The Government & Politics major combines philosophical and scientific concerns in its overall program as well as in specific courses. It emphasizes broad areas such as political development, policy analysis, social justice, political economy, conflict, and human rights. Using information from the University of Maryland graduation survey, we have compiled details about GVPT majors, such as their post-graduation adventures.
Use this information as a place to start exploring your career interests. Review additional resources below and on the Feller Center's website.
Openings in UMD's Careers4Terps: Government, Policy, International Affairs & Law
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Related Titles & Work Areas
Job Titles:
- Assistant Federal Content Manager
- Assistant Legislative Correspondent
- Campaign Manager
- Chief of Staff
- Communications Director & District
- Economic Research Analyst
- Federal Audit Associate
- Field Director/Organizer
- Finance Assistant
- Government Account Representative
- Government Relations Assistant
- Legislative Aide
- Legislative Correspondent
- Legislative Director
- Management Trainee
- Policy Analyst
- Program Analyst
- Proposal Specialist
- Public Policy and Government
- Relations Analyst
- Public Policy Specialist
- Regional Field Director
- Regional Organizing Director
- Research Assistant/Associate
- Researcher
- Visa Restrictions Program Assistant
Organizations:
- Angela Alsobrooks for County Executive
- Baron Public Affairs, LLC
- Delegate Jazz Lewis
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Federal Reserve System
- Fors Marsh Group
- Howard County, MD Government
- Leadership Connect
- Lift Up Houston PAC
- Maryland Democratic Party
- Maryland General Assembly
- Maryland Republican Party
- Montana Democratic Party
- National Security Agency
- National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service
- States Attorney’s Office
- U.S. Dept. of Energy
- U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
- U.S. Dept. of Justice
- U.S. Dept. of State
- U.S. Dept. of the Treasury
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- U.S. House of Representatives
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. Dept. of Justice Office of the Inspector General
Entry tips:
- For political internships, there will be times of the year when Congress is not in session. August is a recess month; November & December of an election year can also be very slow. Fall and spring are generally less competitive than summer, thus giving some students an opportunity to stand out.
- Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Government Jobs and Politics, Public Policy, and Activism Jobs for industry information and entry tips.
Job Titles:
- Development Assistant
- Environmental Justice Coordinator
- Fundraiser
- Global Health Coordinator
- Office Assistant
- Project Leader
- Public Outreach Officer
- Stakeholder Relations Associate
Organizations:
- Alliance to Save Energy
- Critical Relief for Children Inc.
- East Side House Settlement
- National Council of Jewish Women
- Save the Children US
Entry tips:
- Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Nonprofits for industry information and entry tips.
- Learn more about Careers in Human Rights - legal, law enforcement & social services organizations.
Job Titles:
- Archivist
- Assistant - Middle East and North Africa
- China Power Project Intern
- Data Assessor
- International Affairs Specialist
- International Cooperation Analyst
- Interpreter
- Mishelanu Program Manager
- Program Coordinator
- Research Assistant
Organizations:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- Chemonics International
- Creative Associates International
- Foundation for Law and International Affairs
- ICF International
- International Center for Religion and Diplomacy
- Israeli-American Council
- Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare Japan
- Open Data Watch
- Pakistan Ministry of Health
- Provincial Government of Sucumbios – Ecuador
- Tahir Institute for Middle East Policy
- Turkish American Steering Committee
- World Bank Group
- Explore organizations working in the field of Humanitarian, International Relations, or International Development
Entry tips:
- Language skills are important in this field. Consider minoring in a language.
- Networking and internships are crucial in this field.
- Review tips for researching career tracks with the U.S. Department of State
- Diplomacy, career paths and tips
- Human Rights career resources
- Tips from alumni for breaking into the field
- International development tips for starting in the field
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Background Investigator
- Case Assistant
- Immigration Paralegal
- Investigative Specialist
- Investigator
- Legal Administrative Assistant
- Legal Assistant
- Legal Secretary
- Paralegal/Paralegal Specialist
- Police Officer
- Program Analyst
Organizations:
- Covington & Burling LLP
- Edwards Neils PLLC
- Law Office of Luis C. Diaz
- Madison Associates
- Morrison & Foerster LLP
- New York County District Attorney's Office
- Ocean City Police Dept.
- Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia
- Quinn Emanuel
- Seyfarth Shaw LLP
- Trombly & Singer PLLC
- U.S. Department of Justice
Entry tips:
- Important qualities/skills generally include: communication, interpersonal, organizational, research, analytical, speaking, problem solving and writing skills.
- Apply for internships. Gaining experience in the field will test your interest and demonstrate interest to law school programs.
- Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Law and Criminal Justice Jobs for industry information and entry tips.
- Legal Services Career options
Advice from UMD Alumni:
Job Titles:
- City Year Corps Member
- English Teacher (Korea)
- Intramural Research Training Award
- Mikva Fellow
- Peace Fellow
- Peace Corps Volunteer
- Spring Fellow
- Teaching Assistant Program in France
Organizations:
- AmeriCorps
- Council on International Educational Exchange
- First Focus
- National Institutes of Health
- Oceana
- Peace Corps
- TAPIF
- The Advocacy Project
Entry tips:
- Apply early; applications are sometimes open one year before the start date.
- Demonstrate interest in the population or area of the fellowship through your past experiences on your resume.
- Fellowship opportunities
- Gap year programs
- Pursuing a career of international service: Options for Underrepresented Students
- Fellowships in international development and foreign affairs
- Charles Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program
Job Titles:
- Accounting
- Administrative Assistant
- Analyst/Associate Analyst
- Auxiliary Reporter
- Branch Financial Consultant
- Business Process Analyst Associate
- Business Risk Analyst
- Communications Coordinator
- Consultant
- Content Marketing Manager
- Creativity Consultant
- Cultural Assistant
- Customer Care Specialist
- Donor Relations Assistant
- Editor
- Financial Advisor
- Global Strategy Analyst
- Government & Public Sector Advisory
- HR Business Partner
- Junior Professional Associate
- Labor Relations Analyst
- Mid and Major Gifts Coordinator
- News Associate/Producer
- Operational Support Technician
- Operations Analyst
- Political Sales Coordinator
- Portfolio Management Officer I
- Production Assistant
- Project Manager/Associate
- Quality Assurance
- Recruitment Coordinator
- Reporter/Photojournalist
- Researcher
- Senior Account Executive
- Staff Assistant
Organizations:
- Abt Associates
- Amazon.com
- American Civil Liberties Union
- Ashoka
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- Breakthru Beverage Group
- Bully Pulpit Interactive
- CBS This Morning
- Consero Group
- Cornerstone Research
- Deloitte
- Epic Systems
- Ernst & Young
- General Dynamics Information
- Goldman Sachs
- Technology
- Ketchum
- Keystone Fireworks
- KPMG
- Laurel TV
- Lockheed Martin
- McKlinley Advisors
- Morgan Stanley
- NCC Media
- New Era Real Estate Investments
- Northrop Grumman
- Oxfam America
- PNC Financial Services
- Prevalent, Inc.
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- TD International
- Under Armour
- Voice of America
- Washington Business Journal
Business entry tips:
- Important qualities/skills generally include analytical, communication, creativity, decision making, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- For detailed tips, visit FirstHand's Career Guide to Business Administration Jobs.
Consulting entry tips:
- Be willing to learn and take the initiative to learn.
- When you first start, you are mostly a generalist, so be open to learning from colleagues and joining any training opportunities.
- Diversify your experiences – there is not just one clear cut path to consulting.
- Prepare for case interviews. When interviewing, tell a compelling story, communication skills, logical thinking, and a genuine interest in the topic you are working on. For detailed tips, visit FirstHand’s Interview Practice Guide: Case Interviews.
- Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Consulting and Consulting Jobs.
Review these notes to read what our alumni panelists shared about their career paths, past educational experiences that helped them succeed, and provide tips for entering the field.
