INTERNSHIP

All students in the Bachelor of Science Public Health major complete a 6 unit (250 contact hour) internship as part of the degree requirements. MEZCOPH alumni share that the internship is one of the most rewarding and valuable components of their undergraduate experience. This is a chance for students to gain professional public health experience, start networking, and determine post-graduation plans.

Internships for all semesters start on the first day of classes for that semester. Paperwork is always due 1 week before the start of the semester. See the Office of the Registrar for official start and end dates for each semester. 

Below you will find the required Internship Orientation Video and the accompanying Worksheet (linked below). The required steps to get started are detailed there, and you can always ask your advisor for support, as well.

Enrollment Options & Eligibility

As part of the Bachelor of Science degree requirements, all public health students complete at least one credit-based internship prior to graduation. HPS 493A/H is the 6 unit (250 contact hours) required internship experience. Students can elect to complete these 6 units in one semester or over the course of two semesters (for 125 contact hours/3 units of enrollment each semester). Enrollment in HPS 493A is the usual enrollment for students. Enrollment in HPS 493H is reserved for students enrolled in the Honors College.

Prerequisites for enrollment in HPS 493A/H:
• Advanced Standing in Public Health major
• Completion of HPS 350
• Required paperwork on submitted for approval (Work Plan and Preceptor Agreement) before the internship semester begins
• Students cannot register themselves for HPS 493A/H units; once your paperwork is approved, the advising team will register you

Because the experience is so valuable, some students elect to complete additional internship for public health elective credit as early as the second semester of their sophomore year. Talk to your advisor if you would like to learn more about this option! HPS 493B is the internship for public health elective credit. This internship can be completed for 3 (125 contact hours) or 6 units (250 contact hours).

Prerequisites for enrollment in HPS 493B:
• Completion of HPS 178, HPS 200 and six other public health units
• Required paperwork on submitted for approval (Work Plan and Preceptor Agreement) before the internship semester begins 
• Students cannot register themselves for HPS 493B units; once your paperwork is approved, the advising team will register you

Please note: Students must have all required University paperwork on file before they begin counting contact hours for the semester. Per University policy, all contact work hours "must take place on or after the first day of the term in which the student will register and for which the student will receive credit, and be completed on or before the last date of the same term."

Internship Opportunities Available on The Hub

Getting Started & Internship Prep Orientation

As public health students, you are responsible for finding and negotiating the specifics of your own internship. Because the career path beyond public health degree is so varied, we want to empower you to pursue an internship experience that will help you grow professionally and academically. To help you with this process, we offer guidance and support every step of the way. The Internship Instructor provides a fully online internship orientation that you complete before beginning the search process.

1

Before beginning your internship search, watch the Internship Prep Orientation Video. This video lets you know what steps you need to follow to find and secure your internship, and you also learn the deadlines and forms required for internship enrollment. You can complete this orientation any time -- but it will be most effective 1-2 semesters before you plan to complete your internship.

Note: do NOT wait until 2 weeks before the semester starts to watch this video and begin your search! You need to allow yourself at least 1-2 months before the semester of your internship to watch the video, complete the orientation video worksheet, find and secure your internship, and complete required paperwork that needs approval before you can be registered by your advisor. 

2

Watch the 30 minute Public Health Internship Orientation Video:

 

3

Students are required to complete this accompanying Internship Orientation Worksheet. This worksheet verifies that you have watched the prep video and understand the steps to obtain an internship -- including submission of required paperwork for approval of internship. After you complete the worksheet, email it to the Internship Instructor. This worksheet does not provide the specifics of your individual internship, so there is no need to have your internship secured to complete it. Please submit your Worksheet as a Word document or PDF file. (Pages files are unreadable and will delay your process.)

• For those planning a Spring 2025 internship, complete the Orientation Worksheet by Wednesday, 1/1/25.
• For those planning a Summer 2025 internship, complete the Orientation Worksheet by Monday, 5/26/25.
• For those planning a Fall 2025 internship, complete the Orientation Worksheet by Monday, 8/11/25.
•  
• Final paperwork for ALL internship semesters must be submitted 1 week before the start of classes. See the Office of the Registrar for official start and end dates for each semester.

4

After you complete the worksheet, email it to the Internship Instructor. You then will be added to a non-credit D2L Course -- the Public Health Internship Prep Course. That D2L site is where you will find the forms you will need for the next steps required for pre-approval of your internship enrollment. 

Once you have secured an internship and completed all required forms, submit your paperwork electronically to the D2L Dropbox on the Public Health Internship Prep Course site.

• Final completed paperwork includes completed & signed Work Plan, completed & signed Preceptor Agreement, and a copy of your preceptor's resume 
• Note: Students cannot register themselves for HPS 493 units.
• Once your forms have been approved by the Internship Instructor, the advising team will be notified and they will enroll you for the appropriate units of HPS 493.

