Prospective Employers

• Hiring an Intern
• Prospective Interns - Class of 2009

Hiring an Intern

KU Master of Public Administration students graduate after two years--one year in classes and one year in a full-time paid internship. They have taken a variety of courses ranging from public management and policy analysis to specialized courses in infrastructure management, public finance and administrative law.

It is the internship however that provides the opportunity for them to make the important transition from student to professional. Intern employers play a key role in the professional education of our students. It is a rewarding role in several respects. These students are enthusiastic and well qualified for the positions they take. In that sense, they will be a valuable resource for any organization. And you will be personally rewarded by taking part in the education process and by knowing that you are contributing to professional public management.

Some students are involved in internships and others have regular jobs. This range precludes formal requirements, however after fifty-three years of experience, some guidelines have emerged:

SUPERVISION - Successful internships provide the student with supervision and a fairly regular time to discuss his/her progress.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES - The intern should have a variety of experiences to develop knowledge, skills and abilities. Ideally, the supervisor and intern should develop a learning plan together.

SEMINAR ATTENDANCE - Interns must be permitted the time to attend three week-long professional development seminars which are part of their academic requirements. One is held in the fall at the International City/County Management Association conference, and the other two are held on the KU campus in January and April. Prior to each seminar, we contact the intern and the supervisor to inquire how the intern is progressing. We also remind the supervisor about the seminar obligations. The goal is to keep the supervisor informed and to monitor the quality of the internship experience.

Graduation, at the end of the internship, symbolizes a readiness to enter the profession.

The average salary of KU MPA interns is $31,800. Most employers are providing medical benefits. Most provide vacation time and sick leave. Some offer reimbursement for tuition, moving costs, retirement plans and interview expenses. In addition, since interns are required to attend the ICMA conference, all employers support that professional development activity by providing interns with financial support for travel, lodging and registration and/or time off for the seminar.

Please contact Ray Hummert (rhummert@ku.edu, 785-864-9097) for additional information about the internship experience or the MPA students.