Internships

• What is an internship?
• What kind of academic work is required?
• What can I expect to do at my placement?
• How do I find a placement?
• How do I make the most of my experience?
• In what internships have MPA students participated?

What is an internship?

The Internship experience is a key opportunity to put into practice the concepts and theories of public administration. It is critical in gaining experience, building credentials and networking for future professional opportunities. A three-credit internship is required of all students, and students may apply up to 6 credits of internship experience toward the degree.   Interns are expected to:

• Complete 200 hours of service for their placement
• Engage in substantive work that addresses real issues
• Provide professional-quality work product

MPA students have interned with municipalities, non-profits, legislative committees and legislators and state agencies.  Work MPA students have performed has varied from legislative policy analysis to RFP development and operational support for town managers, as well as budget analysis, systems analysis and other mission-critical work.

UVM MPA interns practice locally, nationally and internationally.  From local town government to national policy research and international program assessment, UVM MPA interns tackle projects of substance and interest to them.

Internships are required for all new students who enter the MPA program as of Fall 2010.  Students must take at least 3 credits of internship experience, but may apply not more than 6 credits to the degree program.  Internship policies are available online.

MPA internships provide an experiential, real-world learning laboratory for our students to explore public management issues in real time and real organizations.  Internships have two components: academic course work and work for your placement.  

What kind of academic work is required?

The internship course work provides interns with opportunities for guidance and reflection in their placement work.  The Learning Objectives and Work Plan assignments provide a framework for outlining the student goals for the internship and clarifying the expectations of both the student and their in-placement supervisor.  These tools help to ensure that the student progresses toward their learning goals through the course of the internship.  Weekly reflective journals provide a chance for interns to step back from their work and consider how their work interacts with, connects with or is influenced by their academic study in the MPA program.

What can I expect to do at my placement?

Interns are expected to work on substantive issues that provide a meaningful work experience.  While every placement is different and day-to-day tasks may vary, interns should expect to do work that engages their thinking and utilizes their skills and interests.  While the work interns do is for their placement, it is primarily the intern's learning experience and should be structured with their learning objectives foremost.

How do I find a placement?

In addition to ongoing opportunities and those that emerge regularly, the internship instructor can assist you in narrowing your focus and seeking out placement contacts and opportunities.  Not sure what your interests are?  The instructor can provide you with a spectrum of the kinds of opportunities other students have sought out, and help you think about what kind of experience you wish to have.

How do I make the most of my experience?

The most important consideration is what kind of experience you wish to have.  Identifying those skills or experiences you want to round out your portfolio, placements in areas of practice that you wish to expand career opportunities in, or areas in which you are most interested are generally good places to start.  MPA students complete an early self-assessment of their knowledge and skills relative to the core competencies of the program.  Using this tool, interns can identify areas they wish to expand their strengths and use those as guidance for seeking internship opportunities.  Mostly, being engaged in your work and bringing your intellectual curiousity, acumen and course work to bear on the issues you face will all augment your experience.  If you feel that your experience is not what you were looking for, contact the instructor for assistance in addressing the unmet need.

Last modified February 28 2012 01:17 PM