Maryland General Assembly Internship Program: Applications now open for 2019-2020

The Maryland General Assembly (MGA) Internship Program is a two-semester course open only to students who have earned superior academic records and who have demonstrated effective writing skills.

The minimum criteria for this two-semester program is as follows:

• A minimum cumulative UMD GPA of 3.0
• Junior standing (minimum of 60 credits) by the end of the Fall 2019 semester
• A grade of B- or better in any writing courses taken at UMD
• Registered UMD student in both Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters

Many program alums have stated the MGA program offers the best internship opportunity at UMD. Interns serve at the MGA for 16-20 hours per week during the spring legislative session (January-April 2020). Their assignments develop invaluable professional skills. In previous sessions, interns researched proposed legislation, responded to constituent mail, organized news conferences, and wrote and delivered testimony. The internship (ENGL388M/HONR379W) conveys six credits.

In the preceding fall semester, students will take a three credit course (ENGL381/HONR368A) which teaches students the skills that the internship will require. In addition, students learn about the MGA and Maryland state politics.

ENGL 381 satisfies the Professional Writing Requirement for the General Education Program, and ENGL 388M satisfies one Scholarship in Practice requirement.

Benefits of participating in the program:

• Earn a total of nine upper level credits
• Complete the university’s professional writing graduation requirement
• Satisfy one of the university’s two required Scholarship in Practice courses, at least one of which must be taken outside of your major
• Receive a minimum of $850 as a stipend to help defray travel expenses
• Receive a pass for free parking in the Naval Academy stadium parking lot
• Serve as an undergraduate ambassador to the state government

There are two other benefits to this program that are perhaps even more valuable. First, the program helps develop skills that will help graduates secure real-world jobs. Second, it enables them to network with legislators and legislative staff. (Several program alums have gone on to work for the MGA!)

Here’s what recent interns had to say about their experience in Annapolis:

• “My Delegate asked me to prepare testimony for his bill hearing. He read my speech verbatim during the hearing and it was quoted in the local paper the next day!”
• “My Senator, my office, and other connections I made in Annapolis recommended me for jobs after graduation and wrote great law school recommendations.”
• "I learned more in this internship than I ever could from sitting in a classroom. The firsthand experience of being in Annapolis and experiencing the day-to-day actions helped me to gain a much better understanding of how Maryland politics works." 

You can find full information about the program on http://www.english.umd.edu/academics/undergraduate/internships/current/mga-0.

To apply, just download an application from the website. You will need to submit the completed application (including an unofficial copy of your transcript) along with two recommendations ASAP to receive full consideration. The application deadline for your portion of the application is Friday, April 5, 2019. (Recommendations may arrive shortly thereafter if necessary.) After that, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis ONLY if space in the class is still available.

If you have additional questions about the program, please feel free to contact Karen E. Lewis at lewiske@umd.edu.