You must complete an internship if you do not have substantial experience in the public or nonprofit sectors. An internship gives students the opportunity to apply their graduate education in a nonprofit organization, local, state or national agency, or a policy research organization.
Internships are undertaken after all or most of the core NPML required courses are completed.
- A three-credit-hour internship requires 300 hours on the internship assignment.
- Each student has both a site supervisor and a faculty supervisor.
- To complete the internship for graded credit, the student must receive a satisfactory evaluation from the site supervisor and perform all reading and written assignments from the faculty supervisor.
- The faculty supervisor determines the final grade.
Internship Responsibilities
The tasks or responsibilities that satisfy the requirements for the NPML certificate can be selected from a wide variety of activities relevant to the student as well as the organization. These tasks can relate to:
- Fund-raising
- Program planning and evaluation
- Volunteer engagement
- Staff or volunteer training
- Advocacy
- Public relations/marketing
- Financial management
The student is not expected to direct an entire area or program but, working under supervision, take on some management duties. These duties can be in one area or on one project, such as:
- Helping to plan and organize a fund-raising event
- Creating a volunteer recruitment and training manual
- Working on grants research and writing with appropriate staff
Alternatively, the duties can be spread across several different areas.
The number of hours needed to satisfy the internship requirement is typically 300 hours or about 20 hours per week during a single semester. However, students may fulfill some of these hours in work outside their normal internship hours, for example, in reading or conducting background research related to internship concerns.
Furthermore, the responsibilities related to the NPML certificate do not need to all be in “managerial”-level work. In other words, if the student helps with grants, they would be carrying out some aspect of grant research, drafting proposals, working out program plans, budget and other aspects of grant, etc.
Students have done everything from revise and redesign volunteer training programs and volunteer training manuals to conducting program evaluations using client surveys as part of the data collection.
The point is that the student and the organization decide on tasks that are meaningful and appropriate learning experiences for them and truly beneficial to the organization.
Arranging the Internship
To arrange an internship, students should have in mind the general subject matter they would like to pursue and/or the type of agency in which they would like to work. Students will then meet with the Internship Coordinator who will suggest possible placements that meet the student’s educational and career goals.
The internship coordinator for MPPA and certificate-only students is:
Dr. Terry (Endsley) Jones
Phone: 314-516-5511
Email: Terry.jones@umsl.edu
Internship Timeline
| Make appointment with Coordinator | For internships in semester: |
|---|---|
| April, May, June | Fall |
| October | Spring |
| Mid-January to Mid-March | Summer |
Students should not expect to be able to arrange an internship for the same semester once the semester has started.
Using Current Employment as Internship
Students may be able to use their current employment situation as a for-credit internship. To do so, students must work with the internship coordinator to develop a special research project(s) outside the scope of regular employment duties. Students will be granted credit after successfully completing both the project(s) and a written paper.
Registering for the Internship
Once a potential site is identified, the Coordinator sends the student’s resume to the prospective placement and arranges for an interview. If it is an appropriate match, a learning agreement is completed by the student, the site supervisor, and the faculty supervisor.
The internship coordinator will clear the student to receive a permission number to enroll in PPA 6950. Students may not register for the internship before the Learning Agreement is completed.
Internship Waivers
If students believe they have substantial experience in the nonprofit sector, they can request to be waived from an internship. If the program director approves, students will be waived out of the internship requirement, and will take a 3-hour replacement elective.
To request a waiver, contact either the NPML Administrative Associate or the Director for information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many hours are required to complete an internship?
A. A three-credit-hour internship requires 300 hours on the internship assignment, or about 20 hours a week over the course of a semester.
Q. My advisor says I’m ready to start planning my internship. What’s the first step?
A. To arrange an internship, students should meet with the Internship Coordinator who will work with the student to determine possible placements that meet the student’s educational and career goals.
Q. How far in advance should I start planning my internship?
A. Students will have the greatest selection if they make arrangements at least 12 weeks prior to the start of the internship (See matrix above. May 15 for Fall Semester internships, October 15 for Winter Semester internships, and February 15 for Summer Session internships).
Q. How do I select an internship site?
A. Your advisor and the internship coordinator can help you identify an internship placement that will help meet your goals. If you know of an organization you would like to work with, the internship coordinator can help you set it up.
Q. Who contacts the prospective internship placement site?
A. Once a potential site is identified, the coordinator sends the student’s resume to the prospective placement and arranges for an interview.
Q. What do I need to do to register for my internship?
A. If it is an appropriate match, a learning agreement is completed by the student, the site supervisor, and the faculty supervisor. The PPA program assistant will issue a consent number to the student which authorizes the student to enroll in an internship course (PPA 6950).
Q. Who will be determining my grade?
A. Each student has both a site supervisor and a faculty supervisor. To complete the internship for graded credit, the student must receive a satisfactory evaluation from the site supervisor and perform all reading and written assignments from the faculty supervisor. The faculty supervisor determines the final grade.
Q. I have been a manager at a nonprofit for 5 years. Do I still need to do an internship?
A. If you believe you have substantial experience, you can request a waiver of the internship requirement. If the director approves, the internship requirement will be waived and you will instead select a three-hour replacement elective. Students may request a waiver by contacting the NPML Director with a detailed description of the management and leadership experience the student obtained through previous nonprofit experience. This can include a detailed resume.
Q. Will I be paid for the internship?
A. Unfortunately, the vast majority of internships are UNPAID. The placement organization determines whether it is able to pay a student for work during the internship.
Q. I haven’t begun taking classes for the NPML certificate, but I want to get my internship out of the way this summer. Can I start the internship before I’ve taken any classes?
A. We do not place students in internships with nonprofit organizations unless they have completed most or all of the core requirements for the certificate. These courses are the basis for preparing students to carry out the internships.
