University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill
Department of Public Policy
Internship Statement
Instructor: Dr. Gail Corrado
Undergraduate
majors and minors in Public Policy are encouraged to complete an internship
during their junior or senior years or during the summer between their
junior and senior years. These are professional internship placements
in a public/private or non-profit organization.
Internships are available either through official programs or
on a case-by-case basis.
Both
types are included in the job-internship directory, which the Department
of Public Policy maintains. Students should also look for information
at University Career Services and on the bulletin boards of allied departments.
Many students find internship opportunities on their own, often
in their hometowns or in large urban centers.
Many
different types of public policy work can qualify for an internship.
The major criteria are that: (1) the internship involves substantive
work on policy issues, (2) the internship requires the student to think
analytically; and (3) the work is related to policy research on the
policy process, broadly defined. Internships/jobs that are clerical,
that are sales-related, and that are part of electoral campaigns are
not approved as formal placements. PLCY 201 [71] is considered a prerequisite for PLCY 320 [90P] so that students understand what public policy is. Students must be a Public Policy major or minor to be enrolled in PLCY 320.
To
receive credit, students must do the following before the internship
begins. First, provide a one-page letter/memo of intent to complete
an internship to the Instructor, Dr Gail Corrado, for formal departmental
approval. Upon formal approval and within two weeks of starting the
internship, students should prepare a contract,
to be approved by the Dr. Corrado , the internship
supervisor, and the student. The contract must specify the length and
duration of the placement (number of hours over what period); the types
of activities to be performed; the terms of the employment and the expected work products. The intern will be enrolled
in PLCY 320 in the semester following the internship. PLCY 320 is usually
only offered in the Fall semester. Normally, students receive three
credits for 140 hours of work (and two or one credits for fewer hours).
You can not receive more than three credits. The work products can consist of a policy research paper or memo or
a series of shorter memos on different topics.
Students who are enrolled in PLCY 320 will be required to attend
two or three class meetings, including one at the end of the semester where each student will
give a brief oral presentation on his/her internship experience.
If you still have questions, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page. Interested
students should contact Ms. Lennis Carrier, Student Services Manager, at 962-1600, lcarrier@email.unc.edu.
For assistance, visit these University links.
| Career Services Office (Internship Program) | http://careers.unc.edu/ |
| Office of Undergraduate Research | http://cf.unc.edu/our/internships_table.cfm?id=id |
| Writing Center | http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/ |
