Practicum
What is Involved in the Practicum?
The practicum is a required final element of the Political Management graduate degree. It allows students an opportunity to work with experienced professionals in political management and to:
- engage in participatory learning to deepen their understanding of the challenges and complexities of political management;
- integrate insights, concepts and exercises from the MPM classroom with application in the workplace;
- reflect critically on the experience in a final graduate and analytical paper that will explore one or more ideas in the professional practice of politic.
To complete the practicum, students must have permission of the Program and must register in the POLM 5099 course credit. To successfully complete the 1.0 practicum credit, students must complete a minimum of 375 hours of supervised and eligible work, subject to the terms of a learning agreement approved by the Program and a host employer. The work may be paid or unpaid and the MPM program does not set scheduled wage rates or participate in wage discussions. Students must also produce an acceptable 铿乶al graduate paper. This paper is an academic assignment evaluated by supervising faculty. The paper must be an independent, graduate-level paper that demonstrates research, critical analysis, and re铿俥ction on their individual learning.
Where Do Students Complete Their Practicums?
Owing to the nature of the field of Political Management, the Program does not maintain a standing list of placements. Instead, we take a personalized approach, enabling students to find a placement that meets their learning goals and ensuring practicum hosts are a good match. Each year, MPM students have found opportunities to complete their practicum placements with a wide range organizations including, but not limited to:
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- The Office of the Prime Minister
- Offices of Members of the House of Commons
- Offices of Canadian Senators
- The Conservative Party of Canada
- The Liberal Party of Canada
- The New Democratic Party of Canada
- The Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- The Office of the Ontario Minister of Infrastructure
- The Office of the Minister of Industry
- The Office of the Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
- The Office of the Minister of Public Safety
- The Office of the President of the King鈥檚 Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness
- The Office of the Minister of Health
- The Office of the Minister of National Defence
- Offices of Ottawa City Councillors
- The Office of the Minister of Women and Gender Equality
- The Embassy of Mexico in Canada
- The Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition
- The Office of the Minister of Natural Resources
- The Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
- The Office of the Minister of Central Services and Civil Service Commission, Government of Manitoba
- The Office of the Minister of Northern Affairs
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- BC Liberal Provincial Campaign
- Federal Liberal Party Campaigns
- Federal Conservative Party Campaigns
- Federal NDP Party Campaigns
- Ontario NDP Provincial Campaigns
- Ontario PC Provincial Campaigns
- Nova Scotia NDP Campaigns
- Saskatchewan Party Campaigns
- BC Greens Provincial Campaign
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- Employment and Social Development Canada
- The Department of National Defence
- The City of Ottawa
- Canada Border Services Agency
- The Privy Council Office
- Elections Nova Scotia
- The Senate of Canada (Administration)
- Statistics Canada
- Farm Credit Canada
- Agriculture and Agrifood Canada
- Public Safety Canada
- Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
- Office of the Lobbying Commissioner of Canada
- Elections Canada
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- Employment and Social Development Canada
- The Department of National Defence
- The City of Ottawa
- Canada Border Services Agency
- The Privy Council Office
- Elections Nova Scotia
- The Senate of Canada (Administration)
- Farm Credit Canada
- Statistics Canada
- Agriculture and Agrifood Canada
- Public Safety Canada
- Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
- Office of the Lobbying Commissioner of Canada
- Elections Canada
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- Telus Inc.
- Railway Association of Canada
- Tourism Association of Canada
- Visa Canada
- Universities Canada
- Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation
- Scotiabank
- Electricity Canada
- Canadian Urban Transit Association
- Hotel Association of Canada
- Rio Tinto Canada
- Canadian Real Estate Association
- Public Service Alliance of Canada
- United Nations Environment Programme
- Switch Health
- Telus Health
- Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization
- Canadian Cancer Survivor Network
- Business Council of Canada
- Business/Higher Education Roundtable
- World Food Programme
- Ecology Ottawa
- Tech-Access Canada
Frequently Asked Questions
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As with any capstone requirement to a graduate degree 鈥 such as a thesis or major research paper, responsibility for meeting this degree requirement rests with the student. The faculty Practicum Co-ordinator is available to support students in securing an eligible placement through advice, coaching, information sharing or initiating conversations with others in the broader MPM community. Students are expected to lead their own search and to make best use of the supports available through the program. Regardless of how it is arranged, a placement will be reviewed by and is subject to the final approval of the Practicum Co-ordinator.
