Syllabus
PAD 6941 Government Internship
School of Public Administration
Professor Farazmand
Fall 2013
301 SO Building
Location: Open
Boca campus
Meetings: Open
Office Hours: M, 4-5:30 PM
Credit: 3
by Appointment
561-297-4154/2330—email preferred.
Email: afarazma@fau.edu
Course Description: A diversified work experience in management or staff positions in
federal, state, or local government or in a nonprofit organization providing public
services.
NOTE: This course satisfies the internship requirement for students without prior
public sector work experience.
NOTE: All interns are required to schedule a meeting with the MPA/Internship
Coordinator some time during the beginning of the semester or internship activities
to go over the basics, requirements, expectations, and results. We will also meet
once a month and towards the end of the semester.
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes:
WORK: Complete 20 work hours per week for the semester enrolled.
WORK REFLECTION: Register and reflect on activities and experiences during the
internship.
CAREER REPORT: Assess the internship in terms of a learning experience and in
terms of any insight gained with respect to the practices associated with careers
such as those found in the office or agency where you worked.
Course Evaluation Method:
BI-WEEKLY LOG:
On Friday of every other week, post to the Thread (BW Report 1, 2, etc.) on the
Blackboard the days and hours worked as well as each day's activities and any notes
on what you have learned. Post these reports on the Safe Assignment page on
Blackboard under the Content. The log constitutes a record of the student’s time and
internship activities and reflections on the experience. When keeping the log, avoid
violating any rules of confidentiality of your internship provider. Here are some
questions that can help you generate ideas for both your weekly log and your
internship/career report:

Are there specific events in which you participated or were there particular
problems that you observed from which lessons can be learned? Expand on them.

How was the experience valuable to you? How could it have been made more
valuable?

Are there any types of conflicts or power moves that affect the organization you
work for?

From your observations of the organization, can you think of any changes that
would improve the organization's effectiveness?

Was your perspective on public management altered as a result of your
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experience?

How has this experience affected what you plan to do in your future work life?

Can you give an overview of your experiences as they relate to public
management-public administration?
INTERNSHIP/CAREER REPORT (10-12 pages, double spaced).
Assess the internship in terms of a learning experience and in terms of any insight
gained with respect to the practices associated with careers such as those found in
the office or agency where you worked. Also assess and offer an analysis of how the
Major Competencies you learned in your MPA program were applied in the real world
of practice as an intern. It is important how you link these two together in your Report.
Post this report on Blackboard by the last Friday of the semester or the first day of
the final exam week, whichever comes first. Your report should be written carefully
since it tells the faculty internship coordinator (the grader) not only what you have
done in the internship but also what you gained from the experience. The report
should be no less than Ten pages in length and posted on the assignment page in
Blackboard—under Safe Assign.
Your career report should not be simply a description of your on-the-job
activities; rather, it should report your work situation and analyze your experience
both in professional and personal terms. Attach appendices of any studies, reports,
or projects that you have prepared or helped to prepare.
STUDENT'S EVALUATION OF INTERNSHIP:
Turn in this form at the end of the internship with your papers and logs.
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PROVIDER'S EVALUATION OF INTERN:
Give this form to your internship supervisor who should mail it to the faculty
internship/MPA coordinator. This form requires an assessment of your work
performance during the internship (see FINAL GRADE below). Supervisors should
scan and email this form or mail a paper copy to the internship coordinator:
Final Grade
Your final grade in the course is based on



your internship provider's evaluation of your performance (30 percent),
the Career Report due the first day of finals week (30 percent)
your Bi-Weekly Logs (7 points each for 40 percent).
Near the end of the semester in which you have enrolled, you must begin to
concentrate on completing the internship requirement so that a grade can be
awarded.
STUDENT'S EVALUATION OF INTERNSHIP is due the first day of final exam week.
PROVIDER'S EVALUATION OF INTERN is due the first day of final exam week.
Due to the nature of internships, the semester will in some cases end before
the internship is complete. In this situation, a student may arrange an incomplete
with the permission of the faculty internship/MPA coordinator. An incomplete that
has not received prior approval from the faculty internship coordinator will result in a
grade penalty/F. An incomplete must be resolved within one month of the end of the
semester in which the incomplete was received.
Inquiries concerning MPA internships should be directed to the
internship/MPA Coordinator.
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In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), students who require
special accommodation due to a disability to properly execute course work must register
with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) --in Boca Raton, SU I33 (561-2973880); in Davie, MOD I (954-236-1222); in Jupiter, SR 117 (561-799-8585); or at the
Treasure Coast, CO 128 (772-873-3305) - and follow all OSD procedures.
Students at Florida Atlantic University are expected to maintain the highest ethical
standards. Academic dishonesty is considered a serious breach of these ethical standards,
because it interferes with the University mission to provide a high quality education in
which no student enjoys an unfair advantage over any other. Academic dishonesty is also
destructive of the University community, which is grounded in a system of mutual trust
and places high value on personal integrity and individual responsibility. Harsh penalties
are associated with academic dishonesty. For more information, see the Code of
Academic Integrity in the University Regulations at
http://www..fau.edu/regu/ations/chapter-1/-1.001_Code_of_Academic_fntegrity.pdf
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