Political Science: Public Service Minor

The minor in public service is designed to develop a commitment to public service and instill public-regarding values in students, including the value of good citizenship as a vital component of a democratic polity. This minor stresses the ethical implications of government decisions. Accordingly, an extended internship experience in Washington is incorporated into the minor to expose students to the practical consequence of government decisions and to the broader principles of public good that are supposed to guide these decisions. This minor is compatible with the University’s mission of developing critical thinking and analytic skills necessary to sustain and support both political society and the personal progress of our students after they graduate from Adelphi. This program is for any student wanting to spend a semester or summer as an intern in Washington, D.C., while receiving 12 or 15 Adelphi academic credits. See fuller description of the internship program below. Preference is given to those applying for internships in their sophomore/junior year or the first semester of their senior year. Prerequisites include: four political science courses, including a seminar (for a total of 24-27 credits), a 3.3 GPA overall, and approval of the Political Science Internship Committee.

Students interested in the internship must plan ahead in their sophomore or even freshman years so that they will have the necessary prerequisites and so that they will be able to meet the requirements of their major despite one semester in Washington.