Applicants

 

 

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, City of Asheville
Manager's Office, Town of Nags Head
Town of Chapel Hill
Budget Office, City of Charlotte
Charlotte/Mecklenburg Utilities Department
Fire Marshal's Office, Town of Hillsborough
Manager’s Office, Durham County
Manager's Office, City of Rocky Mount
Manager’s Office, City of Salisbury
Community Services Department, Wake County
Manager’s Office, Wake County
Budget Office, Orange County
Manager's Office, Orange County
Budget Office, City of Winston-Salem

State Government
NC Rural Economic Development Center
NC Department of Environment & Natural Resources
NC Office of Indigent Defense Services
NC Department of Public Instruction
NC State Retirement System
NC Office of State Controller

Federal Government
US Government Accountability Office
US Environmental Protection Agency

Nonprofit Organizations
Alliance for Excellent Education (Washington, DC)
Seigle Avenue Partners (Charlotte)
Regional Technologies Strategies (Carrboro, NC)
NC Justice Center

University of North Carolina
Graduate School, UNC-Chapel Hill
Human Resources Department, UNC-Chapel Hill
Environmental Finance Center, UNC-Chapel Hill
Southeast Asia Summer Program, UNC-Chapel Hill
Office of the President, UNC General Administration