Master of Public Administration (MPA)

MPA Internship

Students with one year of management/supervisory experience may apply to the MPA Director to have their internship waived.  Please email the MPA Director to have your resume reviewed after you review the Internship Policy below.

For students interested in completing the three-credit internship (PPA 601), a minimum of 20 hours per week of work for 15 weeks, or 300 hours, is required. Students who are unable to complete a traditional internship are required to complete the three-credit professional development seminar (PPA 602). This course is designed to provide students with an equivalent experience to that of an internship in the public sector. Students should consult their faculty advisor to discuss whether the internship or professional development seminar is required.

Students who have additional questions or who would like assistance in securing an internship should contact the MPA Internship Coordinator, Dr. Michelle Wade.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

Students will receive emails from the department when internships are available.

 

MPA Job Placements

Graduates of the MPA program at West Chester University are finding employment in positions that are relevant to their graduate education. Listed below are some of the positions of recent graduates of the MPA program.

In addition, here is a sampling of some of the organizations that have hired graduates of the MPA program:

Job placement w/in 6 months of graduation academic year 2022/23:	Number of placements
National or central government in the same country as the program	0
State, provincial, or regional government in the same country as the program	0
City, county, or other local government in the same country as the program	6
Government not in the same country as the program (all levels) or international quasi-governmental	0
Nonprofit domestic-oriented	11
Nonprofit/NGOs internationally oriented	0
Private sector - research/consulting	1
Private sector but not research/consulting	1
Obtaining further education	0
Military service	0
Unemployed not seeking employment	0
Unemployed seeking employment	2
Status unknown	3
TOTAL	24

MPA Students Admitted in Fall 2018	# Students
Initially enrolled	36
Percentage graduated or retained in two years	74.3%
Percentage graduated or retained in three years	74.3%
Percentage graduated or retained in four years	71.4%

MPA Testimonials 

Emilia DelGrasso, MPA ‘22

“The West Chester University MPA program has been integral to my professional development, specifically in my understanding of non-profit management, analyzing data, and providing results to key business stakeholders in an impactful way. Personally, the MPA program has challenged me to think about policies, government programs, and current events holistically and equitably.” 

Hector L. Febo III, MPA ‘21

“I was looking for a graduate program that set itself apart, as well as one that would do the same for me as a graduate, which lead me to the MPA program at WCU. Completing the program 100% online (pre-and post-pandemic) offered an outstanding balance between professional, personal, and academic life. Everyone is highly invested in your success. The department always announces new job openings, internship opportunities and aids in expanding your professional network.” 

Tammy A. Bagby, MPA ‘21

“My decision to be a part of the WCU MPA family was a no brainer. First impressions are everything, and meeting former graduates of the MPA program like Mr. Evan Daney and retired Professor Dr. Eve Atkinson allowed me to see that WCU provides a high quality public service education for people with diverse backgrounds like me. Coming in as a later in life student, with plenty of professional experience, the MPA degree gives me even more versatility in my career.  The graduate faculty have been flexible and understanding, showing that they care as much about the goals you set for yourself as classroom grades.”

Kathleen Fitzsimmons López, MPA ‘20

“One of the things I appreciate most about the MPA faculty at WCU is their broad range of interests and experiences - whether in government, nonprofits, or research, I was able to learn from each of my professors far beyond what was included in the curriculum. This really helped me to pull into focus the otherwise seemingly disconnected pieces of my own work and volunteer experiences of the last two decades to reveal a larger picture as I move into the next phase of my career.” 

Damesha Wells, MPA ’20

"With the WCU education I received, I will be equipped to readily handle the issues of this society as a public servant. I am eager to exercise the practices taught especially those regarding program evaluation and nonprofit management. Now being informed of the duty of public servants, I will take heed to ensuring that I exude a servant mentality as a professional in my next position."

Christina Gantt, MPA '19

Christina completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at West Chester University. She graduated from the MPA program in the spring of 2019 and has recently accepted a job in Washington, D.C. as a Human Resources Generalist for Legal Services Corporation. This is a nonprofit organization that provides funding and legal aid programs to low-income individuals, and Christina excitedly states, "I know that being in the MPA program has been a tremendous part of what has gotten me to this point!"

Nicholas Schlegel, MPA '19

Nicholas Schlegel used his time at WCU to cultivate an internship with the municipal government of Newtown Township, where he assisted the Finance Director with preparing the annual budget report/presentation, as well supported the meticulous work of Township Manager.

“Not knowing exactly how I was going to fit in the field when I began, it was Dr. Wade’s Foundations of Public Service class that made me want to get involved in local government. With the volatile political climate, my time at WCU inspired me to change what it means to be a true public servant. Budgeting may not seem like the most glamorous part of being a public administrator, but it is so vital, and rewarding to be able to make sense of the complexities of municipal management for our citizens.”

Daria Williams, MPA ’18

Daria Williams channeled her MPA studies at WCU into an internship with Philadelphia 9th District Councilperson Cherelle L. Parker, where she assisted the Director of Community and Economic Development with constituent services, coordinated commercial corridors and business development projects, and helped form a steering committee, leading meetings to address homelessness in the District.

She parlayed that work into a full-time position with the City of Philadelphia as an assistant operations manager on an initiative called Rebuilding Community Infrastructure (Rebuild), that invests in upgrading and improving parks and playgrounds.

West Chester University not only prepared her but inspired her. “Dr. Wade was always an incredible motivator; she was passionate about public service and the good that we could do in that field and that really encouraged me to find work in local government. Now that I am working in a place where I can really see the impact, I’m that much more grateful for that inspiration.”

Graduate Survey

The MPA "helped me secure a job and I've since more than doubled my salary since getting my degree in 2015".

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Earning my MPA "helped me develop more management skills, learn about government-funded budgets, and how to develop strategic plans".

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"Understanding dimensions of decision making, governance and operations have improved my ability to translate academic prospectives into workable solutions" in the real world.

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"My MPA gave me many lenses with which to evaluate a situation or organization and form a … course of action for improvement."

Our MPA program is creating this board as a part of our reaccreditation process.  The Network of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) is the global standard for accrediting public administration graduate programs.  The purpose of our External Advisory Committee is to provide insight and guidance from the field to help us enhance our curricular and co-curricular activities.  For example, the committee will collaborate with us to market our MPA program, assist our students with obtaining internships and jobs, and serve as guest speakers and mentors.

Government

Name	Title/Organization Affiliation	Place of Employment
Marita Kelley	Director of Finance	City of Harrisburg
Michelle Kichline	County Commissioner	Chester County Board of Commissioners
Rob Teplitz	Special Counsel	Pennsylvania Governor's Office of General Counsel
Emily Yates	Chief Innovation Officer	SEPTA

Non-Profit

Name	Title/Organization Affiliation	Place of Employment
Joanne Craig	Vice President for Programs	The Foundation for Delaware County
Grace Herbert	President & Co-Founder	Finding Shelter Animal Rescue
Lisa Schaefer	Executive Director	County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania
Chaya Scott	Chief Aspiration Officer	Chaya Scott Consulting, LLC
Joseph Sherwood	Executive Director	Chester County Library System

Private

Name	Title/Organization Affiliation	Place of Employment
Alex Charlton	Former State Rep & Senior Manager State Government Affairs	Exelon
Andrew Dinniman	Former State Rep	Retired
James Lee	President & Founder	Susquehanna Polling and Research

 

Job Opportunities

• https://pano.org/jobs/
• https://www.publicservicecareers.org/
• https://www.foundationlist.org/