If hands-on experience is what you want before going into the working world, NIU has the program for you.

The Master of Arts in Public Administration (MAPA) program offers specialized education for students who are interested in management positions in public, governmental and not-for-profit agencies.

The program consists of 45 full-time students and 60 part-time. Each MAPA student chooses from five areas of specialization: public administration, city management, comparative and developmental administration, fiscal administration and human services administration.

Barbara DuRocher, MAPA program coordinator, said “the most popular area is city management with about 50 percent of the students, and fiscal administration and human services administration have about 15 percent each.” These sections are most popular because NIU is known to be strong in these areas, she said.

All full-time students are required to serve internships for at least nine months in public or not-for-profit agencies to gain hands-on administrative experience. All interns receive a tuition waiver and are paid for the 20 to 24 hours per week they work.

Kristine Kaatz, NIU Business graduate and second year MAPA intern, works for the city of DeKalb in the city manager’s office. At the present time, she is working on finance and risk management issues, such as liability insurance.

“The way the program is set up, you get theory in the classroom and practical experience through working at your internship,” Kaatz said.

Kaatz said because of the limited number of students in the program, they are “a close_knit group.” She said everyone is good friends and there is a high level of academic support.

DuRocher said there are 25 spaces available every fall, and the number accepted in the spring depends on how many graduates leave the program.