Start Exploring Career Titles
Use the sample job and internship titles (mentioned above) to start exploring career paths. The links below provide a short overview of the positions.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, a career title dictionary
- O*NET Online, the nation's primary source of occupational information
- FOCUS2, explore career paths using self-assessment questionnaires
- Terrapins Connect, talk with professionals working in the field through UMD’s alumni network
- Federal positions by major, research career titles with the federal government related to your major
- FirstHand (formerly Vault) Career Guides, browse 100’s of industry guides to gain inside tips
Resources: Career Planning
Federal/State Government:
- USAJobs | Current openings in:
- Application tips, tips for applying to state and federal positions
- Federal position options by major
- Careers in Annapolis State Government
Policy:
- Identify organizations and issues of interest: U.S. and public policy issues by country, Think tanks based in Washington, D.C.
- Visit FirstHand’s Guide to Politics, Public Policy, and Activism Jobs for detailed tips.
- Young Professionals in Foreign Policy: attend DC events, programs and fellowships (membership required for some events).
International:
- Guide to International Jobs in Government, by APSIA
- Work areas in international affairs, by APSIA
- International Affairs/Development Directories Resources: highlights IA resource, blogs, organization listings
- Explore organizations working in the field of
- Diplomacy, career paths and tips
Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Government Jobs for industry information and entry tips.
Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Politics, Public Policy & Activism Jobs for industry information and entry tips.
Skills Developed: GVPT Major
Skills lead to jobs. Which skills do you possess?
- Assess your skills, abilities, interests, and values and explore how they relate to career options.
- Skills inventory - get started identifying your unique assets.
Sample list of skills developed in class by Government & Politics majors.
- Accumulating and interpreting information
- Analytical skills
- Contending analytical and theoretical approaches
- Oral and written communication
- Presentation
- Proactive and display initiative
- Quantitative methods
- Research
- Understanding of basic political science concepts
Add to your skills with LinkedIn Learning's skill based videos.
Gain Experience
Internships are a great way to try out an interest, regardless if they are directly related to your major. Employers tend to favor job seekers who have had an internship in the field they are hiring for.
Sample internship sites and titles:
- Counterterrorism Research Intern, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism
- Data Entry Intern, Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy
- Drug Enforcement Task Force Intern, U.S. Attorney's Office
- Drug Task Force Intern, Georgia Bureau of Investigation
- Homicide Unit Intern, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office
- Intern and Clerk, Chester County Office of the District Attorney
- Intern Investigator, Public Defender Service
- Intern, DC Pretrial Services
- Intern, Greenbelt Police Department
- Intern, International Community Corrections Association
- Intern, Office of the Attorney General
- Law Enforcement Apprentice Program, Montgomery County Police Department
- Legal Advising Intern, Staines Magistrates' Court
- Legislative Intern, Maryland General Assembly
- Manhattan Special Victims Squad Intern, New York City Police Department (Manhattan Special Victims Squad)
- Office Assistant/Firearms Examiner Assistant, Montgomery County Police Department
- Research Intern, Justice Policy Institute (Research)
- Student Analyst, U.S. Department of Justice
- Student Intern, State Attorney's Office of Montgomery County
Sample list of opportunities:
- Start your search with these tips!
- BSOS Engagement Opportunities - Browse links on out of the classroom experiences.
- Careers4Terps - Check out job and internship openings for off-campus positions for UMD students.
- UMD ENSP Internship: Policy - Lists organizations that typically host interns.
- UMD Department of Government & Politics Blog - Lists current openings.
- UMD National Scholarships Office - Review a listing of opportunities for UMD students.
- Federal government internships - Links to openings and application tips.
Featured Resources:
- Positions related to GVPT - featured in Careers4Terps.
- Learn about more internship sites for GVPT majors!
UMD Internship Programs:
- Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement - CDCE Research Assistantship Program
- Global Fellows Program
- Maryland Internship Program
- UMD Federal Semester - Enroll in a course & internship to learn about the policy-making process and discuss related issues in a seminar led by an industry expert.
- UMD Undergraduate Legal Aid Office internship program - Allows students to gain valuable hands-on experience while earning 3 hours of academic credit. The office selects 8 students per semester.
- Maryland General Assembly Internship - Students are given an opportunity to serve as legislative interns. The session takes place January through early April, usually Tuesday through Thursdays.
- Secretary’s Honors Program (SHP) - A new initiative to recruit exceptional recent graduates for careers at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that includes fellowships related to cybersecurity, policy, management, emergency management, and law.
