Congressional Internship Program - Spring 2022
The Congressional Internship Program is a scholarship and nomination program designed to enhance students’ opportunities to work with Tennessee’s Legislators in Washington, D.C. Students who are selected to participate will be nominated for an internship (final selections and agreements are determined by individual offices and nominees) and awarded a scholarship of $7,500 to offset costs of living in Washington D.C. for the duration of the internship. There is a possibility the internship could be virtual depending upon the congressional office. Stipends would be subject to variation depending on that status.
Selected interns work closely with legislative staff on a variety of projects, as well as assist with clerical tasks, depending upon the office in which they are placed. Spring internships will last approximately 13 weeks and will begin in January, depending on the the office. This application period is for Spring 2022 internships.
Qualifications
The Congressional Internship Program is open to all majors with an interest in government and political careers who meet the following criteria at the time of application. The Spring 2022 internship is open to applicants of any major who meet the following criteria:
1. December 2021 graduate or a student with junior, senior, or graduate student classification.
2. Must have at least a 3.0 and be in good standing with the University of Tennessee
How to Apply
To apply, you will need to submit three documents. The resume and short essay answers will be uploaded and submitted through Handshake. The letter of recommendation should be emailed to Mary Beth Woodward at mbwoodward@utk.edu.
1. Current Resume
2. Letter of Recommendation - Your letter of recommendation should come from a professional reference who can speak to your professionalism, communication skills, dependability, leadership and public service. Recommenders can email their letter directly to Mary Beth Woodward at mbwoodward@utk.edu.
3. Written Response to the following questions (upload via the Other Documents tab). Questions a-c require only short one sentence answers. Questions d-f should be written in essay form, not to exceed 250 words:
a. Are you registered to vote in the state of Tennessee?
b. What is your Congressional District?
c. Please rank the Congressional Offices below in order of your preference with 1 being the highest and 11 being the lowest.
Sen. Bill Hagerty
Sen. Marsha Blackburn
Rep. Diana Harshbarger
Rep. Tim Burchett
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann
Rep. Scott DesJarlais
Rep. Jim Cooper
Rep. John Rose
Rep. Mark Green
Rep. David Kustoff
Rep. Steve Cohen
d. Why do you want to intern for a United States Congressional Office and how would this experience align with your career goals?
e. Please describe an experience that has shaped you either personally or professionally.
f. Please describe a particular policy or area of government that you are most passionate about and why.
Note: No matter your political affiliation, it is important to be open minded about the opportunities presented at this type of internship. If accepted into the CIP, nominees are required to apply to four offices and must refrain from reneging on any offers from the Congressional offices. Center for Career Development staff will guide you through this process.