Engage with Students

Partner with UC Riverside’s School of Public Policy and invest in the next generation of changemakers. Whether you’re hosting an intern, sponsoring a capstone project, or speaking at a career event, your expertise can inspire, guide, and prepare tomorrow’s leaders.

• Host a Student Intern

  Each year, UCR School of Public Policy houses over 50 MPP students and 300+ undergraduate students. All students are required to complete an internship with a minimum of 120 hours. Hosting a student intern provides a mutually beneficial opportunity:

  • Support the Next Generation of Policy Professionals: Provide hands-on experience for future leaders in public policy.
  • Flexibility: Interns can assist in a variety of policy areas, from research to program development, and more.

  By hosting a student, you’re investing in the professional growth of an aspiring policy professional while gaining valuable assistance for your organization.

• Client-Based Capstone (CBC) Projects

  Each year, second-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) students participate in the Client-Based Capstone (CBC) Project as part of their degree requirements. This 6-month project (January–June) pairs student teams with organizations from the public, nonprofit, and private sectors to address real-world policy challenges.
  How It Works:

  • Policy Research & Consulting: Students provide policy analysis, research, and consulting services.
  • Collaboration: Student teams, supervised by a faculty member, work with organizations to develop policy recommendations.
  • Deliverables: At the end of the project, students present their findings through both oral and written reports.

  This is a fantastic opportunity for your organization to receive in-depth policy analysis and recommendations at no cost!

• Randall Lewis Public Policy Fellows

  The Randall Lewis Policy Fellows Program, managed by the Center for Community Solutions, connects UCR MPP students with organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. This program offers 380 hours of hands-on work in a policy analyst role.
  Program Highlights:

  • Affordable Access to Emerging Talent: The Center covers $7,000 of the student's stipend, and your organization contributes only $1,000.
  • Build Your Workforce: Engage with top policy talent before they graduate, giving your organization a competitive edge in attracting future employees.
  • Hands-On Policy Work: Fellows contribute directly to policy analysis, providing valuable insight into local issues.

  This is an excellent opportunity for organizations looking to access skilled, emerging policy professionals at an affordable cost.

  Click here to learn more.

• Randall Lewis Public Policy Researchers

  Randall Lewis Policy Researchers, housed within UCR’s Center for Community Solutions (CCS), strengthens regional research capacity by providing organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties with short-term, independent research support by a MPP student.
  Program Highlights:

  • Expertise on Demand, Quick Turnaround: Graduate student researchers provide timely support for small-scale, clearly defined projects that have a turnaround period of ~8 weeks or less, such as policy briefs, literature scans, descriptive statistics for publicly available data, and data availability assessments, among other needs.
  • No-Cost Support: Organizations receive research assistance at no cost for the graduate student researcher’s time.
  • Oversight: All research is conducted under the guidance of UCR’s Center for Community Solutions, ensuring high-quality, policy-relevant analysis that is responsive to the real-world needs of community partners.

  This is an excellent opportunity for organizations seeking no-cost, immediate support for targeted research questions on pressing policy questions. Requests for the support of a CCS Randall Lewis Policy Researcher are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

  Visit the webpage to learn more.

• Guest Speaking and Panels

  More Information Forthcoming.

• Career Events and Mixers

  More Information Forthcoming.

Why Partner With Us

By partnering with the UCR School of Public Policy, you’ll gain access to a diverse and highly skilled student population with a wide range of experiences and perspectives. These students are prepared to contribute meaningfully from day one, helping you strengthen your talent pipeline with graduates ready to make an immediate impact. Your involvement also supports workforce development in public policy and beyond, shaping leaders who will address complex challenges at the local, national, and global levels.

For Employers & Partners – Why Hire SPP Students?

SPP students bring strong analytical and critical thinking skills that allow them to assess problems, develop solutions, and make data-informed decisions. They demonstrate cultural competence and adaptability, thriving in diverse environments and working effectively with people from all backgrounds. Driven by a deep commitment to public service and civic engagement, our graduates are ready to contribute across sectors, from government agencies to nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and policy think tanks.
 

For more information: