MPH Global Health Internship

Catalog description

Provides Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) students with real-world experience in the practice of public health in international or local settings. The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) global health internship aims to provide M.P.H. students with hands-on experience in the practice of public health. The internship builds and reinforces public health practice skills by enabling students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world public health problems and settings. As the M.P.H. is a professional degree, an internship in a real-world public health setting is critical to students' academic and professional development, and their ability to become competent in the practice of public health. Students complete their internships at public health agencies, organizations, and/or institutions, and work on substantive projects that contribute to the mission, goals, and objectives of the sites in which they are placed. Students are matched with public health internships based on their respective academic and professional interests and goals. Students may be matched with pre-approved internships, which have been identified by the M.P.H. program leadership. Students also may seek out internship opportunities on their own. Internships that are not pre-approved must be reviewed and approved by the M.P.H. program leadership before students can begin. At each internship site, students report to an on-site Preceptor. Preceptors are identified by the M.P.H. program leadership and generally are key decision-makers at their respective agencies, organizations, or institutions. Prior to beginning the internship, students will work with the course Director to develop individualized learning objectives. These learning objectives will shape a student's experience at the internship site and the types of projects the student will complete. The learning objectives also will provide students with a measure against which they can evaluate their efforts and the internship sites. Students are required to complete 20 hours of practice-based activities prior to enrollment in this course. These activities can include community-based volunteer opportunities, PSU COM career development training events, PHASE events, or other activities as approved by the Public Health Program.