Internship Requirements
MPA Internship Program
All students without significant Public Administration-related work experience are required to complete a public service internship. The MPA Committee will review each student’s work history at the time of admission to determine if an internship will be required. The requirements of the internship are:
- Submission of a completed Internship Agreement,
- 300 hours of work (for 3 semester hours of credit) in a position approved by the Internship Coordinator,
- Participation in weekly reflection discussion groups in Canvas,
- Submission of a completed Internship Evaluation of the student’s performance,
- Submission of an Internship Report that connects the student’s Internship experience to their MPS classwork.
Students who successfully complete the requirements of the internship will be awarded three semester hours of academic credit.
Placement
Entering students who are required to complete the internship requirement should arrange to meet with the Internship Coordinator as soon as possible after entering the MPA program. While it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to secure an internship position with an acceptable employer, the Internship Coordinator will assist students whenever possible and maintains a file on potential employers. Internships should be either with government agencies or not-for-profit organizations. Internships in the private sector may be granted academic credit only after prior approval by the MPA core faculty.
Below are some important websites listing various internship opportunities.
- USAJobs.gov-This site is a partnership between the US Office of Personnel Management and the Partnership for Public Service.
- NC Carolina State Government Internship Program
- PublicServiceCareers.org-Our accrediting body, NASPAA (National Association of School of Public Affairs and Administration), maintains a site on which various internships are posted.
Once an internship opportunity is secured, the student will need to submit a completed Internship Agreement to the Internship Coordinator.
A list of the previous internship placements can be found here.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Some internship experiences (military, health, or medical, etc.) can involve issues of access to confidential materials and clients’ rights to privacy. Students should take every precaution not to invade clients’ rights in the internship presentation, the internship report, and in their daily conversations with friends, fellow students, and professors.
Students who have access to health and medical records are covered under provisions of the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This act requires those who have access to certain patient health and medical information to undergo training before they can access these records. More information for ECU and staff on this requirement can be found on the Health Information Systems and Services website.