Public Administration Field Placements for Online Universities

This paper is a proposal that online universities should establish partnerships with city governments to create field placement opportunities for graduate students of public administration. The research was accomplished by reviewing current articles on field placements for traditional universities and by disseminating a 9-question survey to 100 cities across the United States. The findings from the literature reviewed noted that universities, host organizations, and students all benefit from field placement programs. The data gathered from the 9-question survey found that most city governments are interested in establishing field placement opportunities with online universities, had confidence in the abilities of online students, and would consider hiring online graduates after successful completion of a field placement.

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration