Paid Internships

For more than a decade, hundreds of public administration (MPA), public policy (MPP) and survey research and data analysis (SRDA) students have gained professional experience across Connecticut. They have worked with senior leaders of municipalities, state agencies, nonprofit organizations and private firms.

Through paid internships students apply the skillsets they learned in the classroom to real-world policies and programs. While developing professional contacts and building their resume, students can explore potential occupations. In some cases, internships may lead to full-time employment


Internship Options

Students need six credits of internship to complete their degree, and those with significant professional experience may be able to waive this requirement. For questions about internships or the waiver process please email publicpolicy@uconn.edu

Option 1: Internship and Professional Practice (IPP) Program

MPA and MPP students in the IPP program intern with an organization for 15 hours per week for an entire academic year (late August through late May). Students gain meaningful, significant managerial and/or analytic work experience with a local or state government agency or a nonprofit organization. In compensation for their work, students receive:

  • 585 hours of skilled experience
  • Stipend and medical benefits
  • Tuition scholarship

While there are typically dozens of placements available, the IPP program is competitive. Students apply for the IPP program and participate in a selection process that includes submitting a resume and cover letter and participating in an interview with the host organization. The decision to offer an IPP placement rests with the host IPP organization.

The School aims to develop as many IPP opportunities as there are students seeking them. Students can also develop their own IPP placement if it meets the internship requirements for the program.

Read more about the IPP program on UConn Today.

Past Partner Organizations and Internship Positions

Connecticut State Agencies

Capitol Region Council of Governments

Working with Director of Special Projects on transportation and planning throughout the region

Capitol Region Education Council (CREC)

Working in the Office of Communications

Working in the Office of Data Analysis, Research and Technology

Working with Planning Specialist

Connecticut Airport Authority

Working with Director of Marketing

Connecticut Economic Resource Center

Strategic Planning and Research Support

CT Council on Developmental Disabilities

Working with Executive Director

Department of Administration

Working with Chief Human Resource Officer in data analysis and long-term planning

Department of Children and Families

Working with Director of Multicultural Affairs

Working with Director of Public Policy

Working with Director of Results-Based Accountability

Working with Chief of Staff

Department of Economic and Community Development

Working on compliance project

Working on strategic competitiveness project

Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

Working in the Office of Chief of Staff Working with Budget Director

Working in Human Service Contract Unit

Working with Assistant Director of Forensic Services

Department of Motor Vehicles

Working in the Office of the Division Chief

Working in the Office of Corporate and Public Relations

Working in the Office of Planning, Research & Unit Analysis

Working in the Office of Support Services

Department of Revenue Services

Working on developing diversity training and standardization of HR processes

Department of Transportation

Working on Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program

Working on compliance assessment of USDOT guidelines

Division of Criminal Justice

Working on program assessment of Early Screening and Intervention Pilot Program

Office of Auditors of Public Accounts

Working with Executive Budget Officer

Office of Fiscal Analysis

Working with Chief Budget Analyst

Office of the Governor

Working with Nonprofit Liaison to the Governor

Office of the Healthcare Advocate

Enhance Database Usage—Data to Information

Office of Policy and Management

Working with Executive Budget Officer

Working with Officer of Labor Relations

Working with Legislative Program Manager

Working with Budget and Financial Management Division

Office of the Connecticut Secretary of State

Working with the Legislation & Election Administration Division

State Contracting Standards Board

Working with Executive Director

Town Municipalities

Bristol Resource Recovery Facility

Working with the Executive Director

City of Hartford

Working with the Mayor's Chief of Staff

Working with the Acting Deputy Director of the Department of Management and Budget

Working on Department of Human & Health Services projects

Working with the Mayor's Director of Constituent Services

Working with the Office of Budget and Grants

City of New Britain

Working with Captain of EMTS

City of New Haven

Working with the Mayor's Chief of Staff

Working with New Haven Public School's Chief of External Affairs

Working in the Office of Management and Budget

Working with the Green Housing Development

City of New London

Working with the Director of Finance

City of Norwalk Redevelopment Agency

Working with Senior Project Manager for Development

Town of Andover

Working with the Town Manager

Town of Barkhamsted

Revising plan of conservation and development

Town of Berlin

Working with the Director of Economic Development

Town of Cromwell

Working with the Director of Human Resources

Town of Coventry

Working with the Town Manager

Town of Durham

Economic Development

Town of Enfield

Working with the Town Manager

Town of Farmington

Working with the Town Manager

Town of Haddam

Working with the Selectmen creating an economic development plan

Town of Mansfield

Working with Town Manager

Working with Economic Development Manager

Town of Mansfield Housing Authority

Working with Executive Director

Town of Newington

Working with the Town Manager

Board of Education

Working on Curriculum projects with Superintendent of Schools

Working with the Superintendent

Working with the Director of Transportation Services

Working with the Associate Superintendent for Human Capital

Town of Oxford, Massachusetts

Working with the Town Manager

Town of Simsbury

Working with the Director of Finance

Town of Southbury

Assisting in development of a town tax abatement program

Working on developing policies and procedures for the Fiscal Office

Town of South Windsor

Working with Assistant Town Manager and the Directors of Human Resources and Public Works Working with Director of South Windsor Mass Transit Commission

