Employment and Internships for Students
Students who complete the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Georgia will have received first-rate preparation for a career in public service, policy analysis, or non-profit management.  Whether Georgia MPA alumni choose to work in government at the federal, state, or local and international level, or to work for a nonprofit or nongovernmental organization, students are educated in many of the essential fields and skills needed by such entities. 

The Georgia MPA is one of the nation's top-rated graduate programs in public affairs, with students and alumni from throughout the US and many other countries.  Required courses in the MPA program include work on public finance and budgeting, administrative law, the management of human resources, organizational theory, and public policy to ensure a solid foundation in and appreciation for the distinct qualities that typify governance and the public sector.   Students are also required to complete a two-course management information and research sequence, where they learn the basics of research design and statistics applied to decision making.  Students can specialize in Local Government Administration, Public Budgeting and Finance, Public Management/Organizational Theory, Public Personnel Administration, Public Policy, Health Policy and Administration, Non-Profit Administration, or Higher Education Administration.  A comprehensive examination is also required during the final semester of the program.  Students without significant prior work experience in the public or non-profit sector are also required to complete an internship.

Here is a sampling of some of the entities that have recently tapped Georgia MPA students as interns:

LOCAL
Cities and Counties
Florida
Palm Beach County Government, Department of Planning, Zoning, and Building (West Palm Beach) PAID

Georgia
Athens-Clarke County, Board of Commissioners, Comm. Elton Dodson PAID

Athens-Clarke County
Clarke County School District UNPAID
District Attorney's Office UNPAID
Department of Computer Information Services PAID
Department of Human Resources UNPAID
Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful PAID
Office of Early Learning and Family Engagement PAID
Police Department PAID

City of Atlanta, Mayor's Office PAID
City of Commerce, Downtown Development Authority PAID
City of Duluth, Department of Planning PAID
City of Roswell  UNPAID
City of Snellville PAID
City of St. Mary’s UNPAID
City of Sugar Hill PAID
DeKalb County Government (Decatur) PAID
Office of Process Improvement PAID
Forsyth County, Departtment of Planning and Development (Cumming) PAID

Gwinnett County
Community Services (Lawrenceville) PAID
Department of Finance (Lawrenceville) PAID
Department of Human Resources (Lawrenceville) PAID
Department of Internal Audits (Lawrenceville) PAID
Department of Planning and Development (Lawrenceville) PAID
Department of Public Utiltity - Water Resources (Lawrenceville) PAID
Department of Transportation PAID
Public Health Agency (Lawrenceville) PAID
Support Services (Lawrenceville) PAID
Tax Commissioner (Lawrenceville) PAID

Morgan County
Board of Commissioners (Madison) UNPAID

Oconee County
Board of Commissioners (Watkinsville) PAID
City of Watkinsville, Mayor’s Office (Watkinsville) PAID
Department of Finance (Watkinsville) UNPAID
Department of Planning (Watkinsville) PAID

Illinois
City of Chicago, Office of the Mayor PAID
                       
Ohio
Village of New Bremen

Oregon
Metro, Department of Finance (Portland) PAID

South Carolina
City of Charleston PAID
Greenville County, Human Relations Commissions PAID
Office of the City Manager (Lancaster) UNPAID

Washington
City of Renton, Deptartment of Human Services (Renton) PAID

Associations/Commissions/Regional Development Centers
Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (Atlanta) PAID
Athens Area Chamber of Commerce UNPAID
Atlanta Regional Commission PAID
Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center (Brunswick) UNPAID
Georgia Municipal Association (Atlanta) PAID
National Association of Counties (Washington, DC) UNPAID

Other
The Atlanta Housing Authority PAID

STATE
Alabama
Department of Homeland Security (Montgomery) UNPAI

Florida
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (Tallahassee) PAID
The Florida Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (Tallahassee) PAID
           
Georgia
Office of the Governor (Atlanta) PAID
The Children and Youth Coordinating Council (Decatur) PAID
Intern Program Office (Atlanta) PAID
Legislative Affairs (Atlanta) PAID
Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission (Atlanta) PAID
Council on Developmental Disabilities (Atlanta) PAID
Department of Audits and Accounts (Atlanta) PAID
Department of Community Affairs (Atlanta) PAID
Department of Driver Services (Conyers) PAID
Department of Economic Development (Atlanta) PAID
Department of Public Safety (Atlanta) PAID
Georgia Bureau of Investigations (Athens) UNPAID
Georgia Office of Homeland Security/Georgia Emergency Management Agency (Atlanta) PAID
Georgia Office of Planning and Budget (Atlanta) PAID
Human Development Division PAID
Planning, Research, and Evaluation Division PAID
Professional Standards Commission PAID

