Sub Navigation:
Secondary Navigation:
Main Content:
Breadcrumb Navigation:
Home>Australia>Students>Career Services>Internships>MSPPM Interns
MSPPM Interns
Graduate students in the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM) degree program from Carnegie Mellon University are committed to making an impact on the world and within the organisations where they work. Their Carnegie Mellon experience provides them with an opportunity to explore various fields and sectors through a variety of hands on learning opportunities, including an internship experience. This hands-on learning differentiates Carnegie Mellon from many other universities by encouraging students to apply skills learned in the classroom to real-life organisations and problems. The MSPPM program prepares students to advance the public interest by developing exceptional analytical, quantitative technical, and management skills. With courses covering such areas as policy analysis, financial management and analysis, project management, and information technology, the program provides market-oriented training that is applicable to any policy field in public, non-profit and private sector organizations.
Qualification of Interns
Students at Carnegie Mellon have undergraduate degrees in a variety of disciplines and with various levels of work experience. Their backgrounds are enhanced by the extensive core curriculum they complete during their first year studies and through project courses that focus on teamwork. Carnegie Mellon students learn to work in large and small groups and to effectively prepare and present recommendations drawn from rigorous analyses. Through their course work, students have developed databases, written strategic plans, and conducted feasibility studies for local organisations.
Employment Conditions
Employer expectations for interns should be equivalent to existing employees and, as a result, most internships include some form of remuneration. Special arrangements can be made for community or related organizations that have restricted or mandated budgets. Pay rates are negotiable with each intern and should be based on standard payment arrangements (Award/EBA, etc).
Availability of Interns
Internships are compulsory for students doing the MSPPM 5 semester program (between 10 - 12 weeks) and optional for all other students. Students conducting compulsory internships will usually do them in the 3rd semester of their first year (customarily September – December). Students doing optional internships will usually undertake them in the following periods: May-August; August-December or February-May.
Requirements of Compulsory Internships
1. The internship must last a minimum of ten weeks, full-time.
2. The internship must be of significant educational value.
3. Formal supervision must be provided so that the student’s performance may be assessed.
4. Internship evaluation form must be completed to enable the university to determine whether this program requirement has been fulfilled.
Intern Assignments
Supervisors and students should work together to design an experience that is tangibly beneficial to both the organisation and the student. While we recognise that there is always some "go-fer" work in professional positions we ask that you give the intern as little menial work as possible. Interns are eager to put newly acquired technical and analytical skills to work in the "real world," and your organisation will benefit from that enthusiasm and knowledge. The most successful internships match interns’ interests and abilities with employers’ needs. We encourage employers to explore, with the intern, possible areas of work for the internship and to prepare a position description that captures those agreed upon activities.
If you are interested in having an Intern in your organisation please contact Carnegie Mellon University - Australia on (08) 8110 9900.