- UMD Undergraduate Legal Aid Office
- Maryland Public Defender’s Office
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- DC Courts
- United States District and Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Columbia
- Internships with the Senate
Sites UMD students have interned at recently:
- Activist Non-Profits of every stripe, e.g.
- AIPAC
- Brady Commission
- Capital Area Immigrant Rights Coalition
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Department of Justice
- Human Rights Watch
- Kids in Need of Defense
- Consider approaching lobbying Firms
- Maryland General Assembly (usually comes with a stipend)
- Pacific Legal Foundation
- U.S. Congress
Tip: Reach out to small law firms. Networking is crucial as firms are more willing to hire undergraduates as interns if they have an existing connection to the firm.
Political internships are no longer just for political science majors; the experience would benefit students within all majors. It is an excellent networking opportunity as well as hard evidence on a resume that the student can work in a fast paced environment. Students also build communication, written, and interpersonal skills. Review this Guide to Political Jobs and Internships to get started!
Sample Internship Opportunities:
- White House Internships: Approximately 100 interns are chosen each spring, summer, and fall to participate in this program. The assignments given to an intern on any given day could include: conducting research, managing incoming inquiries, attending meetings, writing memos, and staffing events.
- Senate Personal office: Representative’s offices usually have 8-10 employees. Interns work on a variety of projects, usually feels more intimate or cramped. Reach out by state or check for openings.
- Senate Committees: Most of the legislative action occurs in committees. Review the committees and express interest to the respective Senators.
- Leadership office: Republicans and Democrats of the House and Senate elect leaders to set agendas, organize parties, etc. that receives a separate staff. Very competitive to obtain an internship because there are not many offices like this and the leaders are high profile.
Tip: You can also sign up for biweekly email alerts of available internships in the House of Representatives.
- Research options on campus
- UMD Research Centers - potential RA positions
- Review departmental listserv or blog - list openings and advice for undergraduate students
- START - located just off campus, offers unpaid internships year round on a variety of research projects and teams.
- UMD National Scholarships Office- list international fellowships and scholarships
- Gain experience for a career of international service: Options for Underrepresented Students
- Fellowships in international development and foreign affairs
Review a sample of the universities and programs GVPT undergraduates were accepted to below. Around 50% of GVPT majors who pursue additional education after graduating apply for a JD program.
Law Programs:
- Cornell University
- George Washington University
- Georgetown University
- Temple University
- University of Baltimore
- University of Maryland, Baltimore
- University of New Hampshire
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Richmond
- University of Virginia
Graduate programs:
- George Washington University, Medicine and Political Science
- Georgetown University, Public Relations/Corporate Communications
- Johns Hopkins University, Government and Politics
- Ohio State University, Political Science
- University of Baltimore, Public Policy
- University of Exeter, Business and Management
- University of Maryland, College Park
- Public Policy
- Education
- Applied Economics
- Arabic Studies
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Political Science
- Yale University, Epidemiology
Graduate School Resources:
- Questions to consider before applying
- Application timeline: stay on track with your graduate school application
- Tips for completing the application
- Financing ideas for graduate school
- Graduate School listing, LASC
- UMD Pre-Law Advising, contact for guidance on law related graduate school options and course suggestions
- Review FirstHand's resources on Law.
Salima Omwenga ‘21 (GVPT), Investigative Intern, Public Defender Service for District of Columbia. View all Internship Stories.
Build Connections
After researching career paths, consider talking with people working in your field of interest to gain inside information. The links below provide sample events where you may be able to meet professionals in your field of interest. Use these opportunities to learn more about your field of interest, establish new networking contacts, and informational interviews.
- Career Events for BSOS students
- University Career Center Event Calendar
- Terrapins Connect, is an online platform that allows students’ virtual access to UMD alumni who have volunteered to share industry specific information, conduct resume reviews, etc.
- Use LinkedIn to locate alumni & recruiters
- Intern for a Day, matches students with professionals working in a field of interest to shadow for the day or offer informational interviews
- Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, DC events (membership required for some events)
- Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA), attend events to learn about international affairs careers and research graduate programs
- DC Link Tank, find citywide events, organizations and people engaging on topics that matter to you
- DEM LIST, a free calendar and resource information connecting Democrats nationwide
