Graduate Fellowships in Public Administration
Graduate fellowships for the Master of Public Administration program are highly sought-after opportunities that provide you with hands-on learning and reduced tuition costs.
Fellowship Type
The Master of Public Administration fellowship offers graduate students the opportunity to receive Provost Fellowships, which cover 50% of tuition. These fellowships include a 9-month, unpaid placement, requiring a commitment of 15 hours of work per week.
Fellowships are based in local communities near Merrimack College, allowing students to gain hands-on field experience that aligns with their academic coursework and strengthens their professional skills.
Please note: Graduate fellowships for the MPA program are not available to international students.
2025-2026 Public Administration Fellowship Opportunities
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Career Connections Fellow - Merrimack College - Presidential
Location: North Andover, MA
Job Description
The O’Brien Center for Career Development (OCCD) serves Merrimack students across all majors and years by helping all students develop professionally and identify a career path that is exciting, rewarding, inspiring — or all of the above. All individuals within the OCCD work closely with colleagues and faculty, in conjunction with employers and students in efforts to promote the professional development of all Merrimack students.The Career Connections Fellow in the O’Brien Center for Career Development (OCCD) will act as a conduit between students and employer partners who seek to hire interns or full-time positions alongside full time staff. The Career Connections team is also responsible for implementing all career development events, fairs and engagement opportunities to meet student needs with our partners on the Employer Engagement team. The Fellow will work closely with the leadership of the O’Brien Center to support signature program and event initiatives.
Position Responsibilities
- Collaborate with team on how to best market and promote OCCD services to the student body functioning in various learning environments that will promote internships and first-job opportunities for our students.
- With direction from center staff, oversee strategic component of OCCD networking and panel events within set industry areas.
- Support all career development events, fairs, and engagement activities including but not limited to: networking events, resume reviews & mock interviews with employers, internship and career fairs, site visits, and large signature events.
- Foster relationships with campus partners, such as school-based advising centers, Employer Engagement, and affinity groups to spread awareness of OCCD and assist in professional development for the larger Merrimack community.
- Understand the offerings and resources available from OCCD to promote to students, campus staff and faculty, employer partners, and guests to support incoming traffic.
- Facilitate access to Handshake platform, serving as back up to Employer Relations team in approval processes and connecting employers to the fastest way to engage with students.
- Support workshops and other career education opportunities as they arise throughout the year - an interest in presenting workshops is ideal.
- Assist with managing the OCCD email and phone inboxes as needed.
- Provide updates and suggestions to the OCCD leadership team to promote positive outcomes.
- May have ability to supervise student staff depending on interest and staffing.
Position Requirements
- Interest in working with all students at both the undergraduate and graduate level required.
- Experience in event logistics and communicating with multiple audiences preferred.
- Interest or experience in marketing to Gen Z is ideal.
- Willingness to work some nights and weekends.
Office of Sponsored Programs; Research Protection & Compliance Fellow - Merrimack College - Provost
Location: North Andover, MA
Job Description
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) supports and advances the College’s mission by providing leadership and expertise in grant administration and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations. OSP administers all federal, state, for-profit, nonprofit, and private foundations for faculty-led proposal submissions and awards involving research, education, community service, or other sponsored activities. The graduate Fellow will work with the Senior Associate Vice President, Research Administration and Foundation Relations, Grant Fund Accountant, Director of Foundation Relations, and Senior Research Administrator, and Director of Research Protection and Compliance to fulfill their roles and responsibilities.Position Responsibilities
- Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- Complete CITI IRB Board Training
- Assist with preparation for IRB convened meetings.
- Participate in convened meetings, assist with minutes.
- Serve as a preliminary analyst for project proposals to assist with proposal routing.
- Become familiar with and assist with the Cayuse Human Ethics Platform (Electronic IRB dashboard).
- Assist with CITI training administrative duties.
- Complete CITI training course reviews and provide proposals for new modules to be delivered at Merrimack College.
- Create IRB training modules and provide in-person training presentations.
- Become familiar with the REDCap platform, learn tasks associated with REDCap administrator role.
- Assist REDCap Administrator with project development.
- Create REDCap training modules and provide in-person training presentations.
- Assist Director of Research Compliance in ensuring that the College is complying with all applicable regulations and policies regarding financial conflict of interest (FCOI), responsible conduct of research (RCR), and research misconduct.
- Ensure protocols and approvals for regulatory compliance are kept current throughout the life of the project.
- Create informational tools and training resources as it pertains to compliance requirements for specific agencies and organizations (National Institute of Health, Department of Health and Human Services).
- Review and assist with drafting new research-related policies for Merrimack College.
- Collaborate with OSP staff in order to assist with the submission of proposals, letters of intent, pre-proposals, and white papers on behalf of the College. Provide information as it pertains to human subject research and the IRB during this process.
- Review and provide updates on current information regarding any changes to policies, practices, and regulations.
