Career Services

The Office of Career Development offers comprehensive career counseling services, including helping Rockefeller College students and alumni identify rewarding careers and leadership opportunities in public service. We provide individualized résumé and cover letter review and guidance from the initial job search through negotiation and acceptance of a position. Within six months of receiving their degrees nearly all of our graduates are working in a position in their chosen field. In addition, many of our students are accepted into prestigious postgraduate fellowship programs, such as the Excelsior Service Fellowship Program; many of these opportunities lead to permanent employment.
 

The Office of Career Development offers the following services to students and alumni:

  • Job and internship assistance

  • Graduate school application material review 

  • Interview preparation 

  • Mock Interviews 

  • Networking opportunities with alumni and employers

  • Information sessions with employers

  • Public service job & internship fairs

  • Career exploration trips to New York City and Washington, D.C.

Career Resources
  • UCAN: UAlbany Career Advisory Network
    The UAlbany Career Advisory Network (UCAN) is a free online networking tool that connects students and alumni with fellow Great Danes for advice and insight into a particular career or career-related interest.
     

  • UAlbany Alumni Career Services
    With expert resources and a range of career tools, your valuable alumni network can help you attain that next step in your career. Follow the link for additional resources. 
     

  • Handshake Login
    Handshake is a comprehensive web-based system that assists our students in exploring career options, finding jobs and internships, and connecting with employers. 
     

  • Rockefeller College LinkedIn Group
    Connect with others in the Rockefeller College community to network and share professional opportunities.
     

  • Virtual Career Series
    These recorded training workshops include numerous timely topics, such as “How to Maximize Your Career During a Global Health Crisis,” “How to Best Prepare & Perform in a Virtual Interview,” and “How to Network Online.” 
     

  • Purple Threads
    Purple Threads is UAlbany's professional clothing closet available to current UAlbany students.
     

  • Big Interview
    Use Big Interview to learn and practice your interviewing skills, whether you’re interviewing for an internship, job or graduate school. 

 

Handshake

Handshake is a comprehensive web-based system that assists our students and employers in the following ways.
 

Students can:
  • Request an appointment with Career Office staff

  • Search and apply for jobs and internships 

  • Look for and RSVP to career fairs, employer informational sessions, and career development workshops 

  • Register and track internships 

  • Post and share their resume and student profile with prospective employers 
     

Employers can:
  • Post internships and job opportunities 

  • Search student profiles and resumes 

  • Register for career fairs 

  • Review student applications 

  • Schedule on-campus interviews  


Employers who are interested in learning more about the services and opportunities to expand their outreach to our students and alumni can contact our director of internships and career services to schedule a meeting. 

 

Internships

Our Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of International Affairs (MIA) and Public Policy undergraduate program requires students to complete an internship. Internships can be full-time or part-time, domestic or internationally based, and paid or unpaid; the majority of our students successfully secure paid internship opportunities at the graduate level. Political science undergraduate and masters students are also encouraged to complete an internship in order to gain hand on experience in the field.

All students are required to obtain approval of their internship as part of their advisement process.
 

Sample internship placements include: 
  • Albany Office of The Mayor 
  • American Red Cross 
  • Capital District Regional Planning Commission
  • Environmental Advocates of New York
  • India Summer School for Future International Development Leaders 
  • New York State Division of The Budget 
  • New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services 
  • New York State Department of Health 
  • New York State Energy and Research Development Authority 
  • NYS Assembly & Senate 
  • U.S Department of State 
  • Youth for Peace Cambodia: Peace Institute for Cambodia 


Graduate students with two or more years of relevant full-time work experience may be eligible for an internship waiver; students may also be able to use concurrent experience to satisfy their career requirement. Internship waiver application information and deadlines will be communicated to students via email. 

 

Employment by Sector

2021-22 Academic Year Graduates

State, provincial or regional government in the USA 28
Nonprofit domestic-oriented 13
Private sector but not research/consulting 6
Private sector: Research/Consulting 5
Unemployed (seeking employment) 3
City, county, or other local government in the USA 2
National or central government in the USA  2
Military service 2
Government not in the USA  2
Unemployed (not seeking employment) 1
Obtaining further education 1
Nonprofit/NGOs internationally-oriented 0
Status unknown 0
TOTAL 65

 

2018-22

State Government

49%

Nonprofit

16%

Private Firm

15%

Local Government

9%
Foreign Government 5%
Federal Government 4%
Self Employed <1%

 

 

 

95%
of MPA graduates in the class of 2022 secured full-time employment within 12 months of graduation.
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73%
of the Classes of 2018-2022 secured employment before graduation.
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68%
of MPA internships are paid.
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$19.74
is the average pay rate for paid MPA internships.
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Career Development Contacts 

Ashley Dwyer

Director of Internships & Career Services
Office of the Dean
[email protected]
Milne 105A | 518-442-5253

 

Or email: [email protected]

 

Joan Marso

Undergraduate Internship and Career Coordinator
Office of the Dean
[email protected]
Humanities B-16 | 518-442-3111