Town of Thomaston Public Schools

Working with Superintendent in developing business manual for the district

Town of West Hartford

Working in the Department of Public Works

Working with the Town Manager

Working with the Accounting Manager

Town of Windham

Working with the Director of Human Services

Town of Windsor

Working with the Town Manager

Nonprofits

Adelbrook Behavioral and Development Services

Working with Chief Compliance Officer

American Federation of Teachers

Working with Communications Director

Access Community Action Agency

Working with the Executive Director

Achieve Hartford!

Working with the Executive Director

Working on education policy research

American Red Cross of Connecticut

Working with Senior Development Officer

Boys and Girls Club of Hartford

Working with Executive Director and Development Officer

Boys and Girls Village

Working on program assessment and finance

Capital Workforce Partners

Resource Development and Researching Employment Trends

Career Resources, Inc.

Working with the CEO

Catholic Charities

Working with Director of Migration and Refugee Services

Charter Oak Community State College

Working with Director of Institutional Effectiveness

Coalition for New Britain’s Youth

Working with CEO on program development and research

Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut

Working on data analysis of program impact within New London School system

Community Health Center Association of Connecticut

Working on researching federal policy and SNAP

Connecticut Campus Compact

Working with Executive Director creating asset mapping data system

Connecticut Children's Medical Center

Working with the Help Me Grow program

Connecticut Community Providers Association

Working with CEO on public policy development

Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies

Working with CEO on public policy development and research

Connecticut Fund for the Environment

Working directly with Senior Staff in Policy Development

Connecticut Housing Coalition

Working with Executive Director

Everyday Democracy

Working on building databases to facilitate program evaluation

Excel Bridgeport

Working on education policy research

Fidelco Guide Dog

Working in the Office of the CEO

Foodshare

Working with CEO on town-level data analysis of hunger and food insecurity

Goodwin University Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Working with Director

Governor's Prevention Partnership

Working with Program Manager for the Connecticut Mentoring Partnership

Hartford Boys and Girls Club

Working with President & CEO

Hartford Performs

Working with Executive Director

Hartford Promise

Working with senior leadership on a variety of key strategic program enhancement projects

Hartford Youth Scholars Foundation

Working with Executive Director

Hospital for Special Care

Working on strategic planning for hospital

Inspirica

Working with senior staff to streamline business operations and data capture.

Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy

Working with Senior Researchers for: Connecticut Results First Initiative Connecticut Sentencing Commission

Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project

Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford

Working with Director of Development

Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut

Working with Executive Director

Oak Hill

Working with CEO on economic impact, policy and strategic planning

Our Piece of the Pie

Working on nonprofit policy analysis

Working with Director of External Affairs

New Haven Promise

Working with the Executive Director

South Central Regional Council of Governments

Working with Executive Director

South Kent School

Working on school administration projects

Salvation Army of Greater Hartford

Working with Director of Development

Traveler's Community Foundation

Working with Vice President of Community Relations

Universal Health Care Foundation

Working with Director of Advocacy Working with Campaign Manager

United Way of Coastal Fairfield County

Working with Bridgeport Prospers designing collective impact assessments

University of Connecticut Health Center

Working with the CEO

Working at Center for Public Health and Health Policy

Working with Chief Communications Officer

University of Connecticut

Working with Chief Operating Officer

Working with Coordinator of BEST Program

Working with the Department of Labor Relations

Working with Director of Community Outreach

Working with Director of the Office of Emergency Management

Working with Director of Office of Institutional Research

Working with Director of Procurement for the University of Connecticut

Working with Director of Procurement of UConn Health Center

Working with Director of Service Learning

Working with UConn Fire Chief

Working on Graduate School Minority Recruitment Policies

Working with Hartford Campus Dean of Students

Working with Hartford Campus Director

Working with Human Resource Benefits Manager

Working with Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness

Working with Office of Service Learning

Working with Office of Veterans’ Affairs and Military Programs

Working with Operations Manager, Office of Procurement, Storrs

Working with Office of Transportation

Working with Office of Urban Studies

Working with UConn Women’s Center

YWCA Hartford Region

Working on public policy development

Working on women shelter voter registration strategies

YWCA of Western Massachusetts

Working on program evaluation with Director of Resource Development

Map of Previous Internship Host Sites

Option 2: Sponsored Internship (SI) Program

Each year the School offers a limited number of SI's with local or state government agencies or nonprofit organizations. First-year, full-time MPA and MPP students who have not been awarded a graduate assistantship are eligible to apply for an internship through this program. Undergraduate Fast-Track Master’s Program students may also be eligible to apply for a sponsored internship (SI), if they have fulfilled course requirements.

