Guidelines and Eligibility

GOV/PAD 402/403 is a six credit Seminar and Internship in New York City Government. Students attend a weekly John Jay College senior seminar, work in a placement for 12-16 hours, and participate in a monthly televised speakers’ forum at the CUNY Graduate Center.

To participate: you must be a senior Government, Public Administration, or Judicial Studies major. A 3.0 GPA is strongly recommended. Students also must have sufficient room in their schedules to be available for the required 12-16 placement hours. Individual schedules will be set by the placement supervisor in cooperation with the student. Most city agencies and other governmental offices are open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The instructor’s approval to participate must be obtained prior to registration.

Requirements for additional GOV/PAD 402/403 opportunities
Students also register for GOV/PAD 402/403 for several other internship programs:

Black, Puerto Rican, and Hispanic Legislative Caucus/CUNY Scholars Program is a competitive scholarship opportunity that awards a $1,000 stipend to CUNY students to work in a New York City district office of Caucus members. Award winners participate in the GOV/PAD 402/403 seminar and must meet all of the prerequisites and requirements of that course. In addition, students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA for consideration.

New York State Senate Undergraduate Session Assistants Program is a 12 credit internship in residence in Albany during the Senate’s winter session. Participants are chosen through a competitive application process. Interns are awarded a $5,000 stipend ($3,500 by the Senate and $1,500 by CUNY). Students register for two sections of GOV/PAD 402/403, live in Albany from the beginning of January until the end of April (check Senate application guidelines for exact dates for a given year), and complete academic assignments and placement requirements set by the Session Program. To apply, students must be United States citizens, full-time John Jay College students, juniors or seniors, and meet a minimum 3.0 GPA.

New York State Assembly Session Internship is a 12 credit Albany-in-residence, winter session internship. Students apply through a competitive application process for a $5,000 award (a $3,500 Assembly stipend, plus $1,500 from CUNY). Session Interns register for two sections of GOV/PAD 402/403 and live in Albany from January through the end of April (check application forms for precise dates). Students attend a weekly academic seminar, complete written and other seminar assignments, and must fulfill the assigned duties of their Assembly placements. To apply, students must be full-time John Jay College students, “demonstrate academic ability, intellectual curiosity, and receive the positive recommendation of their campus liaison” (as noted by the Session Internship Application eligibility guidelines). Students should have a strong GPA; a 3.0 GPA is recommended.

CUNY Summer Washington Internship Program awards a stipend for a Washington, D.C. summer in residence internship. Approximately 12 awards are made to CUNY students for the CUNY summer term. Interns live in Washington, D.C., usually in George Washington University dormitories, work full-time for a federal agency, elected official or nonprofit organization, and participate in weekly speakers’ forums. Student interns register for one section of GOV/PAD 402/403 (usually during the fall semester) to receive their six John Jay College credits. Students apply for the Washington, D.C. program through their campus liaison and are encouraged to be juniors or seniors with strong GPAs. A 3.0 GPA is strongly encouraged.

Edward T. Rogowsky Internship Program in International Affairs is a six credit program offered in New York City with a weekly academic seminar and placements in international non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies. Students register for one section of GOV/PAD 402/403, must meet the requirements of the GOV/PAD 402/403 New York City Seminar and Internship, and must have the approval of the International Affairs seminar instructor in order to participate.

For more information, contact:
Janice Bockmeyer, 212.237.8196, jbockmeyer@jjay.cuny.edu.