Summer Internships

All MPA candidates must complete an approved summer internship between the first and second years of study. Examples of organizations that have supported MPA summer interns include:

Profile of MPA Summer Internships

(Average of enrolled students between 2015 to 2019; numbers rounded to the nearest percent.)

55% — Nonprofit/NGO/Foundation
41% — Public Sector
3% — Private Sector
48% — Domestically Focused
52% — Internationally Focused

Part-time Academic Year Internships

Part-time academic year internships focus on state, local, and international issues. Students work for a public affairs organization devoting the equivalent of one day per week to a specific policy issue.

(From left to right) Tiffany Tsai ’25, Safiya Topiwala ’24, Nhuquynh Nguyen ’23, Joan Perez ’23, Johnson Lin ’25 and Michelle Wang ’23 stand outside The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro.

Student Internships

Ariza Francisco MPA '23 interned this summer at UNICEF South Africa! Her in-depth analysis and recommendations were ultimately presented to the country’s highest health advisory committee, providing input to strengthen the country’s immunization program. Learn more about Ariza's experience and our hands-on internships in Global Health through SPIA's Center for Health and Wellbeing!

Learn More