Public Policy Careers, Internships, & Co-Ops: Student Resources

Students who have been accepted to a public policy-related co-op or internship are eligible to apply for the Student Public Policy Experiences Award, a financial stipend through the Portman Center.

To apply for a stipend, students must complete the online application upon acceptance of their internship or co-op position. The full funding rules and requirements can be found within the application.

Students can receive academic credit through the completion of a public policy-related internship or co-op. There are two options to receive academic credit—one through the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), and one through the College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies (CCPS).

Read about SPIA internships for academic credit.

Read about CCPS elective co-op opportunities. 

• Sign up to receive weekly email updates on public policy opportunities.
• Access the Portman Center database of internship opportunities available to students.
• The Portman Center also offers various programming to help students prepare for career opportunities. Follow Portman Center events. 
• The Portman Center Public Policy Career Fair will be held in Spring 2026. 

• The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards supports UC undergraduates interested in applying for major external fellowships, such as Rhodes, Truman, Marshall, Churchill, and Goldwater Scholarships, and more.
• UC Handshake Career Platform
• UC CareerShift Job Board Aggregator
• UC Interstride Career Platform