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Internship Credit Opportunities
Although the Vote Smart Internship Program is an unpaid opportunity, interns are encouraged to use the internship as a way to receive academic or scholarship credit. Many universities have internship credit opportunities through major programs, professors, or career centers. Vote Smart welcomes these opportunities as it helps to grow our program, and it helps the student achieve academic success. Below are programs that many of our students are or have been affiliated. This is not a comprehensive list of all opportunities available. If an intern wants to use this as a way to receive academic credit, they need to contact their individual university. Vote Smart is not an accredited university and cannot give out academic credit.
DrakeUniversity Programs
1) Scholarship Recipient
Drake Admissions has created a $1000 scholarship program for high performing first-year students from multiple disciplines that includes an internship component. This was found by Drake to increase student recruitment yield above what they could achieve with the scholarship alone. These scholarships were offered by Drake to approximately 20 interns in the fall semester of 2018. After consulting with Admissions staff and after hearing student feedback, it was decided that the best future course would be to offer more of these internships in the spring semester of future years instead (to allow first-year students an opportunity to adjust to their new college life before starting an internship and to provide a more stable pool of interns over the course of the year). Vote Smart is responsible for facilitating an internship of 130 hours and reporting to Drake their accumulated hours and performance.
Drake Admissions has created a $1000 scholarship program for high performing first-year students from multiple disciplines that includes an internship component. This was found by Drake to increase student recruitment yield above what they could achieve with the scholarship alone. These scholarships were offered by Drake to approximately 20 interns in the fall semester of 2018. After consulting with Admissions staff and after hearing student feedback, it was decided that the best future course would be to offer more of these internships in the spring semester of future years instead (to allow first-year students an opportunity to adjust to their new college life before starting an internship and to provide a more stable pool of interns over the course of the year). Vote Smart is responsible for facilitating an internship of 130 hours and reporting to Drake their accumulated hours and performance.
2) First Year Seminar Students
Drake Students are required to take a "First Year Seminar" in the first semester of their time with Drake. First Year Seminars are a kind of interdisciplinary learning opportunity for students to exercise skills in discussion, debate, and active exploration. Working closely with professors at Drake, we have developed a class/internship hybrid that consists of 130 hours of internship as a homework component to the student's class time. Students are required to work at least 130 hours and receive additional credit from their class studies. This program can yield approximately 15-20 interns during the fall semester. Vote Smart is responsible for providing the professors teaching the FYS class the hours and evaluations of participating students.
Drake Students are required to take a "First Year Seminar" in the first semester of their time with Drake. First Year Seminars are a kind of interdisciplinary learning opportunity for students to exercise skills in discussion, debate, and active exploration. Working closely with professors at Drake, we have developed a class/internship hybrid that consists of 130 hours of internship as a homework component to the student's class time. Students are required to work at least 130 hours and receive additional credit from their class studies. This program can yield approximately 15-20 interns during the fall semester. Vote Smart is responsible for providing the professors teaching the FYS class the hours and evaluations of participating students.
3) Internship at Vote Smart
An independent internship opportunity is available to Students through Drake University. These interns will come to us after meeting with the assigned faculty teaching the class. Check in with the faculty before each semester to see if they have any interested students and be sure they have applied.
An independent internship opportunity is available to Students through Drake University. These interns will come to us after meeting with the assigned faculty teaching the class. Check in with the faculty before each semester to see if they have any interested students and be sure they have applied.
Iowa State Programs
1) Greenlee Schol of Communication
Iowa State University's Greenlee School of Communication has a requires all its graduates to complete a 400 hour internship in a communication related field to graduate. These students must complete our full time internship and provide examples of their work as well as evaluations and hours tracking documents. They can be recruited at the Greenlee college career fair at ISU.
2) Classes with Internship Requirements
CPR E 166
CPR E 294
CPR E 394
CPR E 494
SE 396
SE 397
SE 398
JLMC 499A
JLMC 591
3) Independent Study
Iowa State also offers independent study internship credit to students studying in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, including Politics majors.
