Students in our MPA, MPA:HA, and MNL programs complete an integrative experience as a part of their program of study.
The integrative experience consists of the successful completion of 200 hours of field experience including development of a comprehensive field-based project and written report. Approximately 150 hours will be spent in the field, and the remaining 50 hours may be allotted for writing the culminating assessment paper. Typically, a student’s customized project focuses on administrative or management issues confronting a government agency or nonprofit organization as an opportunity to relate their academic experience in the program to a practice setting and build skills for future practice. These projects can be completed at any level of an organization. Students have worked with agency directors as well as frontline staff to complete a variety of projects to benefit both the organization and advance their own professional development. Each project is unique unto itself.
The culmination of the experience is a) a substantive deliverable for the organization (e.g., a project report, toolkit, policy brief, handbook, etc.) as well as b) a personal reflection essay that details the student's experience, and c) executive summary which summarizes the project. Students must complete an orientation with the PA/PAH 509 faculty adviser prior to commencing the development of a project. Full details on the organizational experience and expectations for students are detailed during this orientation.