Note: This syllabus is underdevelopment.

 

P ADM 595: Graduate Internship (1-18 credits). Supervised off-campus, nongroup instruction, including field experiences, practicums, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required.

Prerequiste: A student requiring an internship must complete 18 hours of credit with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher and completion of P ADM 503 (Research Methods) before they are eligible to do an internship.

Overview | Objectives | Technical Specifications | Materials| Library Resources | Evaluation | Grading | Schedule | Academic Integrity | Policies

 

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Course Overview

Internships are required of all MPA students who do not have the three years of professional or managerial experience when admitted to the program.

Students who do not have at least two years of relevant professional or managerial experience must complete an internship. Students who have the requisite experience may be granted when they are admitted to the MPA program. Students who gain the experience, through working full-time while enrolled in the program, can request a waiver by describing the details of their experience in a letter with attached resume addressed to the Program Coordinator, Dr. Jeremy Plant, jfp2@psu.edu.

Here is a gereral timeline of the MPA internship.

Timeline	Things to Do
3 months prior to semester	Begin looking for internship
3 months prior until semester starts	Find internship Get approval from agency and internship coordinator Complete application paperwork Student will be registered by faculty (program?)
Ongoing throughout semester	20 hours/week in placement Maintain internship log and journal Work on P ADM 595 assignments (see below)
Midpoint of semester	Student midpoint evaluation Agency supervisor midpoint evaluation
By end of semester	Complete all P ADM 595 assignments Log + Journal (4 in-depth entries) Professional research paper Analytic research paper Student final evaluation Agency mid-point evaluation Agency final evaluation

Please see FAQ for general questions on intership, finding an internship, and starting your intership.

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Learning Objectives

The purpose of the internship requirement is to provide students who lack real-world professional experience in public service organizations with

1. opportunities for career exploration;
2. a realistic exposure to the environment, management systems, and internal operations of public service organizations; and
3. sources of applied problems and data for course projects, including the professional master's paper.

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Technical Specifications

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor	2 GHz or higher
Memory	1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space	20 GB free disk space
Browser	We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers. Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins	Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe] Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software	Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection	Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer	Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM	Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers	Required
Monitor	Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

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Course Materials:

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
• get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
• much more. 

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

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Library Resources

This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.

Many of Penn State's library resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Library Resources and Services for World Campus and Distance Education Web site, you can...

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep...or even your desktop
• ask a librarian for research help via e-mail, chat, or phone using the ASK! service

...and much more!

NOTE: You must have an active Penn State Access Account and be registered with the University Libraries in order to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Registration and services are free!

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Course Requirements

Log and Journals

1. Weekly log with hours and tasks.
2. 4 larger entries talking in some depth about a specific project/task/problem/issue at work. These will include the following:
   • Focus on a specific event that has taken place, such as a meeting, project event, or a personal interaction in which you were involved.
   • Reflect on how you experienced the event, emphasizing your emotions, mindset, and how this contributed to the outcome of the event. Did this make you feel proud, upset, or terrified? Retrospectively, do you see the situation differently?
   • Summary: Examine how this experience relates to other occurrences, and evaluate the broader lessons that may be associated with your past experience as well as the larger scope of public administration. How did your MPA coursework influence your response? The focus here is to connect the event with concepts from public administration.
   • Conclusion: Discuss the implications of your experience and the event for the future. How would you handle this in the future? What tips or advice would you keep for yourself to handle similar situations? For example, if you participated in an unproductive meeting, you might identify specific things you would change for the future meetings. What lessons have you learned?
   • There are not specific due dates for these larger entries, as they should address issues that occur during your internship. However, you may not write more than 1 of these entries per week; you should also not write more than 2 consecutively.

Professional Research Paper

Analytic paper examining some facet of the work at the internship “The paper should critically evaluate: a) the organization where you worked; b) its procedures; or c) a policy issue associated with your internship. Briefly describe the topic, but focus on a critical assessment of that topic. Was there a particular trigger that led to success or failure? Was this trigger largely accidental, or is it an intentional part of the organization and its policies? What role did context play – was this a one-time event, or will this recur? What steps, if any, should be taken to improve the situation (now or in the future)? Do not rely on opinion or reportage; use relevant literature – academic and professional – to support your assessment; seek to get at the root causes of the situation. The professional paper is due by the end of your internship.

Academic Research Paper

Analytic paper connecting your internship to MPA coursework. This paper should relate the internship experience to a particular theoretical issue in public administration and requires that you read and apply academic theories and sources to your practical experience. It is probably easiest to first pick a specific course and then look at how the issues treated in it are handled in your agency and organization. The course text and syllabus, can serve as a good inspiration for selecting material for this project. However, you will need to research and use materials outside the scope of those used in the MPA program. The academic research paper is due no later than 4 weeks before your internship ends.

Evaluations

At the conclusion of your internship, you will submit an online evaluation of your internship. Your internship agency supervisor will be asked to complete 2 short evaluations, at the midpoint and at the conclusion of your internship. The internship advisor will contact your supervisor directly with instructions on completing and returning those forms.

Course Requirements		Points
Log and Journal		20
Professional Research Paper		20
Academic Research Paper		20
Student Final Evaluation		5
Agency Evaluation	Mid-Point	15
	Final	20
Total		100

 

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Grading Scheme

Based on the points earned on each of the graded activities, your course grade will be determined by the scales presented in the table below:

GRADING SCALE
Percentage	Grade	Percentage	Grade
94.00 and Above	A	77.00-79.99	C+
90.00-93.99	A-	70.00-76.99	C
87.00-89.99	B+	60.00-69.99	D
83.00-86.99	B	Below 60	F
80.00-82.99	B-

 

Performance is evaluated on the basis of your course work on the assignments listed in the syllabus. Your course grade depends on the points accumulated during the semester. Use the table above to keep a record of your progress.

Note: Your grade on assignments will be reduced by 5% for each day of tardiness in receipt of work by the Instructor. Submit your work on time as scheduled.

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.

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Course Schedule

The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments. Note that assignments are due based on EST. This ensures that all students have the same deadlines regardless of where they live.

• Course length: 15 weeks

Note: Deadlines will be defined as 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the last day of the lesson timeframe, unless noted different!

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Academic Integrity

 

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Policies

• Accommodating Disabilities
• Student Responsibilities
• Late Policy

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.

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