FAQs

The Graduate Public Service Internship Program is a twenty-one (21) month internship that gives you the opportunity for experiential learning through a public sector internship while earning a master’s degree from the University of Illinois Springfield. The GPSI internship coincides with your full-time study in one of 20 graduate programs offered at the University of Illinois Springfield. Depending on the intern’s academic program requirements for degree completion, some GPSI internships can be less or more than 21 months.

GPSI holds numerous rounds of hiring throughout the year.  Please check the Interviews > Interview Logistics tab for the latest round of hiring information.

Your file is complete once we have received your GPSI application, resume, three letters of reference (two from faculty; one from an employer),  and notice of graduate admission. The GPSI office will request your notice of graduate admission from the UIS Office of Admissions. Please go to the “GPSI Application Information” link on the menu to the left for complete application instructions.

Internship supervisors like to know about your background, how a GPSI internship would enhance your graduate education and professional development, and about how you can make a contribution to the agency. The personal goal statement section of the application is your chance to introduce yourself. If any document submitted as part of the application requirements to the GPSI program is determined to have been plagiarized or copied from another, without credit being given to the source, your GPSI file will be immediately removed from the applicant pool.

You may be required to submit a goal statement for your academic program as part of the program’s application process. The academic program goal statement is in addition to the required GPSI goal statement.

Since you must be admitted to graduate studies at UIS in order to be eligible for the GPSI applicant pool, it is important that you contact the academic program to determine specific admission requirements and application deadlines for the program. Some academic programs have additional admission requirements that may impact your GPSI file completion timelines. For academic program information, please visit the graduate education website.

Please be aware that if your graduate program has identified program prerequisite courses that must be completed prior to being fully admitted to the master’s degree program, you may not be eligible for the GPSI applicant pool until you have successfully completed some of the required prerequisite courses.   To be eligible for the GPSI applicant pool, you are allowed to have no more than four (4) prerequisite courses that still need to be completed.  If your GPSI applicant file is complete and it is determined that you have more than four (4) prerequisite courses remaining to be completed, your GPSI applicant file will be placed on “hold” in the GPSI office.

GPSI has opportunities for students living in and around the Springfield and Chicago areas. You must live within a commutable distance to your internship for the duration of the placement to participate in the GPSI program. We currently do not have placements for online students located outside of the Springfield or Chicago areas. At this time, students enrolled in any College of Business and Management online programs are not eligible for GPSI placements.

Yes; applications are currently being accepted without proof of F-1 visa status.

If you currently live abroad, we encourage you to complete your GPSI application file prior to arriving on the UIS campus for your first semester of study. Upon arrival on the UIS campus for the fall or spring semester, as a GPSI applicant you must check in with the GPSI office to verify your F-1 status and provide your local address and telephone number.

As a GPSI intern, you will have the opportunity for an internship experience that is compatible with your academic background, graduate program, and skills. Historically, GPSI interns have completed challenging work in the areas of economic forecasting, grant writing, research, writing press releases, preparing television public service announcements, marketing, statewide conference management, newsletter production, environmental research on endangered species, website development, computer programming, database development and management, statewide audits, and public health research.

For the 2022/2023 academic year, new GPSI internships will begin on August 16, 2022, and will end on June 30, 2023 (or earlier depending on actual degree completion)/. Students who are eligible to renew their GPSI internship are able to do so.

Yes. To be eligible for the GPSI applicant pool, your cumulative undergraduate GPA must be at least 2.50 and if you have a graduate GPA established, it must be at least a 3.0 or higher. You must also be in good academic standing with the university and have no incomplete grades on file. Please note that most applicants actually selected have GPAs between 3.00 and 4.00. If you have already earned an advanced degree, you are still welcome to apply. GPSI interns must maintain a 3.00 GPA for continued participation in the program.

Due to the internship time component of the GPSI program, interns are required to register for a minimum of eight (8) credit hours for the fall and spring terms to be classified as a full-time degree seeking student. Registration for the summer term is optional. This policy applies to both domestic and international interns.

You will receive 24 credit hours per academic year, including the summer term.  If you are an out-of-state or international student, you will be responsible for the tuition difference between out-of-state and in-state tuition costs.  GPSI does not cover program tuition differential rates. Please check with your program of study to see if they have a tuition differential.

GPSI interns receive $650 each fall and spring semester towards mandatory student fees. Textbook purchases are the intern’s responsibility.

Selection as a GPSI intern is made by the GPSI internship supervisor on a competitive basis. Internship supervisors will consider the strength of your GPA, resume, letters of recommendation, undergraduate areas of study, previous work experience, career goals as defined in your educational goal statement, honors and awards, and any other special skills that might enhance your internship performance. If you have computer skills, such as the Microsoft Office suite, you are strongly encouraged to list the skills and your proficiency level on your resume.

Your GPSI file will be sent to participating internship supervisors for interview consideration. Internship offers are made solely by the agencies with no input from the GPSI office. Not all applicants who apply will be selected for internship interviews. And, not all applicants interviewed will be selected for an internship.

If you are selected for an interview, we will send you the interview schedule and the link for the experiential learning descriptions by e-mail. Interviews are scheduled by the GPSI office and conducted by internship supervisors. Interviews are typically 30 minutes long.

You are responsible for your own travel arrangements and expenses to participate in the interview process. We do not schedule telephone or Skype interviews.

We strongly encourage you to wear professional attire for the interviews. The interview is your time to shine!

No.  However, GPSI interns have received one hour of academic credit for PAD 561 – The Organizational Environment in Public Service which is the GPSI seminar class that was previously offered during the fall & spring terms. Some academic programs will allow you to apply the seminar credit towards degree requirements. PAD 561 was a mandatory class for all GPSI interns but is currently on hold for the 2022-2023 academic year.

No. The GPSI benefits do not go towards the purchase or rental of textbooks.

No. However, GPSI interns may be eligible to purchase UIS student accident and health insurance.  This is handled by the UIS Office of Human Resources.

Yes.  To determine if you are eligible for additional financial assistance, please visit the UIS Office of Financial Assistance.

No. You may, however, have the opportunity to continue working in state government or in the private sector through contacts established during the internship experience.  Upon graduation, many interns begin professional careers in the public sector at the federal, state or local levels; as well as in the private sector.

For on-campus and off-campus housing information, we encourage you to contact the UIS Residence Life Office. If you plan to apply for campus housing, please apply early!