Below are programs available to students either coordinated by other SF State University departments, the City and County of San Francisco and/or congressional offices.
Elected Officials: Internships
Federal Govt.: Internships & Fellowships
Internship and fellowship opportunities at the SF Fed gives college and graduate students a chance to experience work life in a vibrant, dynamic, and collaborative environment.
As a paid SF Fed intern, you’ll apply your research and analytical skills to projects that support the Bank’s key business functions. Exciting opportunities exist in nearly every department. And your experience will include seminars, skill-building workshops, mentorship, networking, and social activities with fellow interns and San Francisco Fed employees.
The summer fellowship program offers the opportunity to interact with economists and visiting faculty from nearby institutions, to make progress in writing your dissertation, and to increase your exposure to scholarly research. Fellows will participate in seminars and brown bags, discuss and advance current research projects with department economists, and receive a stipend.
SF City Career Center
Learn about job opportunities within the City and County of San Francisco and receive guidance to grow your City career. The Center offers Information sessions and workshops and drop-in career counseling hours.
City & County of SF Opportunities
The Willie L. Brown, Jr. Fellowship Program coordinated by the School of Public Affairs & Civic Engagement, places San Francisco State University students in prestigious internships within various City and County of San Francisco agencies. The fellowship, launched in 2008, provides SF State students who have faced barriers pursuing a college education with an opportunity to gain professional experience in the public sector while developing a lifelong commitment to public service. At the same time, the program provides San Francisco’s public agencies with a diverse, qualified, and well-educated workforce.
The mission of the San Francisco Fellows program is to foster community stewardship.
The Fellows program is a unique opportunity to learn about public administration in local government while working full-time as a City employee. Competitively selected applicants will join a cohort of Fellows for a 12-month full-time work experience as City employees. Fellows will earn a salary (Step 1 for 1801 classification), plus health, dental, retirement, and other benefits.
Fellows work on various programs and projects that have a direct impact on City operations. Projects span a broad range of City functions and departments, involving analysis, planning, and program development.
Project Pull are for motivated high school and college students from diverse communities in San Francisco. College students can apply to lead teams of high school interns in City departments.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) sponsors Project Pull.
As SFPUC public service trainees, graduate interns work on projects pertaining to their field of study while impacting the Agency through research and collaboration across teams and influencing public policy, human resources, natural resources, biology among other areas.
Learn more about SFPUC
San Francisco Public Works is one of the largest and most complex municipal operations in the City, with a workforce of nearly 1,800 and a $453 million annual operating budget. The department's active capital project portfolio exceeds $3 billion. As one of San Francisco oldest City departments, it is also one of the most forward-thinking.
As a 24/7 operation with a diverse set of responsibilities, Public Works touches every neighborhood in San Francisco. The staff designs and manages construction of civic buildings and streets, cleans and greens the right of way, maintains civic buildings; trains people for jobs, keeps the right of way free of hazards, paves the streets, repairs bridges and public stairways, expands accessibility and works at the forefront addressing some of San Francisco’s biggest challenges, including homelessness.
The department is divided into four divisions – operations, engineering, architecture/landscape architecture and finance/administration and the Director’s Office – and reports to the Mayor. The Public Works Commission and Sanitation and Streets Commission serve as oversight bodies.
College Internships
- Summer Internships in Engineering, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Construction Management and Information Technology - This summer internship program is for currrenty-enrolled college students and offers an opportunity to gain valuable experience.
- Public Affairs Internship Program - The Public Affairs division of Public Works has unpaid year-round internship opportunities. The Public Affairs team needs energetic self-starters to assist in web content management, special event coordination, program development, community outreach and media relations. If you are interested in a career in public affairs, please email us.
The City and County of San Francisco is seeking student interns interested in various engineering and architecture disciplines, to provide support to in-house Engineering, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Planning, Surveying, GIS, and IT staff. The Summer 2024 Student Intern Program is a collaborative effort comprised of the following city departments seeking to employ interns: San Francisco Public Works, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Department of Building Inspection (DBI), San Francisco Airport Commission (SFO), Recreation and Park Department (REC), and Department of Technology (DT). Interns will gain on-the-job experience under the guidance of experienced professional engineers, architects, planners, and surveyors. Interns will participate in various activities in the respective City Departments.
The SFMTA Planning and Engineering Internship program is aimed at students pursuing degrees and careers related to transportation planning and transportation engineering.
City and County of SF Transportation Authority Internship.
The SF General Services Agency (GSA) Internship program is a public service platform designed to partner services and graduates working professionals in a mentor-trainee relationship.
City and County of SF internship in public service accounting
The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office’s Internship Program offers students an opportunity to work in an award-winning municipal law office that is nationally recognized by the American Bar Association for outstanding excellence. The City Attorney’s Office practices civil law and provides high-quality, consistent, and objective legal advice to policymakers and vigorously represents the City in civil litigation. The Office provides legal services to over 100 departments, boards, commissions and offices that comprise the City and County of San Francisco’s municipal government.
The City Attorney’s Office seeks interns that intend to emerge as leaders in government and public-interest law. The Internship Program is designed to help interns gain practical knowledge and experience in municipal law and government affairs. The Program provides participants with a robust and meaningful work experience by creating opportunities for interns to learn, engage, and participate in the Office’s wide array of legal work.
Internships at the Department of Police Accountability (DPA) allows students to learn about:
- Police processes and practices
- Criminal and constitutional law
- public safety, employment, and administrative law
- how local government works
- relationships between policy, law, and community engagement
Internships that are beyond legal internships, such as communications and policy, victim services, etc...