September 12, 2005 - UIS places record number of Graduate Public Service interns

Graduate students enrolled in the University of Illinois at Springfield’s Graduate Public Service Internship program have found placements with participating state agencies in record numbers for the third year in a row.

As of August 16, 2005, there were 131 GPSI interns spread among 18 agencies, up from 75 in 2003 and 105 in 2004. According to Kim Hayden, director of UIS’ Office of Graduate Intern Programs, this is the largest cohort to begin the fall term in the 30-year history of the program.

Said Hayden, “In these times of tight budgets, GPSI continues to offer a cost-effective solution for state agencies that are increasingly being asked to do more with less. The program provides a means for agencies to hire well-qualified, professional-level interns while giving graduate students the opportunity to complete their master’s degrees and put their knowledge and skills to work at the same time.”

The GPSI program is a 21-month internship providing students with an opportunity to simultaneously begin a professional career while earning a master’s degree in one of the 20 graduate programs offered at UIS. Since 1974, the program has placed over 1,700 interns; many have distinguished themselves in successful careers with state government, while others have used the experience to pursue work in government-related fields or in the private sector.

Placement agencies range from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.