We train our students to become the next generation of leaders and practitioners in the fields of public policy and urban affairs. To build the foundations of their career, our students acquire practical experience putting what they learn to use in real political, economic, and social contexts through a required four-credit internship.

Recent internship programs, organizations, and projects include:

The Access Initiative Project, in the Institutions and Governance Division of the World Resource Institute (Washington, D.C.)  
Project: Manage and direct the communication efforts for the world's largest network of international civil society organizations; create a long-term, sustainable communications strategy and plan, using the 2012 Rio+20 as a vehicle to raise TAI's profile in environmental governance policy.

Better Government Association
Project 1: As Social Media Coordinator, breakdown complicated policies into accessible language with the goal of increasing civic engagement and participation in BGA efforts for a more accountable, transparent, and efficient Illinois state government.
Project 2:  Analyze and estimate the financial impacts of a possible reduction in the size of the Chicago City Council.

Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Reentry and Diversion Programs  
Project: Assist in program evaluation and data collection for the Day Reporting Center, Virtual High School, and Pre-Release Center. 

Illinois Latino Family Commission, Education Subcommittee
Project: Develop a bilingual education marketing campaign addressing the educational achievement gap between Latino students and their peers in Illinois.

Lake County Planning, Building & Development Department
Project: Use the GIS tool ArcView 10 to update county maps and analyze land use changes to make recommendations for development and conservation.

Lakeside Community Development Corporation
Project: Create an interactive database of area housing to find housing opportunities for low and moderate income clients; conduct outreach to property managers/landlords in Rogers Park  to build the Corporation's network of local property owners.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago
Urban Farm Program. Project: Develop strategies for vacant land management; spearhead an urban agriculture feasibility study to determine startup costs, land acquisition, yield, and market value; compile market area profiles to highlight investment potential of emerging neighborhoods.
MetroEdge Program. Project: Provide data/research analysis and GIS technical advising for several local community development corporations (CDCs); help develop a best practices handbook for local CDCs and helped conduct meetings and presentations with local stakeholders and clients.
Elev8 Program. Project: Assess the Chicago Public Schools' zero tolerance discipline policies and safety/security methods.

Obama for America, Data Analytics Department
Project:  Analyze and interpret polling data and developing targeted strategies for states, cities, and neighborhoods.

Office of the City Alderman Ameyar Pawar, 47^th Ward
Project: Manage the creation of a “green council” comprised of ward residents, and work in support of environmental issues and urban public art installations. 

Other internships included work at Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI), Children's Home + Aid, Conlon Public Strategies, Corporation for Supportive Housing—Illinois Program, and Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. 

Applying to Internships

While the MUAPP program and Loyola University have formed many valuable relationships with organizations and government agencies around Chicago, students should start to actively and independently search for, inquire about, and apply to organizations about 6 months before the semester they would like to do their internship. 

The Center for Experiential Learning also provides internship guidance for Loyola students. Their useful internship guide, Academic Internship Manual for Students, offers great tips on looking for an internship and suggests questions you should ask yourself before you begin your search. The staff at the Career Development Center can also assist you with searching for internships and jobs, resume writing, and building interviewing skills. The center lists hundreds of jobs and internships on RamblerLink.

MUAPP students may not earn academic credit for an internship until they have completed 18 credits and attended at least 8 practitioner lectures.  Practitioner lectures are held from 5:30 to 6:45 PM every 2 to 3 weeks during the academic year. 

General Job/internship Search Websites

Federal Government and Washington DC Area Opportunities

Local Organizations