Internships

Find internships

La Follette Government page– a resource full of all the things you need to know to help in your Local, State or Federal Internship search

Steps to Job and Internship Success – from SuccessWorks is a visual framework to help students navigate the process of getting jobs, internships, and into graduate school. The steps are listed on their homepage which directs students to their resources, programs, and services related to each part of the process.

Internship postings

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La Follette School students can access a curated list of internships. New internships are periodically emailed along with a link to a listing of all opportunities.

Master’s degree and undergraduate certificate students are automatically registered via their @wisc.edu email address. Not sure if you’re getting these emails? Contact La Follette Career Services.

Internship experiences

To help you better understand your internship experience, the La Follette School has collected the past internship experiences from our students.

Where our students have held internships

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International

  • Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center
  • Bard College, Berlin, Germany
  • BASIX, India
  • ENS Global Escuela de Negocios Sociales
  • Equal Education
  • European Parliament
  • Fundación En Via
  • Fundación Ethos
  • Health Access Connect
  • Imani Development Consultants Limited, Blantyre, Malawi
  • Institute of Policy Analysis and Research-Rwanda (IPAR-Rwanda), Kigali, Rwanda
  • International Institute for Sustainable Development
  • Nanubhai Education Foundation
  • National Rural Support Programme
  • Silethokuhle Foundation and The Kruger National Park
  • The Observer Research Foundation, Delhi
  • United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
  • United Nations Inter-Agency Secretariat of International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
  • US Department of State, Consulate, Monterrey, Mexico
  • US Department of State, Embassy, Berlin, Germany
  • US Department of State, Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium
  • US Department of State, Tirana, Albania
  • US Department of State, US Embassy, Counter Narcotics Division
  • US Department of State, US Embassy, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Washington D.C.

  • American Enterprise Institute
  • Broadcasting Board of Governors
  • Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
  • Child Trends
  • City First Enterprises
  • Climate Focus
  • Concentric Energy Advisors
  • Congressional Budget Office
  • Crowdpac
  • District of Columbia Public Schools
  • Government Accountability Office (GAO)
  • House Office of the Legislative Counsel
  • Issue One
  • National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine
  • Office of US Congressman Ron Kind
  • Partnership for Public Service
  • Research Triangle Institute International
  • Results for Development Institute
  • The American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • The Organization of American States
  • The Urban Institute
  • US Department of Agriculture, Economics Research Service
  • US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
  • US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
  • US Department of State

Madison, Wisconsin

  • American Family Children’s Hospital, Child Health Advocacy Center
  • Center for the Study of Social Policy
  • City of Madison, Finance Department
  • City of Madison, Parks Division
  • Dane County Board of Supervisors
  • Education Analytics
  • Forward Community Investments
  • Four Lakes Wildlife Center
  • Global Ventures Division of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce
  • Goodman Community Center
  • Hamilton Consulting Group
  • Institute for Research on Poverty
  • Legislative Internship with Representative Fred Clark
  • Madison Metropolitan School District, Research & Program Evaluation Office
  • Michael Best Strategies, LLC
  • National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE)
  • National Council on Crime and Delinquency
  • Office of State Rep. Amy Loudenbeck
  • Office of State Rep. Dave Murphy
  • Office of State Senator Chris Larson
  • Office of the Governor, Legislative and Policy Division
  • Pacific Economics Group
  • Project HealthDesign
  • Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
  • Rainbird Foundation
  • Second Harvest Foodbank of Southwestern Wisconsin
  • Susan G. Komen for the Cure
  • Thrive
  • United Way of Dane County
  • University of Wisconsin System, Office of General Counsel
  • US Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency
  • US Department of Veterans’ Affairs
  • US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center
  • UW–Madison Computational Nuclear Engineering Research Group
  • UW–Madison Law School
  • UW–Madison, Foreign Language and Area Studies Program
  • UW–Madison, La Follette School of Public Affairs Faculty
  • UW–Madison, Law School, Economic Justice Institute
  • UW–Madison, PEOPLE Program
  • WE International
  • We International Inc.
  • Wisconsin Area Health Education Centers
  • Wisconsin Association of School Boards
  • Wisconsin Department of Administration, Bureau of Supportive Housing
  • Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Enterprise Technology
  • Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Housing
  • Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Early Care Regulation
  • Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Performance Management
  • Wisconsin Department of Health Services
  • Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Office of Children’s Mental Health
  • Wisconsin Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victims Services
  • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Office of Business Support and Sustainability
  • Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
  • Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
  • Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice
  • Wisconsin Health Care Association/Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living
  • Wisconsin Homeland Security Council
  • Wisconsin HOPE Lab
  • Wisconsin Medical Society
  • Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
  • Wisconsin Policy Forum
  • Wisconsin State Assembly
  • Wisconsin State Senate
  • World Council of Credit Unions

Other Wisconsin & US Locations

  • AARP
  • Canticle Farm
  • Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  • Chicago Mayor’s Office
  • City of Janesville
  • City of Middleton
  • Community Advocates Inc.
  • Denver Rescue Mission, Champa House
  • EDIT
  • Education Pioneers
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • IMPACT Planning Council
  • IMPACT Planning Council
  • John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
  • Levee Ready Columbia
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation
  • Metropolitan Council
  • Michael Fields Agriculture Institute
  • Montgomery County Council/Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation
  • New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services
  • Office of the Milwaukee County District Attorney, Domestic Violence Unit
  • Policy Matters Ohio
  • Public Policy Forum
  • Resource Management Agency of Monterey County
  • State of Oregon, Chief Human Resources Office
  • State of Oregon, Human Resources Office
  • The Carter Center
  • US Army Reserve
  • US Federal Court, Chicago
  • US Government Accountability Office
  • Village of Waunakee

Internships + Academic Credit

Students can earn academic credit for participating in internships.