Other
Carl Vinson Institute of Government 
Governmental Research and Services PAID
International Center for Democratic Governance PAID
Law-Related Education Consortium PAID
Rural Development Council PAID

           
FEDERAL 
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Forest Service (Athens) PAID
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Athens) PAID
U.S. General Services Administration
Division of Public Building Services (Atlanta) PAID
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Locations:  Atlanta, GA PAID;  Dallas, TX PAID;  Washington, DC PAID
Teams:  Defense Capabilites and Management; Health Care;  Natural Resources and Environment;  Strategic Issues;  Education, Workforce, and Income Security
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Rockville, MD) PAID
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta) PAID
National Cancer Institute (Bethesda, MD) PAID
Office of Health Policy (Washington, DC) PAID
Office of Inspections and Evaluations (Atlanta) PAID
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Atlanta) PAID
U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (Greensboro, NC) PAID
U.S. Postal Inspection Service (Arlington, VA) PAID

INTERNATIONAL
The Carter Center (Atlanta, GA) PAID
Inter-American Development Bank (Washington, DC) PAID
International Center for Democratic Governance (Carl Vinson Institute of Government) (China and Athens, GA) PAID
Korea Economic Institute (Washington, DC) UNPAID
University of Zamorano, Honduras (Peace Corps International) (Honduras) UNPAID
Village Exchange International (Ghana) UNPAID

NON-PROFIT
Advantage Behavioral Health Systems (Athens) UNPAID
The Alliance for Quality Education (Greenville, SC) PAID
American Red Cross (Athens) UNPAID
Association of State & Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) (Washington, DC) PAID
Athens Area Homeless Shelter UNPAID
Athens-Clarke County Family Connection UNPAID
Athens Regional Medical Center Foundation PAID
Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Advance Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge, LA) UNPAID
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (Washington, DC) PAID
Cool Girls, Inc. (Atlanta) PAID
Cooperative Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) (San Francisco, CA) UNPAID
Court Appointed Special Advocates Program (Athens) UNPAID
Georgia Center for NonProfits (Atlanta, GA) PAID
Georgia REAL Enterprises, Inc.  UNPAID
Jeannette Rankin Foundation (Athens) UNPAID
March of Dimes, Nashville Chapter (Nashville, TN) PAID
Mental Health America (Alexandria, VA) UNPAID
National Council of Women's Organizations (Washington, DC) PAID
Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida (Jacksonville, FL) PAID
North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research (Raleigh, NC) PAID
Northeast Georgia Cancer Care Foundation (Athens, GA) UNPAID
Nuci's Space (Athens, GA) UNPAID
The Oregon Community Foundation (Portland, OR) PAID
Partnership Against Domestic Violence (Atlanta) PAID
Partnership for a Prosperous Athens UNPAID
Project Safe, Inc. (Athens) UNPAID
Safe Campuses Now (Athens) UNPAID
Sexual Assault Center of Northeast Georgia (Athens) UNPAID
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Atlanta) PAID
Teach One Academy (Alpharetta, GA) PAID

           
HIGHER EDUCATION
Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA) PAID
Georgia Gwinnett College (Lawrenceville, GA) UNPAID

PERSONNEL
Society for Human Resource Management, Athens Chapter (Athens) PAID

           
LAW
DeKalb County Government, Department of Law (Decatur, GA) PAID

THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Archway Partnership Project PAID
Center for International Trade and Security (Athens and Washington, DC offices) PAID
Foundation PAID
Graduate School PAID
Human Resources UNPAID
Institute for Behavioral Research PAID

CONSULTING
Clarus Consulting Group (Birmingham, AL) PAID

The following is a sampling of employers who have recruited Georgia MPA graduates for full-time positions:

LOCAL
Cities and Counties
Arizona
City of Phoenix, Management Intern Program

Florida
City of Miami Beach, Management Intern Program
Palm Beach County, Department of Planning

