This article discusses how experiential knowledge has become institutionalized as “for credit” internships in schools of public affairs and administration. It presents an overview of the history of internships, along with associated research that has been conducted in this area. Following that review, the authors advance a model depicting the interdependent links between students, their university, and a government agency or nonprofit organization that hosts interns. The model offers a simplified tool for understanding the complex activities and collaborations necessary for creating successful internships. The processes described in the component parts of the model are substantiated by previous research and survey data derived from department chairs in NASPAA-accredited programs in 2010.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AlexanderJ. R. (1982). Institutional design of public service internships: Conceptual, academic, and structural problems.Teaching Political Science, 9(3), 127–133.
2.
AndrewsM. A.BurchJ. (1979, May–June). The Phoenix management intern program. In A mini-symposium: Internships in public administration.Public Administration Review, 239–241.
3.
BassowW. (1968). The Legislative Internship Program: A report to the Ford Foundation. Unpublished report.
4.
BermanE. M.BowmanJ. S.WestJ. P.Van WartM. (2006). Human resource management in public service: Paradoxes, processes and problems (2nd ed.). New York: Sage Publications.
5.
CampbellA. K.StrakoschL. D. (1979, May–June). The Presidential Management Intern Program: A new approach to selecting and developing America’s future public managers. A minisymposium: Internships in public administration.Public Administration Review, 232–236.
6.
DonovanC. (2002, April). Local government internships.Public Management, 12–16.
7.
EmersonK.MurchieP. (2010). Collaborative governance and climate change: Opportunities for public administration. In The future of public administration around the world: The Minnowbrook perspective (pp. 141–161). Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
8.
Federal Register. (2012, May 11). Final rule: Excepted service, career and career—Conditional employment; and Pathways programs.Office of Personnel Management, 77(92), (p. 28194).
9.
FinkleA. L.BarclayW. M. (1979, May–June). State government internships. In A mini-symposium: Internships in public administration.Public Administration Review, 236–238.
10.
FinnK. (1997). The spaces between: Toward a new paradigm for cooperative education.Journal of Cooperative Education, 32, 36–45.
11.
FreelandR. M.MariniR. C.WeighartS. (1998). Moving partnerships between co-op institutions and co-op employers into the next century.Journal of Cooperative Education, 33, 17–27.
12.
GabrisG. T.MitchellK. (1989, Winter). Exploring the relationship between intern job performance, quality of education experience, and career placement.Public Administration Quarterly, 484–504.
13.
GarnettJ. L.DonovanC. P. (2002, October). The new old way to launch a career in public service.PA Times (Educational Supplement), pp. 3–4.
HaiderD. (1979, May–June). Presidential management initiatives: A Ford legacy to executive management. In A mini-symposium: Internships in public administration. Public Administration Review, 248–259.
16.
HallJ. (1999. Cooperative education for the future. Journal of Cooperative Education, 34, 9–15.
17.
HarrisM. E.EmersonS. (2001). Graduate education and public service internships: A theoretic framework to guide learning.Journal of Public Affairs Education, 7(1), 31–38.
18.
HenckleyS. P. (1963). The internship in administrative preparation.Ohio and Washington, DC: The University Council for Educational Administration and the Committee for the Advancement of School Administration (joint publication).
19.
HennessyB. C. (1970). Political internship: Theory, practice, and evaluation. University Park: Pennsylvania State University.
20.
HenryN. (1979, May–June). Are internships worthwhile? In A mini-symposium: Internships in public administration.Public Administration Review, 245–247.
21.
HonanJ. C.DayH. T. (1979, September). Linking public affairs internship experience and academic study: A strategy for program design. In Public service internships: The continuing evolution—A symposium. Southern Review of Public Administration; currently Public Administration Quarterly, 146–163.
22.
HutchesonP. (2002). Educating a globally productive citizenry: The role of higher education in the integration of learning and work. Boston, MA: National Commission for Cooperative Education.
23.
ItinC. (1999). Reasserting the philosophy of experiential education: A vehicle for change in the 21st century.Journal of Experiential Education, 22, 91–98.
24.
KimS. (2010). Collaborative leadership and local governance. In The future of public administration around the world: The Minnowbrook perspective (pp. 111–116). Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
25.
KnowlesM. S. (1968). Andragogy not pedagogy.Adult Leadership, 16(10), 350–386.
26.
KnowlesM. S. (1980) The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy, 2nd Edition, New York, Cambridge Books.
27.
KoehlerC. T. (1979, September). The responsibilities of internship supervisors. In Public service internships: The continuing evolution—A symposium.Southern Review of Public Administration; currently Public Administration Quarterly, 137–145.
28.
McCafferyJ. L. (1979, May–June). Perceptions of satisfaction–dissatisfaction in the internship experience. In A mini-symposium: Internships in public administration. Public Administration Review, 241–244.
29.
McGlothlinC. W.Jr. (2003, June). OS&H internships: What graduates are saying about their experience. Professional Safety, 41–50.
30.
MurphyT. P. (1973). Government management internships and executive development: Education for change. New Britain, CT: Lexington Books.
31.
MurphyT. P. (1979a, September). Public service internships: The continuing evolution—a symposium. Southern Review of Public Administration; currently Public Administration Quarterly, 123–195.
32.
MurphyT. P. (1979b, September). State legislative internships: The evolving reality. In Public service internships: The continuing evolution—A symposium. Southern Review of Public Administration; currently Public Administration Quarterly, 175–188.
33.
National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). (1977). NASPAA Guidelines for public service internships. See Public service internships: The continuing evolution—A symposium.Southern Review of Public Administration; currently Public Administration Quarterly, 189–195.
34.
National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). (1992). NASPAA Local government management education ICMA/NASPAA task force on local government management education, 1992. Retrieved from http://www.naspaa.org/accreditation/seeking/reference/guidelines.asp#local
35.
National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). (2003). NASPAA Model internship guidelines, adopted by the ICMA advisory board on graduate education and the NASPAA urban management education committee. Retrieved from http://www.naspaa.org/principals/resources/modelintern.asp
36.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM). (2008). An assessment of federal employment retirement data. Retrieved from http://www.opm.gov/feddata/RetirementPaperFinal_v4.pdf
37.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM). (2011). Hiring authorities: Students and recent graduates. Retrieved from http://www.opm.gov/hiringreform/pathways/
38.
PardoT. A.Gil-GarciaR.Luna ReyesL. F. (2010). Collaborative governance and cross-boundary information sharing: Envisioning a networked and IT-enabled public administration. In The future of public administration around the world: The Minnowbrook perspective (pp. 129 –139). Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
39.
Partnership for Public Service. (2009, April). Leaving talent on the table: The need to capitalize on highperforming student interns. Washington, DC: ourpublicservice.org cfc# 12110.
40.
PomerleauR. (1979, September). Employment studies internship: The San Francisco State experience. In Public service internships: The continuing evolution—A symposium. Southern Review of Public Administration; currently Public Administration Quarterly, 164–174.
41.
ProfughiV. L.ThompsonO. L.Jr.WarrenE. G. (1972). Rhode Island State internship program.State Government, 45, 187–191
42.
VillanuevaA. B. (1974, May–June). Public affairs internship programs in Illinois. Public Personnel Management, 185–192.
43.
WolfJames F. (1979, September). The student responsibility model of public service internships.In Public service internships: The continuing evolution—A symposium. Southern Review of Public Administration; currently Public Administration Quarterly, 127–136.
