The University of Florida Bob Graham Center for Public Service and UF Government and Community Relations office are pleased to sponsor students for public service internship opportunities in conjunction with our local public service partners.
This part-time internship, requiring a 10-15 hour weekly commitment, is designed to fit seamlessly with your academic schedule in Gainesville and surrounding communities.
Application Process
The application period for CiviGators is open. Apply at this link.
For convenience, please download a copy of the application to familiarize yourself with its components. Please also watch a previously recorded CiviGators info session.
About the Internship
The CiviGators Internship connects high-achieving University of Florida undergraduate students with local government offices and community organizations. Through this two-semester program, students gain hands-on public service experience while fostering collaboration between the university and local partners.
Jointly supported by UF’s Office of Government and Community Relations and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the program focuses on placing students in county and municipal government roles to develop pathways into public service careers.
- Open to all undergraduate majors with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Interns work part-time (15 hours per week) each semester.
- All interns will enroll in and earn between 1-3 academic credits each semester.
- Interns engage in project-based work addressing operational challenges and strategic goals in city and county departments.
- Interns will also engage in monthly professional development provided by UF GCR and the Graham Center, on Thursdays period 9 (4:00-5:00 PM).
Read about the fellows selected for the Spring 2025 cohort of CiviGators.
View of list of potential internship placements.
Timeline
Monday, May 12, 2025 — Application opens. Submit your application as soon as possible.
Monday, June 16, 2025 — Priority review of applications begins and continues until all positions are filled.
Late June, 2025 — Host organizations begin conducting remote interviews.
Early August — Internship offers extended to successful candidates.
Late August — Onboarding and training.
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 — Student internships begin at host organization.
Contact Dr. Kevin Bird, Experiential Learning Coordinator, Bob Graham Center for Public Service at kevin.bird@ufl.edu or (352) 273-1077 with additional questions.
Watch the Virtual Info Session
We provide this link to the October 7, 2024 info session about CiviGators.
FAQs
Students from all majors are encouraged to apply. Our partners are eager to invite students from areas within the Colleges of the Arts; Education; Business; Design, Construction & Planning; Engineering; Health & Human Performance; Liberal Arts & Sciences; Agricultural and Life Sciences; and Journalism and Communications.
All students will enroll in 1-3 graded credits each semester. You can take internship credits through your own department or through the Bob Graham Center (IDS4940).
The hourly salary will be determined by our local and government partner offices. The Bob Graham Center has a select number of modest scholarships that may be available. Some unpaid internships will also be available for students interested.
Yes. This is a nine-month experiential learning opportunity that includes:
- A work schedule (15 hours/week) allowing you to gain real-world experience while taking UF classes.
- Two mandatory September orientation sessions, TBA.
- One monthly public professional development workshop, Thursdays period 9 (4:00-5:00 PM).
Read about the fellows selected for the Spring 2025 cohort of CiviGators.