Summer trips to Japan, Thailand, and the United Kingdom sound like the perfect getaway for weary college students. But for Master in Public Affairs candidates from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (Princeton SPIA), these trips were business-first.

Between the first and second years of study, all MPA students must complete an approved summer internship to test-drive the professional skills and knowledge they’ve learned in the classroom in a real-world situation.

“Each internship or fellowship is connected to the student’s concentration and career goals but also designed to provide flexibility for creating a unique, graduate-level experience,” said Barbara Hampton, director of graduate career development, whose team was instrumental in assisting students and connecting them with Princeton SPIA alumni when opportunities fell through. “Most of these full-time, 10-week internships are in the public-sector and are fully funded by SPIA, with stipends for living expenses and additional travel support so students can pursue opportunities around the world. This strong support from SPIA gives students the freedom to ‘build their own’ internship experience while exploring diverse regions and organizations. As a result, the vast majority of SPIA graduate students pursue work experiences that advance the mission of public service organizations and typically go on to spend their entire careers in roles that serve the public good.”

All 65 current MPA students successfully completed internships over the summer. Fourteen worked with international organizations, while 51 stayed in the United States, including 28 students who made their way to the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C. The past year’s internship process provided unusual challenges, as the federal government reduced its workforce in an effort to cut spending. Students responded by pivoting toward opportunities with state and local government, non-profits, and multilateral organizations. Despite the job climate, and thanks to many Princeton SPIA alumni who stepped up to help facilitate opportunities within their own organizations, each student secured the required internship.

Sarah Bryant was one of eight students who found her way to the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C., after a planned State Department internship was canceled in March. Working with the Social Protection Response Trust Fund, she focused on creating a reporting instrument to monitor and evaluate digital social protection grants; analyzing and collecting data on more than 120 projects worth $29.4 billion in net commitments; and drafting an implementation plan outlining strategies that the Social Protection and Labor (SPL) practice will use to reach 500 million new beneficiaries by 2030.

“My understanding of social protection policies broadened greatly during my time at the Bank; social protection isn't just cash transfers, but also economic inclusion programs, social insurance, labor mobility, and more,” Bryant said. “Migration policy is my area of academic interest, and I was fascinated to learn about SPL's work on labor migration and global skills partnerships. I am eager to further explore the role of labor mobility as a response to demographic change with aging populations in the Global North and booming youth populations in the Global South.”

And though her internship has concluded, Bryant will still be working alongside the World Bank when she returns to Robertson Hall in the fall, as her policy workshop will partner with the World Bank Outcomes Department on a report to inform their jobs strategy in Kenya.

“The World Bank is a huge actor in the international development space, both as an employer and a funder for other organizations,” Bryant said. “I left the internship with a network of professional connections at the Bank and an understanding of the Bank's scope of work, project timelines, and organizational culture. I am also more aware of the program management and data analysis skills I hope to cultivate in my second year at SPIA.”

Daniel Bosa Rincon used his internship to travel abroad, spending time in Tokyo, Japan, with the Japan Economic Foundation. It was there that he completed data analysis on the productivity of the service sector in Japan, the impact of the U.S. tariffs on the Japanese economy and global trade, and the trade and investment relations of the Global South with Japan. He also made recommendations on how to modernize the foundation’s web presence and utilize its social media channels to increase brand awareness.

“I learned that global economies are heavily interconnected,” Bosa Rincon said. “With the proposal of tariffs, all policymakers and negotiators start to question their alliances with other countries and adapt to minimize the risk of negative consequences. We are moving towards a new global trade order, and we will see significant changes in the coming years in terms of alliances, investments, and how developed nations will diversify their portfolio of investments into emerging economies.”

Princeton SPIA MPA students also spent time at AARP, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Green Climate Fund, New America, the U.S. Department of State, and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, among many other organizations.

“The shifting landscape — particularly in international development and federal government — required many students to pursue new leads and quickly adjust their plans,” Hampton said. “Some saw dream internships disappear, while many international students had to pivot to U.S.-based opportunities to continue their studies. The students showed remarkable resilience and adapted quickly, pursuing new opportunities that built skills, advanced their goals, and kept them moving forward. Their determination turned challenges into meaningful experiences that will shape their paths as future policy professionals.”