The application is a fill-in Word document and may be emailed back. It is due October 31, Halloween. It is being left up to the office and student to agree whether the internship will be “hands on” or virtual.
The matching process is from the middle of November through the middle of January. If a student notes a member in the preference section, Maryland General Assembly Human Resources will forward a copy of the application for consideration. If confirmed, they will email the student and the office a congratulatory email. This is referred as a pre-match. If not confirmed, the application will join the pool for offices to review. Applications circulate until Human Resources receives confirmation of a match. (Students who approach their home delegation after the match period are often offered internships belatedly.)
Maryland General Assembly internships are an excellent way to learn about state politics. Interns generally are given a high level of responsibility, and occasionally even have the opportunity to testify!
STIPENDS
A stipend is awarded each intern to help defray the costs of participating in the program. The total session stipend varies, depending on the number of days per week the intern works in Annapolis. To be eligible for the program, a student must be able to work a minimum of two full days each week of session.
- $850 per session = 2 days (15-18 hrs) per week
- $1,250 per session = 3 days (19-26 hrs) per week
- $1,650 per session = 4 days (27-31 hrs) per week
- $2,000 per session = 5 days (32-40 hrs) per week
The General Assembly meets annually for a period of 90 calendar days, beginning the second Wednesday in January and continuing through early April. During the initial months, the busiest days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with few or no committee hearings scheduled for Mondays or Fridays. Most legislators would like their interns to work the three days from Tuesday through Thursday or full-time. However, realizing the demands of college scheduling, the General Assembly accepts students who are able to work only two days per week.
Since the legislature does not take any holidays during its 90-day session, interns are required to commit themselves to a weekly work schedule and to take no holidays or spring break.
