Welcome
Welcome to the Public Health Internship Guide. This guide was created to assist you through the internship process from finding an internship to completing the PUBH 498R course. It will answer most of your questions related to the internship experience. Please take the time to read the following information and refer to it regularly.
Purpose of the Internship Experience
The purpose of the internship experience is to provide you with the following opportunities:
- To gain real experience in the field of public health
- To take what you have learned in your coursework to apply to "real life" public health experiences
- To explore the areas of public health you are most passionate about
- To establish networking relationships with professionals in the field of public health
- To be more marketable with experience outside of the classroom to future employers
💡 Key Insight
The internship is a pinnacle experience that reinforces the skills and knowledge you have learned in the public health program. It allows you to IMPROVE your resume and strengthen your professional network. This experiential learning requirement is also necessary to maintain the standards of the profession and the integrity of the degree you will earn.
Making the Most of Your Internship
You should have a pretty good idea of what you want to do with your public health degree before your internship and graduation. The internship requirement will help you narrow down the areas you are most interested in.
⚠️ Important Reminder
The internship requirement is the minimum. You should gain as much experience as possible to make you more marketable after graduation.
Before Applying, Ask Yourself:
- What do I want to do with my degree in public health?
- Does this internship specialize in a public health field that interests me?
- Will this experience work toward what I want to do or is it just a box to check?
- What skills am I bringing into this internship experience from my coursework that make me a good candidate?
- Does the internship experience provide an opportunity for me to develop and gain new skills beyond learning in the classroom?
- How will this experience make me more marketable upon graduation?
- Do I see myself working long-term for this organization or a similar organization?
- Will I have a mentor within the organization as well as other networking opportunities?
📌 Note
If you are not sure what you would like to do yet, that's okay. Begin with ideas of what areas of public health you would like to learn more about. An internship is a great way to explore the many different opportunities in the Public Health field! Reach out to your faculty mentor to answer any of these or other questions.
🎓 Planning for Graduate or Professional School?
For those students planning on applying to professional or graduate schools, avoid using the internship experience as a way to "check two boxes" (Box 1: prerequisite for graduate school and Box 2: PUBH 498R). You will be a better applicant by completing a thorough public health internship AND completing other experiences that fulfill admission requirements for Medical School, PA School, etc.
Ready to Begin?
This guide will walk you through the internship process step by step. Click below to start with Step 1: Understanding the Requirements.
Get Started: Step 1 →