for yourself. See the internship coordinator, Mr. Wadlé, as soon as you contemplate an internship. The department will be as cooperative as possible in working with you to accommodate an internship opportunity you have found on your own; however, this is not always possible. Internships must be supervised by the government department in "real time." We do not award credit after the fact for a work experience you may have had. Students who wish to undertake an internship in summer may do so; however, you must register for this course in the summer semester as you would any other course. Now that the CSU system is converting to "Year Round Operations," summer semester fees will be state supported, just as fall and spring semesters are.
The Department operates three internship programs: The Government Department Internship Program | The Sacramento Semester Program The
Government Department Internship Program, Govt. 195A, can be taken for 1 to 6 units. Generally, the student intern must work 60
hours for each unit of credit; thus a 6-unit internship requires about 350 to
360 hours of work in the site. This is approximately 24 hours a week for a
semester, more in summer. We strongly urge students to commit themselves
to more time in the internship site rather than less. The more time you
are in the office the more responsibility you are likely to be given and the
more you will learn.. For Government majors, 3 units of the internship may be counted in the 30-unit upper division requirement. An additional 3 units of internship credit may be used to fulfill the remaining six units of the major. In any case, Govt. 195 units may be counted toward the 120 units required for the B.A. degree. Students
in the graduate program in government may apply 3 units of Govt. 295 to their
30-unit requirement, with the approval of the graduate adviser, Professor Jim
Cox, if one of the fields they are offering is California state and local
government. What To Do First In the current situation, there are more internship openings available to students than we have a hope of filling. Students do not have to recruit their own positions! See Mr. Michael Wadlé, whose office is in Tahoe Hall, 3101. You must fill out an application for the internship course and talk with him about your interest. It's best to talk with him during the semester before you want to do an internship. Call him at 278-4012 to make an appointment or e-mail him at wadlem@csus.edu Complete a resume. Before you set out on interviews, you will need to have an up-to-date, no-frills resume that details your education and any work experience you have had. Cover
letter. It would be helpful to accompany your resume with a cover letter.
A sample is available from Mr. Wadlé. Writing sample. Some offices may request a writing sample. Others won't. Have one handy. And be prepared that some offices may ask you to sit down and do a writing sample on the spot. This might take the form of answering a letter. Tips for Being a Successful Intern Plan your internship well ahead, at least by a semester, in order to give yourself time to accommodate it in your academic and/or work schedule and to have time to make a proper selection. Interview a minimum of two or three offices so you will have the chance to choose from more than one. Generally, there are more offices available than interns so you should be in demand. Take the opportunity to seek the best possible site. Be sure you interview with or at least meet the individual who will be your office supervisor. Agree insofar as you can on what you will be doing in the office; this may not be as formal as a "work contract," but you should both be pretty clear about what duties and activities you will get to do and participate in. Keep a weekly (preferably daily) journal to record your work hours, your work-related activities, what you did and most especially your observations and reflections on what you are doing and seeing and learning as you go through the internship. Of absolutely primary importance to having a good internship are: attitude, reliability, competency, a cooperative and willing spirit. Be pleasant, be willing to take on more than is expected, and seek out ways to do more. In general, make yourself indispensable! Ask pertinent questions, make your work product excellent, and ask co-workers relevant questions about the field. On the other hand, do not make a pest of yourself! 2. The Sacramento Semester
Program is a statewide program offering students from all
twenty-three of the CSU campuses the opportunity to spend four and a half
months as an intern, working with members of the legislature, departments in
the executive branch, or with political associations and private lobbyists.
As with the regular departmental internship, students typically undertake
duties in the areas of legislative research, bill tracking, constituent or
grassroots membership correspondence, press relations, newsletter
preparation, budget work, and campaign planning. The Sacramento Semester,
however, provides the additional dimension of a weekly seminar and guest
speakers program, to add background and depth to the lessons students obtain
in the workplace. Guest speakers, whom students are able to pose questions to
and discuss issues with, include political practitioners from inside and
outside of government, including legislators, lobbyists, members of the press
corps, constitutional officers and others. Students receive 6 units of Govt.
195 (Credit/No Credit) for 25 hours per week in the internship and 6 units
(letter graded) for successful completion of the course (Govt.182, Seminar in
California Government& Politics). 3. The Washington D.C. internship. CSU Sacramento is affiliated with the Washington Center, a non-profit educational organization in Washington, D.C. which operates internship programs for over two hundred colleges and universities across the country. Through this affiliation, our students may undertake an internship in Washington, and earn 12 units of academic credit. The drawback of this program is its cost. Students must pay a substantial program fee to the Washington Center as well as pay for housing, transportation and incidentals. Limited opportunities for scholarships are available, especially for minority students. Students who think they are interested should see Mr. Wadlé.
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