Overview

Ruth C. and Morton F. Wallerstein established the Morton F. Scholarship Fund at the University of Virginia in 1973 to foster interest and research in Virginia local government. The program is a collaborative initiative between the Virginia Municipal League, the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, and the UVA Internship Placement program. Advancing the capacities of these organizations to be data-driven, innovative, and impactful is central to the mission of the Weldon Cooper Center and to the Virginia Municipal League.

Program Structure

• To participate in the internship and receive credit for it, students must register for the required IPP course and pay the tuition and fees. Undergraduate interns will be expected to meet the requirements of the Internship Placement Program and to contribute positively to public service in the Commonwealth of Virginia through their placement.
• The following positions are typically available:
  • one full-time summer internship placement at the Virginia Municipal League in Richmond (starting at $5,000 in tuition and a $5,000 stipend);
  • two full-time summer internship placements in local governing organizations across the Commonwealth (starting at $2500); and
  • two academic year internship placements in local governing organizations for ten hours per week (starting at $2500 per year).
• The undergraduate internships are both credit-bearing and paid.

Why THE Wallerstein SCHOLARS PROGRAM?

• You will see, first-hand, the many responsibilities and challenges of working in a local governing organization – from providing safe communities, good transportation, and basic social services to planning for the future of our communities across Virginia.
• You may be able to work in a government organization, a planning or coordinating organization, or a charitable organization.
• You may be able to work in your home community, if you are from Virginia, or in a community you’d like to explore.
• In addition to the instruction and support provided through the IPP course, you will receive attention from Weldon Cooper Center professionals who have worked in research and operations of government for decades.

Apply

Students must apply to the UVA Internship Placement Program and be placed in one of the Wallerstein eligible internships. The IPP application is posted in Handshake and indicates on the specific internship postings which opportunities are eligible for the Wallerstein Scholars Program. Complete the IPP application to begin the process.

Apply now