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Exchange, Internships & Career Opportunities
Exchange Programs
Going on exchange during your time at Western offers you the opportunity to apply learning in a new academic setting and expand your horizons. You can gain valuable skills for succeeding in a global economy. It's also a great chance to learn a different language. Below are some tips for students interested in taking courses on exchange:
- Plan Ahead: Allow at least 3-4 weeks to research courses, download course syllabi, and get approval.
- Degree Requirements: It is highly recommended that you plan your exchange for your third year of studies in order to ensure you will meet your degree requirements.
- Graduation: If you go on exchange in your final year of studies, please note that it may delay your graduation until the fall, depending on when grades are released by the host University.
- Approval: When requesting approval for specific courses, it is imperative that you provide the course syllabi. For Political Science courses, there must be evidence of a significant essay component before a course can be approved at the 2200-level or higher.
- Research: For Political Science students, some Universities will be better exchange partners than others. In advance of selecting your school, do some extensive research. Find out what courses they offer and whether there are restrictions on certain courses.
Ready to Apply?
For more information on exchange programs, refer to the Social Science Academic Advising website and the International Learning website on how to participate in the International Exchange Program, including application steps, course approvals, and academic requirements.
Please Note: If you are considering going on exchange at Sciences Po (The Paris Institute of Political Studies), Political Science courses there are limited to a 2200-level equivalency at Western.
Internships
Below are internship opportunities that may be of interest to our students. The Department of Political Science does not represent any of the internship or field experience placement sites below, with the exception of the Undergraduate Summer Research Internship (USRI). The postings contain information created and maintained solely by other public and private organizations. Please contact the agencies directly if you have any questions about the information found on this page.
For more information on internships at Western, please refer to the Student Success Centre website.
Undergraduate Summer Research Internship (USRI)
The Western Undergraduate Summer Research Internships (USRIs) provide undergraduate students with engaged research experiences under the mentorship of a faculty member and are intended to stimulate undergraduate students’ interest in research through direct exposure and hands-on experiences conducting research. This program seeks to provide undergraduate students with first-hand experience in undertaking an exciting research project under the direction of a qualified faculty mentor/supervisor. Through participation in this program, students gain valuable and high-impact research, technical and professional skills that will help support academic and career development toward their future professional goals. Faculty mentors benefit from meaningful engagement, and assistance toward their research program and can use the opportunity to further a diverse highly qualified personnel training environment.
Hear It Straight From Our Interns
Katie is a fourth-year Honours Political Science student. Her academic interests include issues facing Canadian politics. She has served as a Student Director at the Leadership & Democracy Lab at Western and has worked with the Consortium on Electoral Democracy (C-Dem).
Through the analysis of third-party reports and academic literature, Katie conducted research on third-party election spending in Canada under the supervision of Professor de Clercy and Valere Gaspard, a Research Fellow at the Leadership & Democracy Lab.
"The USRI program has enabled me to foster foundational research skills that has further developed my critical thinking skills as well as my personal interest in Canadian elections and electoral spending."
Andrei is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Double Major degree in Political Science and Economics. He served as the Senior Editor of the Western Undergraduate Economics Review and a Team Leader in the Leadership & Democracy Lab.
Andrei examined the role of ideology in the 2022 Conservative Leadership Race under the supervision of Professor Harmes. The aim of this project was to determine the extent to which ideology helps to explain candidate positioning and coalition building.
"USRI has been an invaluable learning experience for me. The abundance of professional development opportunities and program support have further enhanced the USRI experience."
Cynthia is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Specialization degree in Political Science and a Minor in Economics. She served as VP Events in Western's Political Science Association.
Cynthia conducted research on Indigenous-local water sharing agreements under the supervision of Professor Alcantara. Her co-authored article entitled "Overcoming barriers to Indigenous-local water sharing agreements in Canada" has been published in Canadian Public Administration.
"As someone planning to pursue graduate studies in political science, I am incredibly fortunate to have been able to develop skills through the USRI program that will benefit me in my academic career and beyond."
Christina is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a major in Criminology. She served as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance, and has contributed to the Canadian Municipal Attributes Portal (CMAP) project. She also served as an ambassador for Western's Social Science Students' Council (SSSC).
Under the supervision of Professor Taylor, Christina conducted research on the variations between province balance of revenues and expenditures over all Canadian municipalities. The goal of the project was to develop the first Metropolitan Power Diffusion Index (MPDI) for Canadian municipalities.
"The USRI program gave me an invaluable opportunity to further grow my passion for social sciences while also developing my foundation as a researcher. These taught me important skills that I will be using going forward into my professional career."
Abigail Sobin is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Specialization in International Relations and a Minor in Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction.
Under the supervision of Professor Biswas Mellamphy, Abigail created The Feminist Thinkers Database to showcase the development and progression of women's rights and popular feminist discourse. The database will be used as a teaching tool for POL 3207G: Women, Sex, and Politics.
"Being involved in the USRI program has given me invaluable information on the publishing process. I recommend that every student participates in the USRI program if given the opportunity!"
Chloe is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Specialization in Political Science. She has served as the President of Social Science Students Council and Social Science Senator.
