Student Internships

We Work To Inspire The Next Generation Of Leaders To Change What Isn’t Working.
Are You One Of Them?

An Immersive Learning Experience

Our Student Internship Program is hosted by the University of Virginia Center for Politics in collaboration with the Miller Center, Weldon Cooper Center/Sorensen Institute, Democracy Initiative, and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, is a prestigious scholarship program aimed at providing an immersive learning experience to 50 selected students. The program is open to rising second, third, and fourth-year students at UVA and UVA Wise.

Key Features of the Program

Multi-Faceted Summer Internship: Scholars engage in a wide range of activities, including gaining public-sector work experience, participating in public event planning, conducting political and historical research, contributing to television documentary production, and receiving personalized career counseling through the UVA Career Center.
Global Perspectives on Democracy: All Scholars participate in the Center for Politics’ Global Perspectives on Democracy program, engaging in real-time international diplomacy by serving as “host peers” for a U.S. Department of State-sponsored delegation of students in Iraq during the final two weeks of the program.
Alumni Mentoring: Each student is paired with a UVA alum who serves as a career mentor throughout the internship and for the following year. Notable mentors include Margaret Brennan, Tiki Barber, Chris Krebs, and others.
Financial Support: Scholars receive a stipend as part of the program.
Collaborative Opportunities: Students work individually and collectively on significant public-sector issues facing the country and the world, collaborating with various participating units of the University, including the Center for Politics, Miller Center, Democracy Initiative, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and Sorensen Institute.
Remote Format: The program is designed for remote participation.
Application Process: The program accepts applications from currently enrolled UVA undergraduate students, and students can apply by completing an application during our online enrollment period. Click Here to Apply (2024 Application Process in Development)
Funding: The program is made possible through funding from various organizations and generous donors, including the Jefferson Trust, Larry J. Sabato Foundation, Peter and Eaddo Kiernan Foundation, Sonja Hoel Perkins, McGuireWoods Consulting, and more.