Who is eligible to apply?

The Harrisburg Semester program is open to all eligible Penn State students of any major, although most students have come from majors like Political Science, Public Policy, Communications, History, Sociology, Business, and IST. The program operates only in the summer, the time that is most convenient for students coming from Penn State campuses across the Commonwealth. The program runs through Penn State’s summer class schedule, which starts the third week of May and ends in mid-August. We also will accept and work with students applying from other universities (outside the Penn State system) to ensure that the Penn State credits will transfer to their institution of higher education.

Note: This is an academic program, akin to education abroad, only we aim at total immersion in the world of politics and policy making in Harrisburg. We are NOT a placement service for students looking for internships. We seek students committed to full participation in the Harrisburg Semester program. That means registering for the three credit seminar class (PUBPL 490) and at least one credit of internship. In addition, there typically are a number of extracurricular activities that are recommended but not required.

We prefer that students have earned 60 credits prior to the summer they participate in the Harrisburg Semester. A minimum 3.0 grade-point average is required. We have, however, accepted some younger students and students who do not meet the minimum GPA. In these cases, we expect to see strong letters of recommendation and evidence of high motivation and commitment. For example, some students already have successfully completed career related work/volunteer experiences, or have high grades within their major. For students who have not yet reached their junior year, we recommend enrolling in PUBPL 495 for your internship credit. Many Penn State majors do not permit internship credit within the major before achieving junior status and/or completing certain classes. By utilizing PUBPL 495, you will reserve your major’s internship credits for a second internship further along in your college experience, should you wish to do so. Indeed, we are open to your participating a second summer in the Harrisburg Semester program, building upon your first internship experience. The seminar class, PUBPL 490, can be taken multiple times for credit, and we can devise a more advanced version for you.

Why I Should Apply Early?

We will be accepting applications starting late in fall semester and prefer that applications be completed by March 1 or earlier. The earlier the better. Some internship sites begin interviewing students for summer slots in late February and extend offers by mid-March. The later you apply, the narrower the range of your options. We will accept applications on a rolling basis through spring semester, though we cannot guarantee acceptance and placement for students who apply late in the semester.