Georgia
Athens-Clarke County
Dept. of Transportation and Public Works
Dept. of Organizational Development
City of Cartersville (International City/County Management Association Fellow)
City of Riverdale
Garden City
Gwinnett County, Department of Planning (Lawrenceville)
Polk County, Health Department
Quad Cities Planning Commission (Jefferson)
                       

South Carolina
Greenville County, Department of Social Services

Tennessee
City of Franklin, Management Intern Program
City of Williamson

Washington, DC
Capitol City Fellows Program

Associations/Commissions/Regional Development Centers
Atlanta Regional Commission
Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center (Brunswick, GA)
Georgia Municipal Association (Atlanta, GA)
Middle Georgia Regional Development Center (Macon, GA)

STATE
Florida
Florida Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (Tallahassee)

Georgia
Department of Audits and Accounts (Atlanta)
Department of Economic Development (Atlanta)
Department of Public Health (Lawrenceville)
Department of Revenue (Atlanta)
Department of Transportation (Atlanta)
Georgia Emergency Management Agency (Atlanta)
Georgia House of Representatives (Atlanta)
Office of Planning and Budget (Atlanta)

Ohio
Office of Budget and Management (Columbus)

Virginia
Virginia Department of Emergency Management (Woodbridge)

Political
Georgia Republican Party
Missouri Democratic Party

FEDERAL
U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency (through the Presidential Management Fellows program) (Washington, DC)
U.S. Department of Education (Washington, DC)
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (Washington, DC)
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (Washington, DC)
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (Washington, DC)
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Locations:  Atlanta, GA;  Washington, DC
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (through the Presidential Management Fellows program) (Atlanta, GA)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (through the Emerging Leaders Program) (Atlanta, GA)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ORISE Fellow) (Atlanta, GA)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA)
Emerging Leaders Program (Rotations)
National Institutes of Health (through the Presidential Management Fellows program) (Bethesda, MD)National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute (through the Presidential Management Fellows program) (Bethesda, MD)
Office of Inspections and Evaluations (Atlanta)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Atlanta, GA)
U.S. Department of the Interior (Washington, DC)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (through the Presidential Management Fellows program) (Washington, DC)
U.S. Department of State (through the Presidential Management Fellows program) (Washington, DC)
U.S. Office of Management and Budget (through the Presidential Management Fellows program) (Washington, DC)
White House Domestic Policy Council (Washington, DC)

Political
Office of Congressman Nathan Deal (Washington, DC)

           
INTERNATIONAL
Deshpande Foundation (India)
National Assembly of Korea
Peace Corps (Africa; Honduras)

NON-PROFIT
Advance Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge, LA)
Athens Area Homeless Shelter
Atlanta Police Foundation
American Red Cross (Athens chapter)
Bright Beginnings (Washington, DC)
Chief Executives Organization (Washington, DC)
China Institute (New York, NY)
Court Appointed Special Advocates Program (Athens)
Maine's People Alliance (Portland, ME)
Partners in Out-of-School Time (Charlotte, NC)
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School (Rabun Gap, GA)
Seedco (Memphis, TN)          
STAND, Inc. (Atlanta, GA)

HIGHER EDUCATION
Miami University, Division of University Advancement (Oxford, OH)

THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Alternative Media Access Center
Athletic Association
School of Public and International Affairs

ACADEMIA
Case Western Reserve University, Law School
Rutgers University, Masters Program, City and Regional Planning
Syracuse University, Maxwell School, Doctoral Program, Public Administration
University of California, Berkeley, Doctoral Program, Political Science
University of California, Los Angeles, Doctoral Program, Education and Information Studies
University of Georgia
Doctoral Program, Political Science
Doctoral Program, Public Administration
Law School
University of Kentucky, Law School
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Doctoral Program, Health Policy and Administration
Law School

CONSULTING
BearingPoint (Washington, DC)
Booz Allen Hamilton (Washington, DC)
Grant Thornton (Alexandria, VA)

OTHER
O. Perry Walker High School (New Orleans, LA)
Teach for America (Jacksonville, FL; Atlanta, GA; St. Louis, MO)
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Iowa (Cedar Rapids, IA)

If you would like an internship or job announcement placed on the MPA listserv, please contact Lisa Sperling, MPA Career Services Coordinator, at (706) 542-9583 or send an email to sperling@uga.edu .  The listserv is comprised of current MPA students as well as recent graduates.