The Center provides both educational and employment opportunities to UGA students. Interviewer positions are staffed primarily by undergraduate students who are either paid employees or who are receiving internship credit through POLS 5140 (Survey Research Internship). In this latter role, the SRC serves as a model for the University’s experiential learning initiative. Graduate students are hired to serve as lab managers, overseeing onsite operations of the SRC. The center also serves as a teaching tool for undergraduates in the Applied Politics Program—an interdisciplinary program focusing on practical politics and public affairs communications, administered by the Department of Political Science in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) and the Department of Advertising and Public Relations in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications. In this role the SRC fosters the acquisition of real-world skills that graduates will use directly in the workplace (whether in the public, private, or political sector).

POLS 5140/SRC Internship FAQ

Q. Does POLS 5140 count toward the SPIA experiential learning requirement?

A. Yes.

 

Q. Does POLS 5140 count toward any class required by one’s program of study (e.g. core curriculum requirements, major, or minor)?

A. No, POLS 5140 is considered a general elective.  As such, this course does not count toward any class required by one’s program of study.

 

Q. How many hours a week do I have to work?

A. Any week in which the SPIA Survey Research Center is conducting a poll, a student registered for POLS 5140 must sign up to work.  The number of hours required a week is based on the number of credit hours for which the student has registered:

  • 1 Hour Course Credit: 2 Hours/Week
  • 2 Hour Course Credit: 4 Hours/Week
  • 3 Hour Course Credit: 6 Hours/Week
  • 4 Hour Course Credit: 8 Hours/Week

 

Q. Can I be paid for work I perform on behalf of POLS 5140?

A. Yes, students in POLS 5140 can also opt to be employed at the SRC while simultaneously earning course credit.

 

Q. What is the compensation structure?

A. Students who are employed will be compensated on an hourly basis.  The wage rate for the SRC is $10.00/hour.

 

Q. Do I have to be a paid worker to earn credit for POLS 5140?

A. No.

 

Q. Can I work more hours than that required by my POLS 5140 credit hour commitment?

A. Yes, students can work additional hours beyond that required to achieve academic credit (based on the number of credit hours for which they are registered).  It should be noted, however, that the number of credit hour for which a student registers at the beginning of the course cannot be altered, regardless of the number of hours a week that a student chooses to work.

 

Q. How many hours a week could I work?

A. UGA students cannot work more than 20 hours/week.

 

Q. What is scheduling like?

A. Scheduling is flexible with evening and weekend hours available.  A typical work week for the SRC is as follows:

  • Sunday: 1pm-3pm, 3pm-5pm, 5pm-7pm
  • Monday – Thursday: 5pm-7pm, 7pm-9pm
  • Friday: 4pm-6pm

Students can sign-up for the hours they would like to work in a given week (on a first-come first-serve basis).

 

Q. What if I have more questions?

A. Contact Merritt Brock at Merritt.Brock@uga.edu or 706-542-9295.