The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Master of Public Policy (MPP)

MPP Funded Internships

Heller is one of the few MPP programs that provides matching funding for summer internships, as well as offering several fully-funded internship opportunities. During the summer between your first and second year, you’ll put your emerging skills to work through an internship that increases your policy experience and allows you to explore a range of career options within the social policy space — from roles within research organizations, to nonprofit organizations, to municipal, state or federal government agencies. These internships empower students to apply the research methods and abstract concepts they learn in the classroom to a workplace setting — where they can lead to meaningful change. 

MPP Internship Testimonials

Pierrce Holmes

Pierrce Holmes MPP ’22, Segal Fellow

“I was the inaugural fellow at the RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy (CARE-P), working closely with researchers to explore policy models and context for federal reparations to Black Americans. Mostly, this involved developing literature reviews, editing working papers, and supporting the research process. I also drafted commentaries and policy memos based on the reparations project and potential policing legislation. Getting my hands in this project while also developing smaller pieces of my own was extremely fulfilling, because I was able to focus all of my efforts and research on my primary interest: racial justice."

Calah McQuarters, MPP'24, Rappaport Fellow

"I worked with the City of Boston’s Planning Department, supporting the Communications Division with their community engagement efforts through three projects. In my first project, I explored the use of generative AI for qualitative data analysis. I created a comprehensive guide that Planning Department staff can use to collect, analyze, and draw key insights from qualitative data collected during engagement events. For my second project I explored how community compensation and incentivisation can be used to create more equitable engagement opportunities for the Planning Department in the future. I connected with stakeholders from various City departments to understand their compensation methodologies. Using this information, I created a compensation best practices guide that includes procurement logistics and case study examples. Lastly, I conducted an assessment of the Planning Department current communications materials. Along with the assessment, I provided recommendations and online tools to improve accessibility throughout written materials. I enjoyed my time as a Rappaport Fellow and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to real change through local government."

Annika Meurs, MPP'26

"I was awarded the Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fellowship to work with the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget), where I served as the advocacy intern supporting the organization's budget and policy priorities. As my first project, I developed a template for organization-wide testimony writing that will guide the creation of future written and oral testimonies. I also drafted written testimony for proposed legislation, including Baby Bonds and real estate transfer fees, for submission to legislative hearings. 

I had a great experience working with the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. The internship strengthened my policy writing and analysis skills and gave me insight into how state-level fiscal policy can advance economic equity."

Debbie Stenoien, MPP'24

"I was awarded the Allan Rosenfeld fellowship with amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. In this role I researched the impact of restrictive abortion policies on Title X Clinic participation and HIV testing services. I contributed to a cost calculator measuring the human and service impacts of funding cuts to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Additionally, I supported the development of a transgender policy index, which scores 22 state-level policies across six categories to study their health impacts. I deeply value amfAR’s holistic approach to public health, particularly their focus on intersecting issues affecting HIV outcomes in both global and domestic contexts."

Recent MPP Internship Placements

  • The Alliance of Community Health Plans, Washington, D.C.
  • Astraea Foundation, New York, N.Y.
  • Boston Foundation, Boston, Mass.
  • Boston Urban Mechanics Program, Boston, Mass.
  • Dream Act Campaign, Chicago, Ill.
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Boston, Mass.
  • Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.
  • Grants Management Association of Boston, Boston, Mass.
  • Institute for Behavioral Health, Waltham, Mass.
  • Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C.
  • Jewish Federations of North America, Jerusalem, Israel
  • MassVotes, Boston, Mass.
  • New Profit, Boston, Mass.
  • New York Needs You, New York, N.Y.
  • Sexuality Information and Education Council of the US (SIECUS), Washington, D.C.
  • Sierra Club, Washington, D.C.
  • Third Sector New England, Boston, Mass.
  • Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.