The Political Science - Public Service major is for students who wish to concentrate on the means by which policy is formulated, implemented, evaluated and interpreted.
DID YOU KNOW?
In contrast to the Political Science major, the Political Science - Public Service major has an internship and research requirement and focuses specifically on the American political system. Students may choose from among internship opportunities with political, governmental and nonprofit organizations encompassing a wide range of activities and interests.
Major Requirements
Download the major requirements checklist.
Check out our major overview video and presentation, where our 2023-24 peer advisor RJ provides a general overview of the components of the Political Science - Public Service major, including the internship and research requirements!Major Required Internship and Research Experience
The Political Science – Public Service major requires 6 units of a policy-based internship experience. Internships can be spread out over two quarters, or completed in one. There are several options for fulfilling the requirement:
Quarter or summer program. The UC Davis Washington Program (UCDC) and UC Center Sacramento Program (UCCS) are quarter-long programs that give students the opportunity to spend a quarter in Washington D.C. or downtown Sacramento respectively, to participate in an internship and take policy-focused courses at the UC Center in D.C. or in Sacramento. Participating in one of these programs is one option to fulfill the internship requirement. UCDC and UCCS also offer summer programs. Please note that you must apply in advance and be accepted to these programs in order to participate. Visit their websites for more information. If you plan to participate in either of these programs to fulfill your internship requirement, please make sure to discuss your plans with a major advisor.
Independent internship. Students can also fulfill their internship requirement by participating in an independent internship. In order to complete the internship requirement through an independent internship, students must secure their own internship related to their field of study (political science, public service, politics, policy, government, etc.) Once they have secured an internship, students must apply to receive internship credit units during the quarter in which they will be working the internship, under POL 192A or 192B. Please note POL 192 units are not available over the summer for summer internships. Internship units are based on the number of hours worked per week in one quarter. 6 units of internship equals 18 hours/internship work per week for one quarter, OR students can split the hours between two quarters utilizing POL 192A and 192B (e.g., 10 hours/week for one quarter for 3 units of POL 192A, and 10 hours/week the following quarter for 3 units of POL 192B = 6 units of internship units total). Students earning internship credit for the first time will enroll in POL 192A. Please note that the Department of Political Science does not place Public Service students in internships. Students are encouraged to discuss plans for an independent internship with their major advisor to ensure they meet the requirements. You can find more information and apply for internship units on the internships in political science page.
The Political Science – Public Service major also requires 2-4 units of research in practical politics. This requirement can be fulfilled through the UC Davis Washington Program or UC Center Sacramento Program. Please note that the Washington Program does not offer the research seminar during their summer program. If you do not complete the research requirement through one of these programs, you will need to fulfill the requirement by taking POL 193 at UC Davis.
POL 193 can be completed in conjunction with independent internship units (POL 192A/B), or can be completed in the term following. However, you must have completed all 6 internship units required, or be concurrently completing the 6 internship units required, in order to be enrolled in POL 193. For POL 193, you will be expected to offer a more rigorous and in-depth academic exploration of a policy-related question. POL 193 will require academic assignments to be completed throughout the quarter. There is no in-person course for POL 193; assignments will be monitored through Canvas. The Faculty Supervisor will assign and grade these assignments. POL 193 is offered for a letter grade. Please note that POL 193 credits are not given for assisting a faculty member with research, working in a lab, doing independent research, or completing an honors thesis. If wanting to enroll in POL 193 concurrently with POL 192A/B units, please indicate on the unit application form.If you will be completing POL 193 in the term after you complete POL 192, please contact the Department of Political Science at [email protected] prior to the quarter you plan to enroll in POL 193, to confirm with us that you have completed POL 192 and to receive instructions on registering for POL 193.
To learn more about the Political Science – Public Service requirements, watch our video here. Please also utilize the advising resources available to you on our advising center page.Career Paths
The Political Science - Public Service major offers excellent preparation for careers in municipal, state and federal elected office and support staff, advocacy, the legal profession, journalism, market research, public relations, urban policy planning, academics, political consulting, diplomacy, policy analysis and other fields.
Exceptional Internships
Political Science - Public Service students are required to complete an internship and research experience as a part of the major requirements. At UC Davis, there are incomparable internship opportunities for PPS majors that can place you in the middle of legislative and policymaking action at the local, state, or federal levels.
The UC Sacramento Center, only one block from the California State Capitol, immerses participating students in the processes of formulating public policy and legislation in California. The UC Davis Washington Program similarly offers students the opportunity to combine course work, exciting field research and unparalleled internship experiences during a quarter's residence in Washington, D.C.Through either program, students can take advantage of internship opportunities in a wide variety of focus areas, including health care, civil rights, elementary and secondary education, higher education, public safety, environmental regulations, agriculture, water resources, criminal law, poverty, immigration, privacy, animal rights, small business, taxation, international trade, Second Amendment rights, political reform, energy, child abuse, women's rights, legislative reform, local government, veterans affairs, fiscal reform and other specialized areas. Both programs offer invaluable opportunities for completing the internship and research components of the major.
Students can also earn academic credit for an internship in the political science or public service sectors outside of these programs.
For more information about internships in Political Science, click here to go to our Internships page.