Each year, the Program hosts a detailed orientation for new students on the practicum placement, generally during the Fall term.
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There is no requirement that students complete the practicum placement in Ottawa. Students may make arrangements to complete a placement elsewhere in Canada or abroad, so long as the planned work-integrated learning meets the degree requirements and is approved by the Program. Students are responsible for all costs involved as well as any legal requirements related to work in another jurisdiction.
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The Program makes best efforts to work with students in this circumstance to craft a practicum learning agreement that will provide opportunities to increase the students鈥 knowledge and skills beyond what is normally required in their ongoing role. Where a mid-career student elects to use the practicum to temporarily explore new experiential learning, the Program provides the same level of support in the practicum search.
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Students serve their placements in a wide variety of office settings related to political management. Most frequently, they work in Ottawa for Members of Parliament, government ministers, political parties, government relations firms, industry associations and non-governmental organizations. Some have worked for government departments, with media organizations, public opinion research firms or foreign embassies. And if the timing is right, students sometimes work on federal, provincial or municipal election campaigns, or for party leadership candidates. The essential requirement for the practicum is that students鈥 work relate to political management. In all cases the practicum coordinator must also be convinced that the work is relevant and appropriately substantive.
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In practice, the vast majority of placements for MPM students are paid by host employers. The program does not have a mandatory pay scale or participate in conversations between students and employers about compensation. Unpaid placements are common in some areas of political management, for example, when working on political campaigns. Students in unpaid placements are subject to 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 policy on workplace insurance (see forms posted under 鈥淔or Unpaid Placements鈥).
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Similar to registration in any other graduate degree capstone requirement, such as a thesis or major research paper, MPM students must register in POLM 5099 and pay tuition fees charged by the University once they are approved to complete the 1.0 credit practicum placement and final paper.
What are host employers saying?
The opportunity to host a student from the Clayton H. Riddell Master of Political Management is becoming an annual tradition for our organization. We benefit greatly from the political and policy acumen, and the professionalism that students from the program bring to their work. This practicum is as much a training ground for them as it is for us, while they bring new knowledge and experience from the academic space to our workplace and team that is valuable to everyone around them.
President, First Lake Solutions
It was a pleasure to have [MPM Student] as part of our team. Her knowledge and skills, combined with her friendly and positive attitude, quickly made her a valued member of our team. [Her] inquisitiveness and dedication to her role allowed her to be an extremely effective team member and contribute positively to our work.
Chief of Staff, Office of Pam Damoff
(Member of Parliament 2015 – 2025)
This program provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain invaluable experience while contributing to the organization.
Vice-President, Policy and Government Affairs, Tourism Industry Association of Canada
We are very lucky to be able to count on a pool of talent that is being trained via the MPM program. Many of the students who have started here as interns have developed into full time employees who participate fully in the success and development of the firm.
Partner, PAA Advisory|Conseils Inc.
As the Operations Advisor in the Office the Minister of Northern Affairs, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, and the Prairies Economic Development Agency, [MPM Student] has been instrumental in supporting the Minister and his team. [His] political acumen has served him well during his time on Parliament Hill and especially in the Minister鈥檚 office.
Chief of Staff to the Minister of Northern Affairs
The Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management does an exceptional job of preparing students for the workplace. Our practicum student arrived on the job with a significant amount of practical experience from her in-class assignments. It allowed for a nearly seamless transition into a strategic policy team, because of her familiarity with briefing notes, advice, and other hallmarks of public service work.
Manager, Social Policy Directorate, Employment and Social Development Canada
Summa Strategies has hired so many MPM graduates over the years that we refer to it as our farm team. The practical skills taught in the program are a perfect fit for the work we do in government relations, communications and public affairs.
Managing Partner, Summa Strategies
Is your office or organization interested in hosting an MPM student?
Please reach out to the MPM Program Director and Practicum Co-ordinator, Prof. Jennifer Robson : jennifer.robson@carleton.ca