Internship (12EC)
Why follow an internship?
An internship offers lots of opportunities. For example, you can get to know the environment that many political scientists end up working in. In addition, you can use your internship to conduct research for your Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis, or specialise in a field that was not extensively discussed during your studies.
What can you do?
You can follow an internship within the framework of your Bachelor’s programme in Political Science. You can substitute two electives (12 ECTS) for one Political Science-related internship. Master’s students may substitute 6 ECTS worth of electives for a Political Science-related internship. Master's students can also do an internal research internship, in which the student conducts research for Radboud University. For this you need an internship position, an external internship supervisor, an internal internship supervisor and an internship plan. This plan must be approved in advance by the Examining Board, which will make a decision based on a written request.
Do you want to do an internship? Here is a brief overview of the steps you need to take to start the procedure:
1. Find an internship;
2. Read the internship regulations that applies to you carefully (see below);
3. Have you found an internship? Please contact our internship coordinator (Reinout van der Veer). Mention your name, study programme, intership organization, the intended start and end date, and three preferred options for internal supervisors at the political science department;
4. Draw up an internship plan (see internship regulations) and submit it to the Political Science Examination Board for approval. You do this in consultation with your supervisors;
5. More information about the requirements and the further course of the internship can be found in the internship regulations.
What is the best time to follow an internship?
The best period to follow an internship is the first semester of the third year. This semester includes only one course that is part of your curriculum, whereas the remainder (24 ECTS) concerns elective space.
How can I combine following this course with an internship?
The course is designed in such a way that you will only have to attend lectures in Nijmegen half a day a week. Arranging this with your internship host should normally be no problem.
Internship regulations
The programme has drawn up internship regulations for students who want to follow an internship. These regulations explain what is expected of an internship, of a student following an internship, of an internship host and of an internship supervisor. Separate internship regulations are available for the Bachelor’s programme (pdf, 294 kB) and the Master’s programme (pdf, 320 kB).
Student stories
Students of Political Science are following internships in a wide range of places. An overview of some concrete internship experiences can be found here.
Internship options
There are lots of possible options for following an internship, varying from government and political parties to commercial agencies. If you are studying Political Science and you would like to see some concrete options, take a look at the website of the Nijmegen School of Management Career Service.
Grants
Radboud University offers various grants for students who want to follow an internship abroad. These grants are funded both by Radboud University itself and other institutions, such as the European Union and the Dutch government. This tool and the International Mobility Office can help you find your most suitable grant. Make sure you arrange your grant at least 6 weeks in advance!