- Internships & Careers
- About Summer Internships
About Summer Internships
Every Summer, the IOP funds hundreds of full-time internships and provides dozens of partial stipends so students can explore careers in and around politics.
Full-Time Internships
Full-time Summer internship applications opened during the latter half of the Fall quarter on a rolling basis, with a new batch of applications opening each month.
Applications are due in the middle of each month, with the deadline listed. See currently available internships on the Internship Hub.
IOP-funded full-time interns work for 320 hours (40 hours per week for 8 weeks) and receive a stipend of $5,500 from the IOP. In some cases, employers will supplement this stipend. Internship modality ranges from fully remote to fully in-person. The IOP prioritizes internships with in-person and hybrid modalities.
International students are eligible for IOP internships if they have received their U.S. work authorization. Typically, international students qualify for IOP internships, with the exception of first year international undergraduate and graduate students, who typically need to enroll for at least three quarters before obtaining work authorization. For more information, visit the UChicago Office of International Affairs.
Partial Internship Stipends
The IOP’s Summer Stipend Program offers students the opportunity to apply for a stipend of up to $2,500 to support an unpaid or underfunded summer internship in political or public service-related fields.
Applications will open in the spring quarter. Internship stipends are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage early applications.
If a student already has funding from an internship employer or another organization, the IOP can supplement a student's internship so that their total compensation equals $5,500. Please note that the University's 501(c)(3) tax status prohibits the IOP from funding students working directly on a candidate's campaign.
Hometown Internship Program
The Hometown Internships Program is a pilot cohort of 5 – 10 students who will receive IOP funding and support to find, secure, and complete internships in their hometowns.
This program will provide networking opportunities, mentorship, and career advising to students seeking to work in rural areas around the country and urban and suburban areas outside of the IOP’s Chicago hubs.
The application for this program is due Friday, February 2nd at 11:59 PM CST.
Summer Programming in D.C. & Chicago
During the Summer, the IOP Career Development team will host career workshops, social events, remote coworking meet-ups, and networking opportunities in our hubs in DC and Chicago.
Interns will receive more information about programming during the spring quarter.
