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Utah State Legislature Internships

  • The Utah State Legislature internship program is available each winter semester and will run full-time from early January through the middle of March. Students must be junior or senior status with at least one full year of campus coursework completed. Because students work as full-time staff for elected Utah officials, they need to be available from 8:00 AM until late in the day. Outside employment or non-program coursework are not allowed during the internship program. Applications are due each year by November 1.

  • Students will be required to pay tuition for their course enrollment while participating in the program. This is discussed in depth below and will vary based on the student's selected enrollment package.

    Additionally, all students will receive a stipend from the State of Utah of $4000 for participation in the program. Enrollment and internship participation will also qualify for scholarships and FAFSA funding based upon specific requirements. For more info, call 801-422-2168.

  • Required:

    • POLI 397 - 2 credit hours
    • POLI 399R - 3 credit hours

    Optional:

    • POLI 399R - increasing required 3 credit hours to 6 credit hours
    • Optional 1 - POLI 300 level course (term 2) - 3 credit hours
    • Optional 2 - POLI 300 level course (term 2) - 3 credit hours

    All students are required to complete POLI 397, the USL internship prep course. Students from all majors will benefit from the in-depth training on the processes, background, and strategy involved in the state legislative process. The course is designed to enrich the experience and prepare students to fully understand and engage in the process despite various majors participating in the program. This course is 2 credit hours and will be completed in two weeks early in January, prior to the beginning of the internship.

    Students are also required to enroll for POLI 399R. Everyone will be required to register for 3 credit hours, however, interested students may opt to enroll for 7 credit hours. Enrolling for 7 credit hours instead of 3 will include an increase in course work and tuition. This enrollment option is available to all students.

    We also offer two post-internship courses, 3 credit hours each, that are held during term 2 of winter semester. Students who opt to enroll in either or both of these post-internship courses will begin coursework after the USL internship is completed. Faculty for each course offer coursework designed to allow USL participants to catch up after the completion of their internship. These class offerings shift year to year. For current information, please contact our office at 801-422-2168.

    With these listed options, minimum enrollment will be 5 credit hours, with a maximum enrollment option of up to 14 credit hours. Tuition will be based on your selected enrollment. Additional questions should be directed to fhssinternships@byu.edu.

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Internship Experience

Student interns with the Utah State Legislature program will work with their assigned legislator through the full legislative session. Because the state of Utah does not hire paid staff for each legislator, students will fill nearly all roles typically filled by a team in other states. This includes policy research, committee meeting attendance and debriefings, managing social media and constituent outreach, working with special interest groups, offering support on the floor during the session, managing phone calls and appointments, and attending events as needed. Students will be involved full-time in supporting their assigned legislator. This internship does not work well with outside employment or coursework for this reason.

Students will gain insight into the complex policy process of state governments, how to support and engage with constituencies, putting together well-written research and emails, capabilities with tracking and understanding the nuances of legislation, a sense of accomplishment and professional development, networking abilities and opportunities, and a deeper understanding of various needs within specific demographics in the state of Utah.