MPA Internship

The MPA internship consists of 10 weeks of full-time professional work in a public agency or nonprofit organization. The summer work experience takes the student’s MPA education out of the classroom and into the working world. The management internship occurs during the summer following the first academic year and includes an appropriate salary or stipend.

February is job fair month, which is a time to connect students and employers. The MPA Program invites employers to campus that month for interviews with prospective interns. Many of these employers are UNC-MPA alumni interested in giving back to the program. Students are also free to explore other options both near and far and the MPA Program provides information and referrals for suitable positions beyond those included in the job fair. Students receive assistance in their search for an internship; however, the responsibility for securing an internship rests ultimately with the student.

Faculty members remain in contact with students and their supervisors during the summer, conducting at least one visit to the work site. The internship provides an opportunity for students to put to use the skills gained during their first year of study.  Students are also encouraged to consider developing a capstone project out of their summer work experience.

Recent internship sites are listed below:

NC Local Government
Manager's Office, Town of Chapel Hill
Budget & Evaluation Office, City of Charlotte

Manager’s Office, Robeson County
Department of Social Services, Warren County
Manager's Office, Budget Division, City of Rocky Mount

Manager's Office, Town of Atlantic Beach
Community Services Department, Wake County
Manager’s Office, City of Burlington

Manager's Office, Catawba County

Human Resources Department, City of Clinton

Manager's Office, Town of Pine Knoll Shores

Triangle J Council of Governments

Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

State Government

NC General Assembly, Speaker's Office

NC General Assembly, Program Evaluation
NC Department of Environment & Natural Resources
NC Department of Public Instruction
NC State Retirement System
NC Court of Appeals

Congress of Neighboring Communities, CONNECT (PA)

Federal Government
US Government Accountability Office
US Environmental Protection Agency

US State Department

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

National Archives and Records Administration

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Nonprofit Organizations

Executive Service Corps of the Triangle

NC Justice Center

El Futuro

Green Plus

NeighborWorks America

Sustain Foundation

Chatham County Economic Development Corporation

NC Network of Grantmakers

University of North Carolina System
Graduate School, UNC-Chapel Hill
Human Resources Department, UNC-Chapel Hill
Office of the President, UNC General Administration

Carolina Economic Revitalization Corps (CERC), UNC-Chapel Hill

Community-Campus Partnership (CCP), UNC-Chapel Hill

NC Live, NCSU Libraries, NC State University

Center for Public Technology, UNC-Chapel Hill