Oregon Legislative Internship Program
The Portland Community College Oregon Legislative Internship is a unique collaboration between PCC’s Offices of Civic Leadership Development, Career Services, Government Relations, and the Political Sciences Department. Students have the opportunity to intern in the State Capitol for an Elected Official to learn about Oregon’s legislative process while it is in progress.
We are looking for students, regardless of personal or political ideology, who see how this experience will enhance their educational, professional, or personal goals. Those who are selected will receive a tuition waiver for the PS 280A internship class in Winter term of 2026, as well as a leadership grant to assist with travel costs related to the experience.
How to apply
In order to apply, students will need to complete the internship application on this site. The Application Deadline is 11:59pm on Wednesday, November 4th. This application requires a current resume and answers to the supplemental questions below:
1. How will interning in an Oregon Legislative office help you achieve your personal, professional and academic goals?
2. Please describe at least two social or political issues that you are interested in and describe how each is addressed through the Oregon Legislature.
3. Reflecting on your personal experiences and the communities that you belong to, what strengths will you bring to this internship?
Additional eligibility requirements include:
- Having a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and successful completion of 2/3 of attempted credits
- This is checked at the time of application and again at the end of Fall term 2026
- Maintaining a minimum of 6 credits enrolled during Winter and Spring terms in 2027
- Not currently on college disciplinary probation or suspension
Eligible students will be asked to schedule an online interview within 10 days after the application deadline.
Information sessions
The Office of Student Life and Civic Leadership Development will host online informational sessions via Zoom. These sessions will be composed of a brief presentation providing an overview of the program, followed by plenty of time for Q&A. You can register for these events on the Civic Leadership Development PantherHub page.
- Tuesday, October 20, from 1:00pm – 2:00pm
- Wednesday, October 21, from 5:00pm – 6:00pm
- Monday, October 26, from 12:30pm – 1:30pm
- Tuesday, October 27, from 5:15pm – 6:15pm
Internship structure
Students are expected to secure their own placement in a legislative office no later than January 13 (help and resources will be available). We expect students will maintain contact with us and meet all required deadlines.
Internships will be in person at the Oregon Capitol, located in Salem, Oregon. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the Capitol. The travel grant is intended to supplement some of the costs associated with travel, but it may not be able to cover all incurred expenses.
Expectations, procedures, legislative process, and many other helpful and supportive information will be discussed during the lecture class.
What do previous interns think?
This program has had incredible success! Students thrived in the cohort experience and gained immeasurable skills working directly with legislators. This is an amazing opportunity to make a lasting impact on lawmakers and to continue PCC’s mission of creating access for all to higher education.
“The internship prepared me for my career goal by being enlightened in how the law works and impacts our community since my major is in Criminal Justice, Law and Society. I was able to link policy with social justice, transformative justice and abolition. I remember taking a class in government in high school and I never understood the curriculum because the terms were difficult for me to understand but being able to experience those terms hands on we’re way easier than the text.”Yadira Baltier-Moreno
“I didn’t have any related experience before being a legislative intern. Literally not anything. The legislative internship showed me there are so many different ways to participate in civic society, in democracy. It doesn’t necessarily need to be in government, it could be in a non-profit, it could be for a grassroots organization. There is not just one way to be a good citizen.”Matthew Hampton
Questions or concerns?
Please contact Stephen Arthur.