Field Experience

In the summer following their first year of coursework, Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Sustainability and Resilience students will participate in a field experience that will allow them to apply their analytical, communications and research skills in a job or internship that engages real world challenges in the growing field of sustainability and resilience. The program is flexible and will help students prepare for and apply for positions that reflect their own interests and levels of experience.

Students secure their own field experiences and receive guidance and advice on networking, resume and communication skills as they move through the process to identify professional opportunities. Field experiences may include, but are not restricted to, a student's current employer, governmental, corporate and nonprofit institutions, environmental agencies, community organizations, think tanks, international organizations, and advocacy groups. While many field experiences will take place in the Cincinnati area, students are also free to pursue summer opportunities wherever they find an opportunity that fits their career goals and personal interests. 

During the field experience, students will participate in a three-credit online course that will help them leverage the skills and understanding gained from their public affairs coursework to the real-world public policy problems they are addressing in their summer position. The course will also provide students the opportunity to reflect back on their experiences to assess what real-world challenges teach us about the obstacle to, and opportunities for, positive changes that make our communities, our region, and our world cleaner, more habitable, and sustainable for future generations.