Find a Job or Internship

While securing a job or internship is ultimately your responsibility, you can take advantage of our many job-search resources through Evans School Career Services if you are a student.

We will support you in your search by:

• Helping assess your skills and interests so you can successfully market them
• Providing a link with employers and alumni
• Developing strategies with you on how to make the most of internships and networking opportunities
• Offering a one-credit course and various workshops throughout the year for developing skills in interviewing, negotiating salaries, and writing resumes and cover letters

Many of our job search resources are also available online through our Job and Internship Listing Service (JILeS). You can access JILeS after you enroll in one of our Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management programs.

JILeS services include:

• Job, internship, assistantship, and work study postings
• Career and employer and recruiting event information
• Dates for on-campus information sessions and workshops
• A place to post an electronic resume
• Hand-outs on tips and strategies for conducting a successful job search

If you are a current Evans School student, find out about our internship requirements and securing full-time employment.

If you are a graduate of the Evans School, find out about career services for alumni.

You can also contact Evans School Career Services at evansjob@u.washington.edu or 206.221.7663 for more information.

Internship Requirements & Forms

If you are an Evans School Master of Public Administration (MPA) student not enrolled in the Executive MPA program or the Peace Corps Master’s International MPA track, you are required to complete a professional internship before graduating.

In some cases internship waivers can be granted for students who meet a certain criteria. However, we strongly encourage an internship during graduate school because it allows you to:

• Apply the skills you are learning in the classroom to real-life settings that directly match your career goals.
• Be a cut above your competition in the after-school job market by expanding your professional network.
• Gain practical and professional experience by using substantive analytical or managerial knowledge to solve problems related to policy development, implementation, or evaluation.

To fulfill the internship requirement you must:

• Work a total of 400 hours either paid or unpaid that can be completed full-time during the summer, part-time during the school year, or a combination of both.
• Submit an Agency/Student Contract Form within two weeks of starting the internship that describes the scope of work, your professional objectives, and the agency’s expectations. A website link will be provided to your supervisor of the completed form for their approval.
• Submit an Internship Evaluation Form within two weeks of completing the internship that describes the quality of the internship and what you got out of it.
• Remind your employer to submit the Intern Supervisor Evaluation Form that we will email to them during your last week of work.

To waive your internship requirement you need to submit an internship waiver form (27KB PDF) by October 31 for approval by the Evans School Career Services office to substitute two or more years of recent and substantial work experience that is relevant to your educational and professional goals.

Finding an internship is ultimately your responsibility, but the Evans School Career Services office is here to be your central point for guidance and information. There are various career resources available to you through the Evans School and outside organizations. (Please note that not all internships posted through outside organizations will fulfill the internship requirement.)

If you are pursuing an unpaid/low-paid summer internship we offer several awards to help assist with costs.

For more information about internships, view our employment and internship statistics or contact Evans School Career Services at 206.221.7698 or evansinterns@u.washington.edu.

Securing Full-time Employment

While finding employment is ultimately your responsibility, Evans School Career Services will work with you from day one after you enroll to help you secure full-time employment after graduation.

While a student, three important job search steps to take include:

• Attend a Career Services orientation within the first couple of weeks of your first quarter
• Meeting with the assistant director of Career Services during your first quarter of studies to strategize on how to take advantage of the different job search resources that will be available at different stages of studies
• Attending an internship and job search information session during the winter and spring quarters of your first year

After graduation, you will only have unlimited access to appointments with Career Services for up to one year. After the one-year period you will need to schedule meetings between mid-June and mid-September. However, you will have access to our Job and Internship Listing Service (JILeS) and have an open invitation to employer information sessions and workshops.

When you are ready to start your job search there are various career resources available to you through the Evans School and outside organizations.

For more information about securing full-time employment and Evans School Career Services for alumni contact Career Services at evansdcs@u.washington.edu or 206.616.1609.

Career Services Events

Career development and recruiting events are held throughout the year at the Evans School.

Some of our recurring events include:

• Quarterly brown-bag information/recruitment sessions with human resource professionals, hiring managers, and Evans School alumni from local public, nonprofit, and private organizations (for a list of organizations, view or employment and internship statistics)
• Quarterly career development workshops on topics such as:
  • Searching for internships and jobs
  • Writing cover letters and resumes
  • Interviewing strategies
  • Negotiating salaries and benefits
• Annual Spring Quarter student/alumni career night
• Annual student trips to Olympia during legislative and interim sessions
• Annual one-credit skills workshop titled “Navigating the MPA Job Search” for students in their final year

A detailed calendar of our Evans School careers services events is available on our Jobs and Internship Listing Service (JILeS).

For more information or to find out about specific career resources, contact Evans School Career Services at evansjob@u.washington.edu or 206.616.1609.

Career Resources

As an Evans School Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management student, you have access to numerous job- and internship- search resources through Evans School Career Services.

Evans School career resources:

• The Job and Internships Listing Service (JILES) that:
  • Lists many public, nonprofit, and private sector employment opportunities within the United States and Canada
  • Provides an online space for you to post your resume so it can be viewed by potential employers and alumni
  • Displays a calendar of all career workshops, events, and employer recruitment sessions
  • Holds resources and handouts to assist with job searches and applications
• The International Opportunities Listserv (Intl-opps) provides information on jobs and internships outside of the United States and Canada
• A career resource library in the Evans School Student Lounge (Parrington 124) with publications, brochures, handouts, and internship contracts of former students
• Job and internship listings from other schools of public policy and management that have reciprocal career service relationships with the Evans School
• On-campus recruitment fairs and other networking opportunities

Outside career resources:

• The Husky Career Network offers current students a searchable nationwide database of alumni offering referrals for networking and information about their career fields
• The UW Career Center provides free career development and job search assistance for all students, and manages Husky Jobs (the job and internship system for all UW students)
• PublicServiceCareers.org provides public, private, and nonprofit jobs and internship listings around the country from employers seeking Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) students and alumni
• Various online job and internship resources:
  • Professional Associations
  • Public Sector Jobs
  • Private Sector Jobs
  • Nonprofit Sector and NGO Jobs
  • Related Professional Associations
• Classified ads in:
  • Washington state newspapers
  • National and international newspapers

For more information about career resources and Evans School employment and internship statistics, contact Evans School Career Services at evansjob@u.washington.edu or 206.616.1609.

For more information about networking and socializing with current students, learn more about our Evans School student organizations.

Employment and Internship Statistics

Our Evans School career services office is in frequent communication with employers to learn of job openings and promote our Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management students.

Employers advertise approximately 1,800 jobs and internships every year through Career Services with recent recruiters including:

• U.S. Government Accountability Office
• Washington State Senate Internship Program
• California State Auditor
• Navigant Consulting
• California Legislative Analyst's Office
• Dye Management Group
• Northwest Federation of Community Organizations
• Catholic Relief Services
• Washington State Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee
• MTG Management Consultants
• And many more

In 2006-07, approximately 70 percent of Evans School MPA students secured paid internships, and 93 percent secured full-time employment within three months of graduating. For more information about our current and past employment statistics, download the following reports:

• Internship statistics (41 KB PDF) of organizations and agencies that hired Evans School MPA students in 2007.
• Employment statistics (53 KB PDF) broken down by agency sector, geographical location, length of job search, and salary of 2007 graduates six months after graduating.

For more information about our employment statistics, contact Evans School Career Services at evansjob@u.washington.edu or 206.616.1609.

Internship Funding

The Evans School has several different fellowship awards for enrolled students pursuing unpaid or low-paid full-time summer internships. You can apply to more than one fellowship if it fits the description of your internship, but you are only eligible to receive one award.

• The Hubert G. Locke Fellowship in Social Justice supports students pursuing an internship with a domestic organization that deals with problems, issues, and needs confronting the poor and dispossessed. A total of two awards are given each year in honor of Dean Emeritus Hubert G. Locke and his concerns for justice in our society.
• The Excellence in Public Service Fellowships support two types of internships through the Evans Endowment for Excellence in Public Service.
  • Internships with a nonprofit or public agency focused on environmental, international, social, educational, or community development policy issues.
  • Internships with a nonprofit or government agency in Washington, D.C., that will provide students with new opportunities for field experience and developing professional connections at the national level.
• The Elaine Chang Fellowship for International Peace and Development supports students pursuing international internships with nonprofits focused on peace and development issues. The fellowships are funded through the Elaine Chang Endowment. Preference is given to students with internships outside of the U.S.
• The Nancy Bell Evans Center Nonprofit Fellowship supports students pursuing domestic or international internships at nonprofits or philanthropic organizations focused on: the arts, community development, education, the environment, health, sector research, social justice, or social services. The fellowships are funded through the Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy.

Fellowship eligibility requires that you:

• Be enrolled at the Evans School
• Will graduate the December after the summer internship or later
• Work full-time over the summer for a minimum of 400 hours
• Submit two copies of your application by 4 p.m. on April 25 to the Special Fellowships Committee,109 Parrington Hall.

To apply you need to submit:

• A narrative no longer than three pages that describes:
  • The tasks you will complete during the internship
  • How these tasks relate to the goal objectives outlined by the fellowship
  • The goals of the internship for you and the organization
  • The proposed dates of the internship
  • The organization’s contribution to your internship, including: salary, stipends, subsidies for transportation, in-kind contributions, and other forms of support.
  • Any outside sources of funding (i.e. grants or scholarships) you have received to offset the costs of your summer expenses.
• A written promise of employment with descriptive materials about your internship’s agency or organization.
• Your current resume
• Current Evans School transcript, unofficial copy accepted (Chang Fellowship only)

Please note that preference for most fellowships will be given to students who have yet to complete their Evans School internship requirement, and whose internship costs are offset by the organization or other secured funds. 

You can also download the following fellowship descriptions:

• Hubert G. Locke Fellowships in Social Justices (35KB PDF)
• Excellence in Public Service Fellowships (36KB PDF)
• Washington D.C. Excellence in Public Service Fellowships (36KB PDF)
• Elaine Chang Fellowship for International Peace and Development (37KB PDF)
• Nancy Bell Evans Center Nonprofit Fellowship (41KB PDF)

For more information contact Evans School career services at evansinterns@u.washington.edu or 206.221.7689.

Evans School Student Organization

The Evans School Student Organization (ESO) serves as the liaison between the Evans School student body and the faculty and administration. ESO representatives sit on most faculty committees and play a key role in:

• Developing curriculum
• Hiring faculty members
• Shaping academic policies
• Evaluating courses and professors
• Setting degree requirements

The ESO is a student-elected body made up of:

• Three second-year students who serve as president, vice-president, and comptroller
• Three first-year students who serve as representatives

For more information about ESO events, contact one of the 2007-08 officers:

• President Jessica Case at jcase2@u.washington.edu
• Vice-President Catherine Bombico at bombico@u.washington.edu
• Comptroller Lily Lopez at lilyl@u.washington.edu

You can also find out more about other Evans School student organizations by contacting the Student Services office at evansdss@u.washington.edu or 206.543.4900.

Partnership for Cultural Diversity

Partnership for Cultural Diversity is an Evans School student organization devoted to promoting diversity on-campus and throughout the larger community by:

• Providing policy input on administrative issues affecting students of color
• Assisting in the development of academic outreach programs
• Planning various academic and social activities open to the entire student body

For more information about the Partnership for Cultural Diversity and other Evans School student organizations by contacting the Student Services office at evansdss@u.washington.edu or 206.543.4900.

Graduate Environmental Policy Forum

The Graduate Environmental Policy Forum (GEPFa) is a campus-wide student organization based out the Evans School and associated with the environmental policy gateway. It is an active participant in the University of Washington’s environmental community by organizing various academic and social events.

Find out more about GEPFa and upcoming events by joining the GEPFa listserv.

For more information about other Evans School student organizations, contact the Student Services office at evansdss@u.washington.edu or 206.543.4900.

MetroPol: the Urban Gateway Student Group

MetroPol is the student group of the Evans School urban and regional affairs gateway. MetroPol organizes and hosts events, discussions, and social opportunities throughout the school year on policy issues such as:

• Housing
• Transportation
• Community development
• Social justice
• Growth management

Find out more about MetroPol and upcoming events at through the MetroPol listserv.

For more information about other Evans School student organizations, contact the Student Services office at evansdss@u.washington.edu or 206.543.4900.

International Affairs Student Group

The International Affairs Student Interest Group (InGate) at the Evans School aspires to expand the understanding of diverse perspectives across culture, technology, and politics.

InGate’s activities have an international focus and allow for increased interaction between students and Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows through:

• Lectures
• Discussion groups
• Social events
• Film screenings
• Other activities

Find out more about InGate and upcoming events through the Ingate listserv.

For more information about other Evans School student organizations, contact the Student Services office at evansdss@u.washington.edu or 206.543.4900.

Education and Social Policy Interest Group

The Education and Social Policy Interest Group (Ed-Soc) at the Evans School works to mobilize students and faculty around issues in education and social policy through:

• Discussion groups
• Social events
• Networking opportunities
• Direct service

Find out more about Ed-Soc activities or join their listserv by contacting ed-soc@u.washington.edu.

For more information about other Evans School student organizations, contact the Student Services office at evansdss@u.washington.edu or 206.543.4900.

Nonprofit Network

The Nonprofit Network (NPN) at the Evans School is an organization for students interested in the nonprofit sector, including those outside of the nonprofit management gateway. NPN regularly sponsors social and academic activities such as:

• Panel discussions with alumni and community members
• Happy hour gatherings
• Potlucks
• And more

Find out more about NPN activities or join their listserv by contacting nbec@u.washington.edu.

For more information about other Evans School student organizations, contact the Student Services office at 206.543.4900 or evansdss@u.washington.edu.

Latino Policy Association

The Latino Policy Association (LPA) is open to all Evans School students interested in Latino policy issues. The association works to connect students with Washington state’s Latino community through:

• Volunteer opportunities
• Panel discussions
• Conversation groups
• Films
• Fieldtrips

For more information about LPA and upcoming events, contact latinopolicyassociation@u.washington.edu.

For more information about other Evans School student organizations, contact the Student Services office at evansdss@u.washington.edu or 206.543.4900.

Evans Pi Alpha Alpha

Evans Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA) is the Evans School chapter of The National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, a program of the National Association for Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

PAA is open to both current Evans School students and alumni, and recognizes outstanding achievement in the study of public affairs and administration. Membership requirements include:

• Successful completion of 50% of required Evans School Master of Public Administration (MPA) coursework
• A cumulative GPA of 3.7 of completed coursework or at the time of graduation

Applications are accepted once per year with a formal induction ceremony every spring before graduation.

For more information about PAA and the application process contact:

• Faculty Advisor Joquin Herranz at
• President Denise Rodriguez at
• Treasurer Steven Mumford at

For more information about other Evans School student organizations, contact the Student Services office at evansdss@u.washington.edu or 206.543.4900.