Every Spring, the Department offers Politics juniors an opportunity to apply for internship and/or thesis research funding to be conducted the summer before senior year.

Grants are available for internships in governmental or non-profit organizations. Internships must be unpaid, full-time, and last at least eight weeks. The site of the internship may be in this country or abroad. The Department's internship funding is very restricted, and students are encouraged to apply to other internship funds around campus (there are several for which Politics students are eligible). 

The Department also offers thesis research funding. Juniors are encouraged to formulate and propose a thesis topic well in advance so that they might begin such research as early as the summer before senior year. [The Department also participates in an early Fall round of funding for thesis research to be conducted over Winter Break; details about this opportunity are communicated to rising seniors in the summer.] Rising seniors are encouraged to start thinking about their project proposals during the summer in order to get a head start on their planning as the deadline to apply is normally mid-October. The Department follows similar guidelines set forth by the Office of Undergraduate Research.  More information, including allowable and non-allowable expenses, can be found under Thesis Funding.

NOTE: In the Fall of senior year, the Office of Undergraduate Research provides two funding opportunities to apply for thesis research funding – Fall Break and Winter Break.  In as much as these resources are limited, it is recommended that students plan ahead to be given full consideration. 

To apply for Department funding, you must go through the Student Activity Funding Engine (SAFE) and follow the instructions contained within the application.