Chloe examined the impact of economic recovery efforts and financial aid programs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic on voting behavior in Canada under the supervision of Professor Anderson. This research aimed to understand how economic responses by Canadian federal and provincial governments influenced voter perceptions and support for political parties at both levels.
"The USRI program has been transformative, allowing me to dive deeply into research with hands-on learning and mentorship. Its flexibility and resources have helped me refine my data analysis skills and structure my research focus, empowering me to advance my knowledge of political science and grow in my academic journey, career and beyond!"
What Faculty Supervisors Say
"The USRI program is crucial to producing new and cutting-edge research in political science at Western. Faculty rely on undergraduate student interns to complete lit reviews, collect and analyze data, and sometimes write up results. Interns come away from the experience with practical research skills learned from faculty members and an array of research workshops offered by the university and sometimes co-authored academic journal articles with faculty."
"The USRI program is a tremendous program that offers paid research opportunities for undergraduate students hoping to learn and gain research experience. My matched students have contributed a great deal to my research projects, including completing about 40% of the foundation of a project (literature review and synthesis, secondary data collection and preliminary analysis) and becoming a full co-author."
"The USRI summer internship is a terrific program. It provides students with excellent research training and experience as well as funding. Faculty supervisors also benefit from having a dedicated research assistant over the summer months. My intern did excellent work and I have hired him from my own research funds to complete the project and work towards a co-authored publication. I would definitely participate in the program again."
"The USRI program is a valuable opportunity for students and supervisors alike. This summer, I've had the pleasure of working with a talented and motivated undergraduate Research Intern, Amanda Gutzke - who has assisted me with research on migration from Toronto to rural areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, my USRI intern has analyzed census data, conducted semi-structured interviews with policy-makers, and coded and analyzed interview transcripts using NVivo software. The USRI program itself supports students with an excellent series of professional development workshops and gives students the opportunity to prepare a capstone product from their work and share it with their peers. USRI Interns get a unique inside perspective on how academic research works. They learn valuable skills and develop relationships with mentors and peers that will serve them well in the future. I strongly recommend the program for any undergraduate student who is interested in an intensive opportunity to develop their research skills."Internship Opportunities
Funded Internships & Paid Positions
- AFS Intercultural Programs
- AIESEC Global Internship Program
- Canadian Cooperative Association
- CARE Canada
- Coady International Institute, Youth Partnership
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- Green Corps
- Inter-American Development Bank
- Manitoba Legislature Internship Program
- Mines Action Canada, Young Professionals International Mine Action Program
Unpaid Internships
- Association of American Universities
- Bundestag Internship (Emigré Memorial German Internship Program)
- Atlantic Council of Canada
- Canada World Youth
- Canadian Parliamentary Internship Program
- Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (CACI)
- Chatham House
- Institute of International Relations, Prague
- International Court of Justice
- International Crisis Group
Volunteer Opportunities
Possible Careers
A degree in Political Science will develop your critical thinking and problem solving abilities, skills that will help you to accurately assess ideas and construct answers to complex theoretical questions by developing logical arguments based on empirical evidence. These are the skills employers seek in the 21st century economy. It can also help you launch a career in a wide variety of fields, such as: civil service, federal/provincial/local government, international agencies such as the United Nations, business, journalism, broadcasting, public relations, policy analysis, market research, interest/lobby groups, law, and education.
We have developed a handout for students to explore different work areas, typical employers, and the skills and experiences that will help them obtain employment after graduation. Alumni of the undergraduate program have obtained employment in the following fields:
- Private Sector, Government, Non-profit Sector
- Public Administration Programs, Management Training
- Public Relations
- Journalism
- International Careers (United Nations, Non-Governmental Organizations)
- Professional or Graduate Studies (Law School, Graduate Programs in Political Science)
Available Resources for Students
Careers & Experience helps students deepen their academic learning and actively plan for personal and professional growth through career education, experiential learning, and industry exploration. We foster an environment in which students are able to discover their potential and design their future.
The Social Science Co-op Team works closely with a network of employers to provide practical, hands-on experiences for students across the Faculty of Social Science as early as Summer of their second year.
Registered students can work between 4-months and 16-months and earn up to 1.0 credit toward their degree.
Federal Public Service Jobs
Specialized Recruitment Programs
Here you will find a list of Specialized Recruitment Programs, offering students, recent graduates, and early-career professionals opportunities to gain experience and develop skills across federal departments and agencies in areas such as policy, finance, auditing, research, and public service.
- Bank of Canada–University Recruitment Campaign
- Canada Border Services Agency–General Recruitment
- Canadian Security Intelligence Service–General Recruitment
- Department of Foreign Affairs,Trade and Development Canada–General Recruitment
- Department of Defence–Policy Officer Recruitment Programme
- Finance Canada–University Recruitment Campaign
- Natural Resources Canada-Policy Analyst Recruitment and Development Program
- Office of the Auditor General–Financial Audit Trainee Program
- Office of the Comptroller General of Canada–Financial Officer and Internal Auditor Recruitment and Development (FORD/IARD)Program
- Statistics Canada–EC Recruitment and Development Program
- Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat