MA Program Internship (POL 597) Guidelines

Why Public Policy Internships Matter

The internship is a Capstone Experience that will allow students to apply the academic policy skills that have been learned throughout their MAPP coursework within real-world settings and scenarios. To ensure that students are successful in their roles, it is expected to be completed within the student's final semester of their degree. As our alumni know, Public Policy is a practical profession where “learning by doing” is critical. Historically, students who excel in their work have found that their internship to be a valuable route towards obtaining a full-time position in the field.

For an Internship Approval Form, please visit Bright Space.

Internship Completion Evaluation Form

• When am I eligible to complete the internship portion of the program?
  For full-time MAPP students: 
  The internship is expected to be completed following at least two (2) semesters of full-time coursework (24) credits.
  
  For part-time MAPP students:
  The internship is expected to come towards the end of their MAPP studies, after a student completes a minimum of eighteen (18) credits of coursework.For part-time MAPP students who currently hold full-time positions within the public policy field:
  the Master’s Thesis Paper (POL 598) is recommended and preferred to ensure diversity in each student's studies and overall academic experience.For BA/MA students:
  The internship should generally be completed during the spring semester of the fifth year (final semester of studies).
  
  *Approval by the Graduate Program Director may be granted for these exceptions when the benefits of a particular internship program warrant special consideration.
• What are the prerequisites for the internship?
  Before a student takes either POL 597 or POL 598, students MUST enroll in POL 596.POL 596 is a one-credit advisory course that helps with internship placement, offers one-on-one career guidance and support and allows students to learn how to craft both their professional and academic goals. Students should enroll in this course at least one semester prior to completing the internship.
• When should I acquire an internship offer?

  Internships should be secured at least one week before the intended semester starts.  Requests to late add an internship after the first week of the semester is completed will not be honored. 

  
  Students are required to complete the Internship Approval Form prior to registering for POL 597. Please visit Bright Space.Be mindful that credit will NOT be given retroactively for any internship activity not properly approved.
  
  
  

• What types of roles and expectation should I focus on?
  Internship opportunities are expected to allow students to apply the lessons of their studies in real-world work. There are a variety of roles that can be considered, including those within government and legislative offices, non-profit or policy advocacy organizations, or within the private sector.When looking for a role, students should make sure that the daily work addresses public policy issues. POL 596 can help students identify suitable roles and connect them with job-hunting resources.
  
  Internships can be unpaid or paid opportunities, as well as either a full-time or part-time position.
  
  *Students are expected to work a minimum of 200 hours. Typically, the most successful students work ten (10) weeks at twenty (20) hours per week.
• What other requirements are there in addition to 200 hours of internship?
  The internship course represents six (6) credit hours of the 31 credits required to earn the M.A. in Public Policy, so it's a significant part of the MAPP program.Students will be required to keep in contact with the internship coordinator on a regular basis regarding their internship work, have their direct supervisor that they report to keep detailed track of their hours worked, maintain a daily journal of their internship activities, and write an internship summary paper.The paper will highlight their internship experiences and how their MAPP studies applied to their internship work, citing specific examples, course lessons, and methodologies, and should be written to a maximum of 10 typed pages, double-spaced.
  As you write, be sure to have your paper address the following -
   
  1. How were your MAPP studies relevant to the overall mission of the organization you interned with?
  2. In what ways did your internship utilize the skills that you learned within the MAPP program?
  3. Do you feel that your internship experience will further your personal and professional goals - why or why not?
  4. What were the rewarding elements of your internship experience?
  5. In what ways would you improve the internship experience for future students?