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The Internship Programme

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Big Turn-out for Interns' Farewell Reception

interns Spring 08

Most interesting times in the Scottish Parliament - well, the nineteen American interns who finished their stint in the Scottish legislature seemed to have had a ball of a time in Edinburgh. Being close-by as the first SNP budget was steered through the Chamber, experiencing first-hand how minority government works, contributing research and interacting with their MSPs has offered an unparalleled insight into the way of Scottish politics. And being in Scotland while the preliminaries at home in America were making headlines clearly added to the pizzazz.

On behalf of the Institute, Profs Charlie Jeffery and David McCrone congratulated the interns on their achievements. The interns themselves are, as David McCrone said, "the best ambassadors for our programme."

read more about the Spring 2008 Interns

Read about previous Interns:

Interns Reunion: The interns of autumn 2001 met for a reunion in Boston in November 2003. Meaghan Carey wrote this email to Paddy Bort (24 November 2003).


Read Paddy Bort's article about the Internship Programme: Four Years of the Political Internship Programme

 

"I would definitely recommend this program to anyone thinking of studying abroad because of the amount of exposure I received as an intern, the amount I learned over the course of 15 weeks, and, of course, because I think that Edinburgh is the most incredible place on earth in every aspect - the beauty of the city, the friendliness of the people, the rich traditions and history, and its unique political situation." Ann Steedman (Intern for Angus MacKay MSP)

With the establishment in Edinburgh of a Scottish Parliament in 1999, the University of Edinburgh is offering, to qualified undergraduates, the opportunity to serve as interns to MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) in a semester-length programme. Students may take part in either of two fifteen-week sessions, the first from late August to mid-December and the second from mid-January to late-April.

The Academic Programme

In the first five weeks of the programme, students enrol in course work offered by members of the Faculty of Social Sciences, taking three subjects. These will provide you with a background in British Politics and the specific nature of Scottish politics, society and culture. Academic work (comprising 30 contact hours per course) and project work will be examined.

See the latest (Spring 2007) programme of studies.

Recent research projects by parliamentary interns have included a wide range of subject matters and topics, including:

  • 'Why does Scotland have no plumbers?!?' An Investigation into Scotland's Skills Shortage

  • Beyond the Numbers: Female Representation in the Scottish Parliament

  • Business and Educational Achievements by the Scottish Executive and their Communication

  • Class Size isn't Everything: A Study of Class Size Reduction Policy in Scotland

  • Comparative Analysis between American and Scottish Election Campaigns

  • Controlling Firearms in Scotland

  • The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 and its Effects on the Criminal Courts

  • Suicide in Scotland: The Need for a Hotline

  • A Study of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) in Scotland

  • Connecting with young People: Labour Approaches to Democratic Engagement through the Scottish Parliament

  • Comprehensive View of Higher Education: Scotland

  • What's the Scottish Parliament ever done for me? A Study on the Awareness of Scottish Parliament Policy Amongst Older People

 

The Internship Programme

Following the completion of course work, students will be assigned to MSPs, under whose direction a research project (on a topic agreed between intern and MSP) will be undertaken. Interns will be provided with study space in the new Parliament building while having an academic base in the University’s Institute of Governance, whose members will support interns in their research. Interns will carry out responsible work, and will contribute meaningfully to the development of Scottish political life.

Credit Transfer

The programme is designed specifically to provide students with 70 credits (30 credits for the three courses and 40 credits for the project).

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