- 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. The first batch of summer internships are due January 8! Apply here.
Hometown Communities Public Service Grant
The IOP is giving UChicago students $5,850 grants to serve in their hometowns this summer.
Students seeking substantive politics or public service jobs internships may feel the need to limit their search to D.C. and major metropolitan areas, but we need young leaders in small towns and municipalities all over the United States, be they urban, rural or suburban.
To give students the opportunity to serve in their hometowns, we're helping students find a politics and public service internship in their local community and giving them $5,850 to fund their internship. Whether you're looking to intern in local government or community organizations, the IOP wants to support your work. Students must fill out our interest form by February 17.
Full-Time Internships
Full-time Summer internship applications will open 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
Students seeking financial support for unpaid or underfunded internships in public service: apply for IOP funding! Students may receive up to $2,500 in support.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis through mid-May. See form for additional information. Please note that this form is only open for people with a UChicago email.
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 $5,850. Please note that the University's 501(c)(3) tax status prohibits the IOP from funding students working directly on a candidate's campaign.
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.