Internships and Careers

Academics / Majors and Minors / Politics / Internships and Careers

Many students majoring in politics obtain internships with congressional offices, campaigns and law offices. Many politics students also choose to pursue internships with non-profit and intergovernmental agencies in Chicago to gain practical experience.

Career Pathways

Lake Forest College facilitates five career communities called Career Pathways to help students explore major/career options and position themselves for the internships that will help them to further prepare for productive and rewarding careers after graduation. Students from all majors can participate in the Career Pathways to shape their career goals alongside of their academic interests.

To get an idea for which pathways students might join based upon some common politics interests, check these out:

Teacher – Law and Public Service
Public Relations Specialist – Creative Arts
Legislative Aide – Law and Public Service
Lawyer – Law and Public Service
International Development – Law and Public Service
Wealth Manager/Financial Consultant – Business and Finance
Advocate – Law and Public Service
Health Care Administrator – Science and Health Care

Explore the Career Pathways by participating in events, reading profiles of students’ and alumni experiences, and by joining a pathway (or two). Remember to look at the next steps pages to get ideas for immediate ways to prepare yourself for great internships and a productive, rewarding career after graduation.

Graduate/Professional School Study

For some career paths, students will need to earn an advanced degree to be competitive. Lake Forest College graduates are regularly admitted top graduate programs, and the College also has partnerships with several schools to provide special admission options to Lake Forest students.

Here’s a sampling of recent graduate/professional schools where students have gone on to study:

Northwestern University
Vanderbilt University
Yale University
Harvard University
University of Chicago
Georgetown University
University of Wisconsin
Loyola University Chicago
John Marshall Law School
Washington University in St. Louis
University of New Mexico
University of California, Berkeley

Dual-Degree Programs in Law

Lake Forest is affiliated with several competitive law schools that allow high-achieving students to complete a Lake Forest bachelor’s degree and a law degree in a total of six years, rather than the usual seven.

Dual-Degree Program in International Studies

Under an agreement with the Graduate School of International Policy and Management (GSIPM) at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, highly qualified Lake Forest College students may be admitted to the Institute with accelerated status, and can complete their Master’s degrees with 48 credits as opposed to the 60 normally required.