Program Overview

Public Policy Field Placement

The Public Policy Field Placement course provides students with practical experience working part-time for a nonprofit organization or government office engaged in public policy. The nature of the work will vary depending on the partnering organization and its needs, but relevant activities could include:

• Research and data collection to support policy/program development
• The development of presentations and communication materials for internal and external use
• Liaising with and responding to inquiries from other groups or the public
• The evaluation of policy/program results

Course Details

Field Placements involve a total of 72 hours of work over the course of one term, which works out to 8 hours/week for 9 weeks. Students must also participate in three class meetings:

• An introductory meeting at the beginning of the term
• A midterm check-in
• A reflective colloquium where students discuss their placement experiences at the end of the term Evaluation is comprised of written assignments, a reflective presentation, and a workplace assessment completed by the workplace supervisor in consultation with the course instructor.

Enrollment Process

The basic enrollment process is as follows:

1. Notification of Interest: Students express interest in a Field Placement by the end of September.
2. Pre-Screening Meeting: The instructor meets with each student to determine eligibility and get a sense of the student's areas of interest.
3. Preparation of Application Materials: Students meet with a member of the Careerspace team for a résumé critique and prepare their cover letters and résumés for use.
4. Screening Interview: A member of the Careerspace team meets with each student to discuss previous experience, interests, and placement opportunities.
5. Applications, Interviews, and Matching: Careerspace submits each student's application to the placement opportunities they select.
6. Enrollment: Once a student is matched with a host organization, they will be officially enrolled in the course.

Programs

The following programs are available:

• Political Studies B.A.
  • Joint Major in International Political Economy
• Trent/Swansea Dual Degree (LL.B. & B.A./B.B.A.)
• Course Listing
• Public Policy Field Placement
  • Student Reflections
• Honours Thesis
• Reading Courses

Program Requirements

To be eligible for the Public Policy Field Placement course, students must have:

• 15.0 university credits
• A 75% average