All You Need to Know About Internships

All You Need to Know About Internships

Three reasons why should you do an internship

1. It allows for you to network with people already in the field.

2. Gives you valuable experience and increases your marketability.

3. Helps you figure out what you like and don't like about the career you are perusing. 

Internships through the MPA Program

Graduate students typically do not have an abundance of free time once work and classes are factored in. The great thing about the MPA Program is that internships can count as an elective course credit. Meaning you replace class with a "class". For the internship to qualify as an elective, you must spend 300 hours on site. That would equate to about 20 hours a week during the semester. If there is a concern about making this work with your schedule, reach out to Missy Gish at gishm@nku.edu for tips and what could be done.

Something that could help fit an internship into your busy schedule is finding a paid internship. While rare, these DO exist. You can find postings for all internship positions shared on the closed MPA Facebook page, on USA Jobs, or from your own research. 

Internship Opportunities

The following is a list of internships that MPA students have done before.

• American Red Cross Cincinnati Area
  https://www.redcross.org/about-us/careers/university-programs.html?fbclid=IwAR00w578cRKdHW7I7eq55S-LhCFrYDYPIrcvu6g4hnnySb1-fMiXfU4j7Ss
• City of Covington (Economic Development)
  Contact sgettys@covingtonky.gov for more information, or to apply (send resume & cover letter)
• Hamilton County Emergency Management
  http://www.hamiltoncountyohioema.org/internship-opportunities/?fbclid=IwAR0IMZ789ISArmeVVMVnQLBrX4gy2I0AzzluGhvj88usCvWhHxbFCx2FAjA
• Campbell County Emergency Management

If there is an organization that you want to work for, reach out to them about internships. They might have a program established, or they might create one for you.

Volunteer Instead

If completing an internship just is not feasible, there is always the option to volunteer. This would not count for course credit, but it would still provide the same benefits. Since it would be a volunteer position, you and the organization you are volunteering with would be able to set a schedule that works for both of you. This could be one Saturday a month, or a couple hours a week. 

For the complete list of requirements visit
 https://inside.nku.edu/artsci/departments/pscjol/programs/publicadministration/mpa/internships.html
or email Missy Gish at gishm@nku.edu