Iowa State University's Greenlee School of Communication has a requires all its graduates to complete a 400 hour internship in a communication related field to graduate. These students must complete our full time internship and provide examples of their work as well as evaluations and hours tracking documents. They can be recruited at the Greenlee college career fair at ISU.
2) Classes with Internship Requirements
CPR E 166
CPR E 294
CPR E 394
CPR E 494
SE 396
SE 397
SE 398
JLMC 499A
JLMC 591
3) Independent Study
Iowa State also offers independent study internship credit to students studying in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, including Politics majors.
Grandview University Programs
Classes with Internship Requirements
COMM 399
CPSC 399
HIST 390
HIST 399
POLS 399
Students at Grandview University can find out more information about academic credit for the Vote Smart Internship from Susie Sterns in Career Services at sstearns@grandview.eduCOMM 399
CPSC 399
HIST 390
HIST 399
POLS 399
Simpson College Programs
1) John C. Culver Public Policy Center
Simpson College's Fellowship through a scholarship named after a former Representative John Culver helps to encourage public engagement and civic responsibility. The fellows must participate in volunteer experience in civic engagement or government service. Contact Seth Andersen at seth.andersen@simpson.edu.
2) Classes with Internship Requirements
CIS 365
MATH 385
POSC 319
3) Independent Study
Students can receive academic credit through their general internship course. This 4 credit course requires an intern to work for 120 hours on site and to work closely with a faculty member of their choosing. For more information, contact Bobbi Sullivan in Career Services at bobbi.sullivan@simpson.edu
4) Hybrid Program
This program has not been done before, but has been proposed by Seth Andersen. It would allow Simpson students to mostly work remotely except for trainings and evaluations.
Simpson College's Fellowship through a scholarship named after a former Representative John Culver helps to encourage public engagement and civic responsibility. The fellows must participate in volunteer experience in civic engagement or government service. Contact Seth Andersen at seth.andersen@simpson.edu.
2) Classes with Internship Requirements
CIS 365
MATH 385
POSC 319
3) Independent Study
Students can receive academic credit through their general internship course. This 4 credit course requires an intern to work for 120 hours on site and to work closely with a faculty member of their choosing. For more information, contact Bobbi Sullivan in Career Services at bobbi.sullivan@simpson.edu
4) Hybrid Program
This program has not been done before, but has been proposed by Seth Andersen. It would allow Simpson students to mostly work remotely except for trainings and evaluations.
University of Iowa Programs
1) Des Moines Internship Program
Students in this program have an internship in Des Moines 4 days a week and go to class 1 day a week at the Des Moines University of Iowa campus for a semester. This program is tasked with giving students real world experience. Only 15 students/semester are accepted. The students get to pick the internship program they will go through. Vote Smart is on the list of programs that are available for students to be a part.
2) Classes with Internship Requirements
COMM 2828
CRIM 4400
HIST 3101
POLI 3123
POLI 3124
SOC 4920
3) Tom Rice Class
Tom Rice, once the Des Moines Internship Program Director, has proposed a class, similar to the I-Pro Program, which would give students the opportunity to internship with us during a class. This could require some travel by staff. This is still in the works.
Students in this program have an internship in Des Moines 4 days a week and go to class 1 day a week at the Des Moines University of Iowa campus for a semester. This program is tasked with giving students real world experience. Only 15 students/semester are accepted. The students get to pick the internship program they will go through. Vote Smart is on the list of programs that are available for students to be a part.
2) Classes with Internship Requirements
COMM 2828
CRIM 4400
HIST 3101
POLI 3123
POLI 3124
SOC 4920
3) Tom Rice Class
Tom Rice, once the Des Moines Internship Program Director, has proposed a class, similar to the I-Pro Program, which would give students the opportunity to internship with us during a class. This could require some travel by staff. This is still in the works.
University of Northern Iowa Programs
Classes with Internship Requirements
COMM DM 3900
POL GEN 3181
CategoryAllStaffandInternsCOMM DM 3900
POL GEN 3181