Please note: Students must have all required University paperwork on file before they begin counting contact hours for the semester. Per University policy, all contact work hours "must take place on or after the first day of the term in which the student will register and for which the student will receive credit, and be completed on or before the last date of the same term." 

If you do not have your required paperwork submitted 1 week before classes start each semester, you will not be eligible to complete your internship and you will have to complete your internship in a later semester.

Internship Opportunities Available on The Hub

 

Internship Timing

We recommend that public health students complete the required internship units during their senior year. Students can complete all six units in one semester or over the summer. You can also consider splitting the six units over two semesters. Feedback from alumni and site supervisors indicate that spreading out the internship over two semesters is an ideal choice for many reasons:

1. You get a more in-depth view of the agency's impact
2. You get to know your site supervisor better, which may lead to a stronger reference.
3. Staying longer may give you more opportunities for growth and leadership. For example, the opportunity to help interview, select, and train new interns.
4. The stability of a longer-term internship could lead to fewer daily stressors.
5. You will have more time to recognize and resolve your on-the-job challenges and more effectively grow your strengths.
6. You will have more time to schedule your other coursework and other commitments (8.5-10 hours per week on-site, as opposed to 17-20 hours per week on-site).
7. You are able to balance the internship class assignments better in your schedule.
8. Showing longevity at your internship site looks appealing to future employers.
9. You expand your network by selecting the option to explore two different projects and sites.

Internship Opportunities Available on The Hub

Tips for Securing an Internship

Students are responsible for finding and negotiating the specifics of their own internships. Students have had success in securing a public health internship by taking the following actions.

1. View the Internship Orientation Video early during the semester before you want to complete your internship. The Orientation includes strategies for searching for and securing an internship.
2. Google your preferred location and health topics that interest you. For example, “Tucson” or “Peru” matched with your personal and career interests (for example, “environmental health” or "HIV"). As needed, expand your search to include a broader location or narrow your search to a more specific location, and/or use different key words for your interests (for example, substituting "gestational diabetes" for "maternal health"). 
3. Examine the search results to learn more about potential organizations and opportunities. Review each organization’s website and consider the organization's mission, programs, and services. 
4. Contact each organization that you are interested in to connect with someone--this could be someone in Human Resources, the Volunteer Coordinator, or someone in the department where you would like to intern. Share with the contact that you are interested in exploring internship opportunities and that you have specific skills related to their work (those skills are team-based problem solving, communication, etc., and/or specific relevant skills related to their work, such as health promotion, epidemiology research, addressing health disparities, etc.). If the contact reports that they don't have internship opportunities, ask them if they could refer you to someone at their organization or field of work. Don't forget to also thank them for their time.
5. If your initial discussion seems promising, ask about next steps to secure an internship experience at their organization. In addition, work with the preceptor to fill out the required University/College internship paperwork (found on the Public Health Internship Prep D2L site).

Internship Opportunities Available on The Hub

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PRACTICUM & FIELD WORK

All students in the Bachelor of Arts Wellness and Health Promotion Practice major complete 6 units of practicum and 3 units of field work in public health as part of the degree requirements. MEZCOPH alumni share that the experiential learning model of combining classroom study with hands-on experience is one of the most rewarding and valuable components of their undergraduate experience. The practicum and field work provide students with the opportunity to put knowledge and skills into practice and gain the competitive edge they need to advance their career.

The required steps to get started are detailed there, and you can always ask your advisor for support, as well.

 

Enrollment Options & Eligibility

As part of the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements, all public health students complete at least 6 units of practicum and 3 units of field work in public health. Students must complete at least 3 units of practicum before they are eligible to enroll in the field work units. Enrollment for students in all of these units is done by the undergraduate office advising staff. 

Prerequisites for enrollment in Practicum
• Advanced Standing in Wellness and Health Promotion Practice
• Completion of HPS 350 highly recommended and required for specific course options
• Required communication with advisor/course director for enrollment
• Students cannot register themselves for these units; once your practicum or field work is approved, the advising team will register you
*Online students are only eligible to complete HPS 394 as their practicum units

Prerequisites for enrollment in Field Work
• Advanced Standing in Wellness and Health Promotion Practice
• Completion of HPS 350 highly recommended
• Completion of 3 units of practicum​
• Required communication with the program coordinator (Velia Nuno)
• Students cannot register themselves for these units; once your practicum or field work is approved, the advising team will register you

Practicum & Field Work Timing

Students are required to achieve Advanced Standing prior to beginning their practicum and field work courses. Students are also required to complete at least 3 units of practicum prior to enrolling in their HPS Field Work course. We encourage students to begin discussions with their advisors early in the process to ensure they are on track based on their graduation timeline.