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Public policy certificate students

Students must enroll in one of the following courses at the same time as their internship:

The internship/fieldwork course must be taken for a letter grade. It cannot be taken pass/fail.

Enrollment must occur by the add deadline each semester and is subject to approval by the Director of Career and Employer Services.

Students must follow all instructions listed on the course page, including completion of the Internship Agreement Form.

Internship Agreement Form

Finding an internship and enrolling (PDF)

Health policy certificate students

Students must enroll in one of the following courses at the same time as their internship.

The internship/fieldwork course must be taken for a letter grade. It cannot be taken pass/fail.

Enrollment must occur by the add deadline each semester and is subject to approval by the Director of Career and Employer Services.

Students must follow all instructions listed on the course page, including completion of the Internship Agreement Form.

Internship Agreement Form

Finding an internship and enrolling (PDF)

Graduate students

Graduate Students may apply to receive up to three credits by successfully completing PA 827 – Administrative Internship.

Enrollment must occur by the add deadline during the fall, spring, or summer terms, and must be approved by the Career Services Director. Students assume responsibility for any travel and housing arrangements associated with an internship that requires relocation.

Students who wish to enroll in the course and receive credit for an internship must follow all instructions listed on the course page including completion of the Internship Agreement Form. Please see Section 10 of the Student Handbook for more details about internship and PA 827 requirements.

Internship Agreement Form

Student Handbook

Financial support

Support to help offset the costs associated with investing in internships

Graduate students


The Summer Policy Learning Experience Program provides financial support to La Follette School students who seek summer internships outside of Wisconsin.

This stipend is intended to defray some, but not all, of the higher costs of investing in internships, especially those with little or no salary.

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Awards

To receive internship support, students must enroll in and pay tuition for PA 827 Administrative Internship.

Interns receiving no salary compensation and those with internships in a foreign country or major US metropolitan area outside of Wisconsin and its neighboring states are given priority for awards. The availability of and demand for funds vary each year; thus, the number and size of awards also vary. Students should not accept internships with the expectation of receiving an award. Opens every spring in early March.

Eligibility and applicaiton

Full-time students are eligible for internship support during the summer between their first and second years at the La Follette School.

Staff will notify students about the award program and application deadline via email early in the spring semester. Students may receive no more than three credits for internships; thus, students who already received three credits for PA 827 are not eligible for summer support

  • The first deadline for summer internship support is in March. The Career Services Director will determine and announce subsequent deadlines
  • Refer to the Student Handbook, section 10.3, La Follette School Summer Policy Learning Experience for full program details and requirements.

Graduate Student Funding Information (pdf)

Other considerations

Students who hold project, research, or teaching assistantships in the spring semester are eligible for full tuition remission during the summer. Full tuition remission does not preclude students from requesting support. Summer support consists of a one-time stipend only; it does not come with tuition or health insurance benefits

Undergraduate students


The Kohl Policy Internship Scholarship, established in 2020 by a generous grant from former Senator Herb Kohl, provides funding to offset the tuition for taking PA 327 in the summer for undergraduate students pursuing opportunities for learning and working in organizations that integrate policy knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting.

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Awards

The scholarship provides financial support to students who sign up to take Public Affairs 327: Administrative Internship along with a policy-related summer internship (if unsure whether your internship is policy related, please contact the Career Services Director for guidance).

Eligibility and application

It is hoped that students will gain valuable applied experience and make professional connections in the field of public policy, apply concepts and practice problem solving-skills learned during the Certificate in Public Policy or Certificate in Health Policy experience, build a network of contacts, explore possible career choices, and engage with a wide range of people about their jobs, views, backgrounds, and experiences.

To apply please watch your email for the announcement. The scholarship application opens every spring in mid-late March.

Apply for 2024 – Deadline 5/3

Other considerations

The scholarship is intended to cover tuition for taking PA 327. The availability of, and demand for, funds vary each year; thus, the number awards may also vary.

Students should not accept internships with the expectation of receiving a scholarship. Note that you must enroll in PA 327 to be considered for a scholarship

Offered only during summer term

Jeffrey A. McLean Foundation Internship Support (no deadline – apply anytime)

The Jeffrey A. McLean Foundation provides economically challenged college students the means to participate in unpaid internships and the opportunity to advance their careers. Scholarships will only be awarded to internships with Small Businesses (200 employees or less), Non-Profit Organizations, Academic Organizations, and Government Agencies.