A year ago, Gema Otheliansyah won a Fulbright scholarship to study at the University of Delaware. But the accolade only came after years of work far removed from prestige. As part of Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance, he went down to villages and local governments to help officers better understand public finance. Budgets were stretched thin, and at this level, public spending reaching the people it was meant to serve can change lives.
Those years of frontline experience would later convince Otheliansyah to join the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration. Driven by his goal to create real change for underserved communities back home, he saw Delaware’s reputation for turning policy theory into practice as the right home to pursue a Master of Public Administration (MPA). He’s since graduated and looks back on his time here as one with many opportunities beyond anything he’d ever dared to dream of.
Learn by doing
The UD Biden School is ranked 25th among 266 national public affairs schools, placing it in the top 10% of public affairs graduate programmes in the country.
Ask graduates and they’ll tell you the rankings are well deserved. But what truly makes their MPA so effective is the Delaware Model, an approach that ensures all students have industry experience before they graduate. That means working as graduate research assistants in research and public service centres, advising legislators, managing real policy projects, and building relationships with actual decision-makers. In other words, experience that separates UD Biden School graduates in a competitive job market.
“The UD Biden School, for international students in particular, is beyond just high-quality education and professional development for the future generations of public servants,” says Professor Alisa Moldavanova, Director of Master’s Studies and a former international graduate student herself. “It’s a community of support with a multitude of growth opportunities.”
Those experiential learning opportunities are many here but three stand out for the depth of access they offer.
The Jerome R. Lewis Legislative Fellows Programme builds professional skills and offers insider experience in how government works, benefiting students across career paths. Source: University of Delaware
Inside the statehouse: The Jerome R. Lewis Legislative Fellows Programme
Few student experiences get you closer to real government than the Jerome R. Lewis Legislative Fellows Programme. Since 1982, it has placed UD Biden School students in the Delaware General Assembly, where fellows work three days a week with legislators and legislative staff on live policy issues — criminal justice reform, healthcare, government accountability and transparency, and women’s rights — conducting nonpartisan research that directly informs legislation.
This is a paid fellowship, and you’ll not be shadowing anyone. You’ll be producing work that reaches state leaders across both the legislative and executive branches. Open to full-time master’s students and strong undergraduates through a competitive selection process, the programme builds a professional network inside the Delaware government that stays with you long after graduation.
Going global: The Seoul Case Study Programme
The Seoul Case Study Programme is a partnership between the UD Biden School, the University of Seoul, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It puts you in one of the world’s most sophisticated Asian cities alongside graduate students and faculty from institutions like Cornell and the University of Georgia.
Over an intensive week in Seoul, you’ll study urban governance firsthand through site visits, policy briefings, and direct engagement with city officials. The programme covers urban planning, transportation, public health, housing, economic development, and e-governance through the lens of a megacity that has redefined what modern government looks like.
Past participants have even called it a “life-changing experience”. The comparative policy perspective that you’ll bring back is the kind that most early-career public servants spend years developing on their own.
Many participants described the Seoul Case Study Programme as a memorable experience that combined learning with immersion in Seoul’s rich culture and history. Source: University of Delaware
Building a professional network: The ICMA Student Chapter
The ICMA Student Chapter at UD will connect you directly to the International City/County Management Association the leading professional organisation for local government managers, with more than 11,000 members worldwide.
ICMA exists to advance professional local government management and create sustainable communities, and its student chapter at UD can add you to that network before you hold a professional title. That means you’ll get to attend leadership development events, where you can engage with practitioners, and build relationships that carry real weight in a field where professional standing opens doors.
The bigger picture
The UD Biden School’s complete list of student opportunities includes research assistantships, a semester in Washington DC, competitive summer internships with top organisations and nonprofits, graduate public administration fellowships, civic engagement initiatives, and more – every one of them designed to get you into the field while you’re still a student.
Otheliansyah is one student who has taken full advantage – competing this year in the Network of Schools Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration’s (NASPAA) global student simulation. He hopes more aspiring public leaders can gain as much as he did. “I come from an ordinary background, so I hope this can encourage anyone who is working toward their goals,” he says. “If you stay committed, keep learning, and continue moving forward even when the process feels difficult, good results can follow.”