Students participating in the SI program receive a stipend and may earn internship credits for their work. Students typically work 15 hours per week for an entire academic year (late August through late May).

Positions are usually circulated in the spring semester for internships beginning the following August. Students must submit a resume and cover letter to apply for the position, and most organizations will conduct interviews before selecting a student for the position.

Option 3: Find Your Own Internship

Students completing an internship independently must fill out and submit the Internship Placement Record Form for approval prior to beginning the internship. The internship may be completed over the summer or during the semester. Students register for six internship credits in the spring semester and submit a reflection paper. An internship evaluation is collected from the internship supervisor.

For Employers

The Internship and Professional Practice (IPP) Program matches the School of Public Policy’s second-year Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) graduate students with state agencies, municipal governments, and nonprofit organizations for an entire academic year (August - May).

Benefits to your organization include:

  • 585 Hours: Graduate interns work on special projects and provide program support for 15 hours a week from late August to mid-May annually, for a total of 585 hours over 39 weeks. Scheduling is arranged directly be host sites and interns.
  • Quantitative Assessment and Skills: Most students have completed a year of rigorous graduate study and have developed significant skills in finance and budgeting, research design, statistical analysis, economics, policy analysis, human resources, and other key areas of public and nonprofit program management.
  • Low Cost, High Yield: The cost for an IPP intern to work in your organization is $17,250 (2023-2024 cycle). Should organizations host a Sponsored Intern (SI) student, the program cost is $15,500 (2023-2024 cycle). UConn SPP staff handle all the administrative paperwork and payroll details for students.
  • The Right Match: UConn SPP staff work with you to find the right student match to fit the needs of your organization through a comprehensive application and interview process. Multiple interview rounds are carried out each year, so organizations have the ability to interview a wide array of IPP and SI student intern candidates.

2024-2025 UConn SPP Internship Program Flyer

Read more about the IPP program on UConn Today.

Program Details

Employers select qualified MPA and MPP students through a competitive application process. Classes are held in the evening, which allows interns to work during the day. Students are able to work fully in-person, in hybrid formats, or fully remote - though host sites are encouraged to allow student interns to work on site as much as possible. Final work modality formats are established between students and supervisors at host sites.

Timeline for 2024-2025 Cycle:

Student internships for the 2024-2025 cycle run from August 23, 2024 - May 22, 2025. The formal application process for the 2024-2025 cycle of IPP and SI programs is now open. An Intent to Participate Survey will need to be submitted by all prospective host sites to confirm organizational details, supervisor and fiscal staff contact information, and other program logistics. Click the following link to complete this host opt-in survey:

2024-2025 Graduate Internship Program Intent to Participate Survey 

  • February 16, 2024: Deadline for prospective internship host sites to submit Intent to Participate Form. This is not a formal commitment, only an expression of intent. Once submission deadlines pass prospective host sites will be contacted to submit formal job descriptions by February 29, 2024. Descriptions will be included in a formal student application packet. Host sites have no obligation until intern candidates accept a formal offer.
  • March 22-April 12, 2024: Interview window for "Round 1" (IPP students only). Throughout the interview window, SPP staff provide logistical details directly to host site contacts via email. Internship offers are not made until after interview window passes.
  • April 15-26, 2024: Matching, selection, and offer process. Sites submit details for preferred top student candidates and an "Early Match" process is carried out before the open offer period.
  • May - June, 2024: Round 2 and Round 3 interview processes as needed for unplaced interns and host sites still searching for intern support.
  • Mid-August, 2024: Host site supervisor and student intern orientations. Final event details and logistics provided to host sites with confirmed interns throughout Summer 2024.
  • August 23, 2024: Graduate intern contract windows begin, and students join the work of your organization! Note: students may be able to join host sites in advance (Summer 2023), though host sites would oversee any administrative/payroll/onboarding process for early start dates. Contact SPP staff with questions!
  • October-November 2024: UConn SPP staff provide invoices to internship host sites.

For questions or more information, please contact Ryan Baldassario, SPP Director of Engagement.