Main Content
Syllabus
P ADM 595: Graduate Internship (1-18 credits). Supervised off-campus, non-group instruction, including field experiences, practicums, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required.
Prerequisite: 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.
The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.Overview | Objectives | Library Resources | Technical Specifications | Materials | Requirements and Evaluation | Grading | Schedule | Academic Integrity | University Policies
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.
Here is a general timeline of the MPA internship.
| Timeline | Things to Do |
|---|---|
| 3 months prior to semester |
|
| 3 months prior to semester |
|
| Ongoing throughout semester |
|
| Midpoint of semester |
|
| By end of semester |
|
Please see FAQ for general questions on internship, finding an internship, and starting your internship.
Learning Objectives
The purpose of the internship requirement is to provide students who lack real-world professional experience in public service organizations with
- opportunities for career exploration;
- a realistic exposure to the environment, management systems, and internal operations of public service organizations; and
- sources of applied problems and data for course projects, including the professional master's paper.
Library Resources
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.
Public Administration Research Guide
We have created a Public Administration Research Guide with the help of the Penn State University Libraries. The guide helps you find high-quality information and is created by librarians who are subject specialists in public administration. Specially, it provides you with access to databases for Journal Articles, Policy Papers, U.S. Government Information, Statistics and Polls, Reference Resources, and Current Periodicals.
Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
|---|---|
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Technology and Software page.
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.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements
Journal-Logs
For each week,submit a journal-log as indicated in the journal-log guidelines. The weekly journal is due on 11:59 pm Monday of the following week, e.g. Week 1 Journal is due on Monday of Week 2.
Here are types of entries to include:
- What do you expect from the internship? Do you have specific goals and expectations?
- Provide a description of your organization. What is its history? Overall mission? How does your office or department contribute to that mission? If your organization has an “Official Mission,” include it. What kind of financial resources does your office or department/agency have access to? What are the organization’s revenue sources and what are your major expenditure categories?
- What is the professional culture of your office? Who are the leaders? Who makes things happen? Who are the clients/customers of the organization? How are decisions made? A cooperative or competitive atmosphere? Is there a lot of group work, or do people work by themselves? Is the office environment formal with a clear sense of hierarchy in staffing, or is the environment casual and staff members at all levels are easily accessible. These are two extremes—your office may fall somewhere in the middle.
- Log entries: say concisely and specifically just what was done—similar to the who, what, where of the lead paragraph of a news story. This should be an accurate, factual recording of what happened in a particular time frame.
- Recording of observations, perceptions and analysis: Can you make sense of your observations and experiences? What patterns begin to emerge in the course of events during the weeks of your internship?
- Are there connections with what you know from courses or other knowledge? How has my academic background proved helpful to my work as an intern? Specify which classes, subjects, projects, etc. (if any) have been most beneficial and why. How will your internship experience modify your learning process in future courses?
- Recordings of feelings: How do you feel about the internship, the work you are doing, and the organization—positive or negative and why. What do I enjoy most about the work I am doing? What do I dislike the most? What am I best at? When I leave work feeling I had a good day, what have I accomplished? When I feel I have had a lousy day, why? Think about your personality and talents and how they mesh—or conflict—with the internship site. Do you like lots of personal interaction/communicating with people? Do you prefer to work in a team or on your own? Do you like working on a research project largely on your own? Do you prefer a highly structured schedule where what you do each day is highly predictable or work place activities that are diverse and often involve items that crop up and need to be addressed immediately? What are the intellectual, psychological, and physical requirements of this type of work? What are the costs and rewards? Does this work mesh with my interests, values and skills? How has this experience impacted my personal and professional goals?
- Recording of perspectives: Talk to the people you work with. How do they understand the nature of the agency/organization’s goals? What do they see as the primary goals? Shortcomings? Problems? Achievements? How have they seen the nature of the work/workplace change over time? The impact of technology? Changing political/budgetary climate?
- New language/jargon: Every workplace has its own specialized language. Record new terms and what they mean; this will assist in communications and becoming a professional in a given area.
- Record questions: Record questions you have—something you wish to know.
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 adviser will contact your supervisor directly with instructions on completing and returning those forms.
| Course Requirements | Points |
|---|---|
| Journal-Log Entries | 20 |
| Professional Research Paper | 20 |
| Academic Research Paper | 20 |
| Student Final Evaluation | 5 |
| Agency Supervisor Mid-Point Evaluation | 15 |
| Agency Supervisor Final Evaluation | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
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:
| Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 94.00 and Above |
| A- | 90.00-93.99 |
| B+ | 87.00-89.99 |
| B | 83.00-86.99 |
| B- | 80.00-82.99 |
| C+ | 77.00-79.99 |
| C | 70.00-76.99 |
| D | 60.00-69.99 |
| F | Below 60 |
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.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
The course schedule above is just a reference. The internship schedules are flexible and may be determined on an individual basis. The rule of the thumb is that Interns must complete at least 300 hours (for 6 credits) in order to fulfill the internship requirement. This is the equivalent of working 20 hours per week during the course of a 15 week semester.
Note: Deadlines will be defined as 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the last day of the week, unless noted different!
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
University Policies
- Accommodating Disabilities:
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
- Graduation: Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
- Late Policy: Assignments are due by 11:59PM (EST) on the due date unless otherwise indicated. Late assignments are not accepted without prior approval from the instructor. Failure to turn in a paper by the required due date may result in a deduction on the final score, up to and including failure of the assignment. Make-up assignments are given at the sole discretion of the instructor on a case-by-case basis.
- Additional Policies:
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
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.