Chapter 4:

Hands-on Learning at the Brooks School of Public Policy

At the Brooks School, you’ll have access to unique programs that are specifically for our public administration students. From opportunities in Washington, D.C., to a semester in Albany, there’s something to suit a variety of career goals. Check out this chapter to learn more.    

CORNELL MPA INTERNSHIP AND EXTERNSHIP PROGRAMS

In Cornell’s MPA program, there are several options for fulfilling the Practical Experience requirement for the MPA. Let’s take a closer look at some of your choices.

Internship Program Options

One of the most popular ways students complete the Practical Experience component of the degree is by completing an internship in the summer between the first and second year of study. Whether you’re interested in a role in the international or federal government or you want to work for an NGO, the Career Management team is here to help you find an internship to fit your career goals. 

Here are some of the places our students have interned:

This is a degree where you get your hands dirty. Our students join the Cornell Brooks School because they’re passionate about improving people’s lives and want to connect to the colleagues, training, and resources that will allow them to make a difference. That means thinking and acting beyond the classroom. Wicked public policy problems don’t wait for the sharpest minds in the field to finish graduate programs; that’s why we encourage students to spend one semester of their degree careers off-campus living, working, and studying as part of a rigorous externship semester. These programs immerse students in environments where they are working to solve problems real-time.

— Thomas O’Toole, executive director of public affairs programming for the MPA Program

Cornell in Washington

One of the externship options available to MPA students is the chance to spend a semester living, studying, and working in the nation’s capital. While Washington, D.C., serves as the heart of the United States federal government, the city is also host to an array of intergovernmental organizations, consulting firms, and nonprofit organizations.

Through the Cornell in Washington program, students are involved in an externship for up to 40 hours per week while completing professional development exercises through an intensive externship course. Participants also enroll in a colloquium course featuring alumni speakers. The full-time externship counts as eight credits. 

Here are some of the organizations where students have participated in this program:

Prior Externships

UNDP
World Bank
National Public Radio
White House Domestic Policy Council
District of Columbia Public Schools
U.S. Department of State
World Food Programme
International Monetary Fund

Capital Semester in Albany

Through this externship program, students are placed in a paid position with the New York State Legislature, while earning a full semester of credits. Capital Semester students are full-time Assembly or Senate Interns who spend the spring semester living, working, and studying in Albany. Students learn how the New York State Legislature functions through direct experience and formal instruction.

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Student Stories: A Few Examples of Gaining Practical Experience — the Brooks School Way

No one demonstrates the value of these learning opportunities better than our alumni. Here are some examples of MPA program alumni and how they completed their Practical Learning requirement: 

  • Federal Goverment

    Emily Martin, 2018

    Analyst at the Government Accountability Office in D.C.

    Concentration
    Human Rights and Social Justice

  • Foreign Service

    Ranissa Adityavarman, 2018

    Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State

    Concentration
    Government, Politics, and Policy Studies

  • Finance

    Beth Yarze, 2019

    Manager, Economic & Valuation Services at KPMG US

    Concentration
    Economic and Financial Policy

Federal Goverment

Emily Martin, 2018

Analyst at the Government Accountability Office in D.C.

Concentration
Human Rights and Social Justice

Foreign Service

Ranissa Adityavarman, 2018

Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State

Concentration
Government, Politics, and Policy Studies

  • Internships/Experiences

    SMART Program: Kenya

  • Internships/Experiences

    Internship: Economics Section Fellow, U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia

  • Internships/Experiences

    Capstone: Humanity Crew, Researching Mental Health and Psychosocial Services for Refugee Populations in Greece

  • Job 1

    Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State

  • Current

    Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State

Finance

Beth Yarze, 2019

Manager, Economic & Valuation Services at KPMG US

Concentration
Economic and Financial Policy

Federal Government

Emily Martin, 2018

Analyst at the Government Accountability Office in D.C.

Concentration

Human Rights and Social Justice

Internships/Experiences

Seoul, South Korea Case Study Program

Internships/Experiences

Connected with GOA at a networking event

Internships/Experiences

Capstone: How to Combat and Prevent Human Trafficking Globally Project with the Federal Government

Foreign Service

Ranissa Adityavarman, 2018

Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State

Concentration

Government, Politics, and Policy Studies

Internships/Experiences

SMART Program: Kenya

Internships/Experiences

Internship: Economics Section Fellow, U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia

Internships/Experiences

Capstone: Humanity Crew, Researching Mental Health and Psychosocial Services for Refugee Populations in Greece

Job 1

Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State

Current

Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State

Finance

Beth Yarze, 2019

Manager, Economic & Valuation Services at KPMG US

Concentration

Economic and Financial Policy

Internships/Experiences

Sustainable Global Enterprise (SGE) Immersion: eBay, Inc., worked with eBay’s Global Impact team to dissect the question of whether or not millennial consumers’ purchasing decisions could be impacted by eBay’s sustainability messaging

Internships/Experiences

Capstone: Project involved researching regulations and providing a comparative analysis of the legal recreational cannabis market across multiple U.S. states, Canada, and Uruguay

Job 1

Associate, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), LLC

Job 2

Experienced Associate, Economic & Valuation Services at KPMG US

Job 3

Senior Associate, Economic & Valuation Services at KPMG US

Current

Manager, Economic & Valuation Services at KPMG US

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