You are invited to apply for the Maryland General Assembly (MGA) Internship Program, a two-semester course sequence open only to students who have earned superior academic records and who have demonstrated effective writing skills. Your academic record indicates you are an excellent fit for this limited-admissions program.
The minimum criteria for this two-semester program are as follows:
- A minimum cumulative UMD GPA of 3.0
- Junior standing (minimum of 60 credits) by the end of the Fall 2026 semester
- A grade of B- or better in any writing courses taken at UMD
- Registered UMD student in both Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 semesters
Many program alums have stated the MGA program offers the best internship opportunity at UMD. Interns serve at the MGA for 16-20 hours per week during the spring legislative session (January-April 2027). Their assignments develop invaluable professional skills. In previous sessions, interns researched proposed legislation, responded to constituent mail, organized news conferences, and wrote and delivered testimony. The internship portion of the course sequence (ENGL388M/HONR379W) conveys six credits.
In the preceding fall semester, students will take a three-credit course (ENGL381/HONR368A) which teaches students the skills that the internship will require. In addition, students learn about the MGA and Maryland state politics.
ENGL 381 satisfies the Fundamental Studies Professional Writing Requirement for the General Education requirements, and ENGL 388M satisfies one Scholarship in Practice requirement. These courses are also applicable to the English major, Professional Writing minor, and Rhetoric minor.
Benefits of participating in the program:
- Earn a total of nine upper-level credits
- Complete the university’s Professional Writing graduation requirement
- Satisfy one of the university’s two required Scholarship in Practice courses, at least one of which must be taken outside of your major Receive a minimum of $3,360 as a stipend to help defray travel expenses
- Receive a pass for free parking in the Naval Academy stadium parking lot
- Serve as an undergraduate ambassador to the state government
- All Maryland General Assembly internship students will also be members of the Maryland Fellows Program, with full access to a rich scaffolding of professional development workshops, individualized student advising and coaching, a speaker series, and a slew of other support!
There are two other benefits to this program that are perhaps even more valuable. First, the program helps develop skills that will help graduates secure real-world jobs. Second, it enables them to network with legislators and legislative staff. (Several program alums have gone on to work for the MGA!)
Click here to find full information about the program.
To apply, simply complete the online application available on the website. Please note a letter of recommendation from a faculty member is a required part of the application process. The deadline for your portion of the application is Friday, May 1, 2026. The letter of recommendation should be sent directly from the recommender to Professor Blake Wilder at bawilder@umd.edu, and may arrive after you apply. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis after May 1st ONLY if space in the class is still available.
If you have additional questions about the program, please feel free to contact me at lewiske@umd.edu.