Internship Grant Opportunities

Summer Unpaid Domestic Internship Grants

The Humphrey School has funding support available for students partaking in unpaid or underpaid internships. The Office of Career and Student Success accepts funding applications in the late spring to support unpaid summer internships. An email will be sent from the Career and Student Success office in March.

There is one general application form for awards supported by multiple funds.

How to Apply for Summer Unpaid Domestic Internship Grants

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Application form

The general application form will be emailed from Career and Student Success in April. You will be considered for all funds for which you are eligible. You will need to have completed all the required documents before submitting your application.

Internship Agreement Form

Submit a PDF copy of the Internship Agreement Form confirmation email that will be sent to you after completing that step in the internship documentation process.

*As a reminder, you can receive funding for virtual internships.
**You can use more than one internship to meet the requirement. If you are completing more than one unpaid internship/experience over the summer to meet the requirement, submit an application form for each unpaid experience.

Reach out to Amber Bieneck, Assistant Director of Career and Student Success with questions about the grants, application or eligibility. 

Eligibility

Any student currently enrolled in good standing in the masters program in human rights, public policy, or urban planning (MHR, MPP or MURP) at the Humphrey School is eligible to apply. Students who have already fulfilled the internship requirement, waived that requirement, or who are in the MS–STEP, MDP, or MPA programs are not eligible for subsidy funds (since those degrees do not require internships).

Students must have a submitted internship agreement prior to the distribution of the funds, and the internship must satisfy the standards for the School’s internship requirement: 1) primarily at a professional level and 2) related to the student’s academic focus and career goals. The internship cannot be completed with units within the Humphrey School or the University, unless the student can document substantial work outside the School/University.

These awards can only support internships during the summer term.

Required Course for Summer 2024

Due to changes in University Requirements for Financial Aid, all students who receive internship grants will be required to enroll in PA5911, Humphrey School Summer Internship, an asynchronous 10-week summer course designed to accompany and enhance their internship experience. There will be no tuition costs associated with taking the course, which will be taught by Assistant Director of Career and Student Success, Amber Bieneck. Please reach out to Amber if you have questions about the course requirement: [email protected].

Deadline

Students must apply by May 3rd. This timing will allow for students to receive their funding before June 15, 2024. 

Available Summer Unpaid Internship Grants

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Byron G. (Barney) Allen Internship Grants for Governance and Politics

Through a generous donation from Barney Allen, awards are available to assist Humphrey School students with demonstrated financial need who undertake internships with government entities, political campaigns, or political parties in Minnesota.

  • Eligibility: Humphrey School students who undertake internships with government entities, political campaigns, or political parties in Minnesota

Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy Internship Grants

Through a generous donation in the name of Julia Henderson, the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy provides one to two awards to assist Humphrey students that have unpaid internships with a feminist organization, broadly defined, or an internship working on a feminist project in a non-feminist organization. Projects should serve women or advance gender equity. Students will be required to complete a report on the internship for the CWGPP upon completion.

  • Eligibility: Humphrey School students doing domestic or international internships with internships related to gender and public policy

Find more information on the CWGPP internship grant webpage.

George A. Warp Internship Grants

Through a generous donation from the George Warp family, awards are available to assist some Humphrey School students who wish to do internships in an organization that is unable to support the student financially. Priority consideration will be given to students who are working full time and doing their internship within a Minnesota government agency.

George Floyd Human Rights Scholarship

Through support from the Carlson Family Foundation, grants will help students make a direct community impact through exceptional internships with organizations that design and implement solutions to deeply entrenched human rights issues.

Lee Munnich Internship Grants

Through generous donations in honor of Lee Munnich's retirement after 25 years of directing the State and Local Policy Program, one award is available to assist a Humphrey School student who wishes to do an unfunded or partially funded internship with a focus on innovation and change in policy or planning. Students receiving the awards will be encouraged to present the outcomes and lessons learned at the end of the internship to Lee Munnich and other guests.

Pillsbury Internship Grants

Through generous donations to the Pillsbury Internship Fund, awards are available to assist some Humphrey School students who wish to do domestic internships in government agencies or nonprofit organizations where those organizations are unable to support students financially.

Stembler-Ebert Internship Grants

Through a generous donation from Humphrey School alumnus Paul Stembler and his wife Mary Ebert, two awards are available to assist Humphrey School students who wish to do domestic internships in nonprofit organizations where those organizations are unable to support students financially.

David Lucas Travel Grant

Available to students doing internships in the fields of international affairs, international development, or any of the specializations listed under the Humphrey School’s global public policy concentration abroad.

Stassen Center for International Affairs Summer Internship Grants

Available to students doing internships abroad orin the fields of international affairs, international development, international human rights or any of the specializations listed under the Humphrey School’s global public policy concentration.