The Unruh Institute of Politics is committed to bringing the academy and the public square together. As such, the Institute offers a Research Internship course that allows students to conduct extensive research and analysis on policy issues facing local, state, and federal government.
About the Policy Research Internship
Students will have the opportunity to work directly with partnering organizations. Examples of partnering organizations from previous semesters include the NALEO Education Fund, Green Dot Public Schools, Los Angeles City Council Offices, and California Strategies.
Students take part in a team-based research project where they will work to develop solutions in their respective policy areas by conducting interviews with policy experts, review academic and policy reports, and other primary and secondary sources. At the conclusion of the program, each team presents their final product to the partnering organization.
Spring 2025 Research Projects:
“Los Angeles 2028, Building Towards a Sustainable Olympics ” with Heal the Bay
Bi-weekly Meetings: Wednesdays from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. PT
Los Angeles is actively preparing to host the 2028 Olympic Games with an emphasis on sustainability, aiming to minimize waste and reduce plastic usage. Although previous host cities have done their part to pave the way for reduced waste during the Olympic games, LA will face unique challenges.
Students will investigate the question: “What can Los Angeles do to make the LA 2028 Olympics as low waste and plastic free as possible?” They look to the past and assess previous Olympic games while guiding the future researching how Los Angeles can improve on this low waste policy.
Through research and data visualization—using tools such as infographics, spreadsheets, and more—students will compile their findings into a slide deck and final report. These presentations and reports will be shared with Heal the Bay offering valuable insights into understanding the pollution landscape of LA, investigating successful public private partnerships, and tracking how Los Angeles can improve upon keeping the Olympic games as low waste as possible.
“Los Angeles for Humane Immigration Rights” with with Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
Bi-weekly Meetings: Wednesdays from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. PT
Project details to be announced.
Spots are limited and competitive. We encourage all interested USC students to apply.
To Apply:
The application for the Spring 2025 POSC 395 Policy Research Internship is now open! The application deadline is on Friday, January 24 at 11:59PM PT.
Please send any questions about the Policy Research Internship to unruhins@usc.edu.