- Assist in the development of training materials and participate in training events (with potential to lead their own training presentation).
- Complete review and demo potential research-related software and applications.
- Support faculty and staff with information needed during the entire grant lifecycle, beginning with funding opportunities through grant closeout.
- Assist in updating the OSP Website.
- Assist in the development of newsletters, reports, and OSP broadcast announcements.
Position Requirements
- Previous experience with research and grants preferred but not required
- Interested in pursuing a career in research administration, higher education, community engagement, or public administration and affairs
- Hybrid format
- Interest in research / research administration
Service Learning Coordinator - Merrimack College - Presidential
Location: North Andover, MA
Job Description
The Graduate fellow in the Stevens Service Learning Center works with the staff on all aspects of the service learning program. The student will experience life in an office with much student traffic and will interact with students, faculty, administrators and community partners. The fellow will be responsible for placing service learning students into placement sites, helping to develop relationships with community partners and faculty instructors, and evaluating service learning students at the end of each semester. This position offers a variety of opportunities for a graduate student who is interested in academic/student life/community partnerships and other forms of civic & community engagement activities. These opportunities will be tailored to the needs of the student’s program.Position Responsibilities
Help to coordinate the service learning placements for specific courses:- Place students in their site
- Implement an orientation program for service learning students
- Develop relationships with community site coordinators
- Monitor student progress at their service locations
- Assist as needed with the Austin Scholars Program and/or Lawrence Math & Science Partnership
- Engage students with reflection and assessment
- Meet with students on a 1-1 basis as needed
- Create and facilitate reflection workshops that align with students’ coursework and service experiences
- Opportunities to create other programs based on goals of fellow
Engage community partners in the service learning program at Merrimack College
- Communicate regularly with partners
- Create a partnership handbook
- Organize an end of year recognition event for community partners and students
- Assist in evaluation and assessment of partnerships
- Create new partnerships (if interested)
General Office Duties:
- Assist in other office projects (for example – McKniff Ceremony, Mack Gives Back, Open House, Admitted Student Days)
- Participate in end of semester assessments and reporting
- Day-to-day office maintenance (including updating web page and other social media)
- Update and coordinate transportation schedules as needed
Position Requirements
- Strong communication skills
- A high level of energy, flexibility, and the ability to work both independently and as a team
- Some basic computer skills (Excel, Google Suites) would be a plus
- Past experience working with students (Service learning, Residence Life, Leadership programs) would also be helpful but not a requirement
- The fellow would be given training about the service learning program and would work with a professional staff member at the beginning of the year to learn the nature of the job but would be expected
Public Administration Fellowship Process
How To Apply
- Click the “Apply Now” button below or go to gps.merrimack.edu/apply to begin or resume your graduate application.
- Within your app, select “Yes” for “Are you applying to a fellowship?”
- Submit your application. Be sure to complete the required Fellowship essay.
- Receive your admission decision. If admitted to the master’s program, you’ll receive further instructions about the fellowship process.
Important Information for the 2025-2026 Public Administration Fellowship Program
We are accepting applications on a rolling basis!
Priority Fellowship Application Deadline: February 1, 2025
Initial Rankings Form Available: February 5, 2025
Initial Rankings Deadline: February 14, 2025
Fellowship Interviews: March 3-6, 2025
Post-Interview Rankings Deadline: March 7, 2025
Match Decisions: Late March 2025
First Day of Fellowship Training: August 2025
Duration of Fellowship Placement: August 2025 to late May 2026
We strongly encourage you to apply as soon as possible for your best chance at a preferred placement. Applications will be accepted until all fellowship positions have been filled.
The process is as follows:
- Submit your online application. Be sure to indicate your fellowship interest within your application.
- Submit your initial ranking form. Students who are accepted for admission and invited to interview for a fellowship will be eligible to review and rank their preferred positions. If you are invited, your invitation will include a deadline for submitting your selections. Please note: we do not guarantee that you will be invited to interview for your top selections.
- Complete your site interviews. First round of interviews will take place.
- Submit your post-interview rankings. After the interviews, both students and sites must complete and submit their post-interview ranking forms, ranking their preferences for final placement.
- Receive your match notification. Match letters will be sent to all students and supervisors.
Please note:
- Participation in the fellowship placement process does not guarantee a fellowship. Sites will independently decide which candidates to invite for interviews. Please note that interviews are not guaranteed with your selected sites.
- Deposits are due ten days after matches are sent to students.
- If you are granted a fellowship, you will not be eligible for any other discounts or scholarships.
- If you are admitted into the traditional program but not offered a fellowship, you will automatically be considered for a Dean scholarship.
- If you are originally awarded a scholarship and then are given a fellowship placement, you will no longer receive the merit scholarship. The fellowship will replace any other discounts.
Questions? All interested students should email graduate admission.
Dean and Alumni Scholarships
Dean and Alumni Scholarships are available to students who are not receiving a fellowship. No additional application is needed.
