University of North Texas 
Public Administration Internships
The Nation’s Model for Experiential Learning in Public and Nonprofit Service
Backed by the strongest alumni network in public service and nonprofit leadership.
Here in North Texas we create enduring value for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by partnering with employers, communities, and sectors to blaze trails for future-ready
talent from our three degree programs:
- Urban Policy & Planning (B.A.)
- Nonprofit Leadership Studies (B.A.)
- Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)
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Internship Success Stories
Budget/Finance Internships
Fort Worth Lab Budget Intern
Seb Sultan, MPA '25, began the Master of Public Administration program in 2023 as an international
student from Bangladesh. After a few semesters of developing an understanding of municipalities
in the United States, he secured a coveted budget internship with the City of Fort Worth's FWLab using Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
His internship propelled him into budget forecasting for a large city with over a million residents, where the skills he gained in the classroom—such as data analysis and performance measurement—were a valuable asset to his team.
This internship gave Seb the doorway he needed into municipal budgeting and has allowed him to pivot after graduation into working in the private sector with a company that does sales and property tax analytics for cities across the U.S.
For more information about hiring one of our International MPA students, see the section at the bottom of this page!
His internship propelled him into budget forecasting for a large city with over a million residents, where the skills he gained in the classroom—such as data analysis and performance measurement—were a valuable asset to his team.
This internship gave Seb the doorway he needed into municipal budgeting and has allowed him to pivot after graduation into working in the private sector with a company that does sales and property tax analytics for cities across the U.S.
For more information about hiring one of our International MPA students, see the section at the bottom of this page!
Nonprofit Internships
Serve Denton Nonprofit Research Intern
Indya Campbell began the Master of Public Administration program in 2024 and is pursuing the Nonprofit Management specialization.
In 2025, Indya was selected as a Research Intern at Serve Denton to assist the Director of Community Development in conducting research by canvassing rural communities and their social service needs. In her time at Serve Denton, Indya was able to assist with multiple important projects that advanced the organization's mission and added to her resume.
Indya received funding from the UNT Department of Public Administration's Debra Brooks Feazelle Internship Award, which was created to support equitable payment of MPA students in the nonprofit sector.
If you represent a nonprofit organization that would like to hire an MPA student, please reach out to Internship Coordinator Jessica.Woods@unt.edu for more information about our Endowed Internship Awards for student support.
In 2025, Indya was selected as a Research Intern at Serve Denton to assist the Director of Community Development in conducting research by canvassing rural communities and their social service needs. In her time at Serve Denton, Indya was able to assist with multiple important projects that advanced the organization's mission and added to her resume.
Indya received funding from the UNT Department of Public Administration's Debra Brooks Feazelle Internship Award, which was created to support equitable payment of MPA students in the nonprofit sector.
If you represent a nonprofit organization that would like to hire an MPA student, please reach out to Internship Coordinator Jessica.Woods@unt.edu for more information about our Endowed Internship Awards for student support.
Urban Planning / Parks Internships
City of Lewisville Park Development Intern
Jose Marines, MPA '24, was almost done with his Urban Policy and Planning Bachelor's degree from UNT when he secured a Park Development internship with the City of Lewisville, Texas. Jose's internship came at a pivotal time when the City was updating its Parks and
Recreation Master Plan. He was able to help collect and analyze community feedback and collaborated with staff throughout the planning process.
After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, Jose pursued his Master of Public Administration (MPA) at UNT with a planning focus and moved into a full-time position at the City of Lewisville as the first ever Administrative Analyst for their Parks Department. Jose held this position throughout the MPA program and was promoted to Senior Administrative Analyst upon his graduation.
Jose's Park Development internship also gave him the opportunity to work on the Lewisville Healthy Infrastructure Plan, which went on to win the 2025 Planning Excellence Award from the Texas Recreation and Park Society.
After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, Jose pursued his Master of Public Administration (MPA) at UNT with a planning focus and moved into a full-time position at the City of Lewisville as the first ever Administrative Analyst for their Parks Department. Jose held this position throughout the MPA program and was promoted to Senior Administrative Analyst upon his graduation.
Jose's Park Development internship also gave him the opportunity to work on the Lewisville Healthy Infrastructure Plan, which went on to win the 2025 Planning Excellence Award from the Texas Recreation and Park Society.
Our Degrees & Internship Requirements
Urban Policy & Planning
Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
- Not required by students in program, but many students do internships
- Appropriate tasks:
- Collect and organize demographic, land use, or economic data
- Basic statistical or spatial analysis using tools like Excel and ArcGIS
- Assist with community surveys
- Comparative research on housing affordability, transportation equity, or sustainability
Nonprofit Leadership Studies
Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
- 220-hours required by declared majors in their last Spring Semester
- Typically 10-15 hours per week
- Appropriate tasks:
- Operations administration
- Fundraising
- Donor cultivation
- Stakeholder communications
- Marketing
- Volunteer engagement
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Master's Degree
Master's Degree
- Requires 440 continuous hours
- Must be paid
- At public or nonprofit organizations
- Typically 15-20 hours per week during Fall/Spring semesters, can be full-time in Summer semesters
- All completed at one organization
- Can be done at any time during the program after the first semester
- Appropriate tasks:
- Fund development
- Management analysis
- Performance measurement
- Developing budget reports
- Event planning
- Grant writing & management
- Community engagement
Join our Internship NetworkOur in-house Internship Coordinator can meet with your team to help you develop an
internship opportunity that meets our requirements and your specific needs.
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Jessica Woods
Internship & Community Engagement Coordinator
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Hiring an International MPA Student
International MPA students on the F-1 Visa complete their internships under Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization, which allows them to work off-campus while taking a companion 1-credit-hour class in which they document and reflect on their internship experience. Due to this requirement, international students and their employers must time the bginning of their internship closely around the start of an academic semester.
F-1 CPT is an academic program allowing students to participate in an internship or training required of all students obtaining that particular degree, or employment that is for degree credit and is an integral part of the degree program.
The internship is an integral part of the UNT Master of Public Administration program for students who enter without prior management experience. We encourage our international students to pursue off-campus internships and are here to assist employers with the process.
We have successfully placed international MPA students with cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, such as Balch Springs, Saginaw, Paradise, and Fort Worth.
To learn more about Curricular Practical Training, visit the International Student and Scholar Services page on CPT.
To review the required UNT CPT Employer Form, click here: CPT Employer Form
For more questions, contact International Student and Scholar Services at internationaladvising@unt.edu.
- What is it going to cost to hire an international student for my internship opening? CPT does not require any separate work visa or employer sponsorship. The employer's only cost for both domestic and F-1 Visa students is the position's hourly wage.
- How long can an international student work for me? Employment authorization is given by UNT ISSS on a semester-by-semester basis, meaning students will have to reapply for CPT to continue working in their internship beyond the first semester of their CPT employment. MPA students working 15-20 hours per week will not typically reach the required 440 hours in a single Fall or Spring semester. Students may work beyond the program-required 440 hours for a second semester, but only as permitted by their CPT authorization.
- What paperwork do I have to complete? The employer should plan to provide the student with an offer letter prior to the student applying for CPT with ISSS. The student or Program Internship Coordinator will send the employer the CPT Employer Form to complete and return to the student. After this, the CPT application is entiely the responsibility of the student to submit for approval.