Internship Planning & Preparation

The internship provides students with a professional experience where they can apply skills and theory in a workplace environment while becoming more socialized into the field of community/public health.

All Public Health Studies and Applied Health and Fitness majors in the School of Public Health must complete a minimum of a 4-credit internship.

Additional credits may be completed with approval from the internship coordinator.

It is never too early to start exploring different internship sites and opportunities. We recommend that you start thinking about sites early in your academic career. Gather information about potential sites and keep a written record of the site contact information, mission statement and projects available. Some internships require an application and interview process and can take several quarters to arrange so planning ahead is highly recommended.

The internship is an opportunity for a student to put knowledge and skills into practice in a work environment.

The student should spend a minimum of 120 hours of work in the internship experience. At the end of the internship the student prepares and submits an internship summary report and a supervisor evaluation report.

It is possible for a student to use more than one quarter to finish an internship. Many worksites prefer a two-quarter commitment. You can spread your hours across several quarters and up to a year, if needed. It is also possible to pay for the internship over multiple quarters.

For Example:
A student choosing to do 4 credits of internship (120 hours) can complete 2 credits over two terms, 1 credit each four terms, etc. At the end of each term, you must email your internship coordinator with a progress report that includes how many hours you have completed and what you have left to complete to earn a grade (pass) for that term. Please ask your site supervisor to send a short e-mail confirming your completed hours. At the end of your last term of internship, you will turn in your evaluation and summary report.

A student who will finish all of their hours in one term but needs to pay for the credits over multiple terms should turn in their final paperwork at the end of their first term. At the end of the subsequent terms that internship credits are registered for, the student needs to email either Jane or Belinda reminding them of their situation to get a grade for the term.

All paperwork is the same, except for the evaluation from your supervisor. Instead, you will be required to document your observation hours at each site using the Clinical Observation form

In order to receive a passing grade, students must submit the following after the completion of all of their hours:

• Summary Report (2-page minimum report
• Student Evaluation Form

If you are missing paperwork, a grade of incomplete will be assigned until all paperwork is submitted.

Yes, there are 2 situations where this may be acceptable. The first is when you are, or will be doing volunteer work that is giving/will be giving you new skills and will be of benefit to you with your future professional goals. The second is when you find an opportunity that is listed with the organization as a “volunteer” position. Some sites do not feel comfortable using the term “internship” but as long as the work you will be doing will be challenging and is in-line with your future goals, we can allow you to use this opportunity towards internship credits.

While we encourage students to find a new experience in the community, we understand that it can be hard to add to an already busy schedule. In some cases, students are allowed to use past experiences as well as in progress experience towards their internship credits but approval is required with an internship coordinator. Students will be expected to get verification of their work experience from a supervisor that includes confirmation of time at the site as well as student work ethic.

Yes. This must be arranged with and approved by an internship coordinator at least one full month in advance of your trip. You must be able to provide documentation of internship responsibilities and the contact information for your worksite supervisor.

Yes. You can take up to 12 credits but this must be approved by an internship coordinator. The University does not allow students to complete more than 12 credits of PHE 404 or cooperative education credits.

Sites for internships are identified in a number of ways:

• Students’ own ideas and contacts
• Announcements of internships posted on PHE Undergrad list-serve, PSU’s Career Center, Handshake, Indeed
• Sites identified in consultation with the internship coordinator
• PSU-OHSU School of Public Health website
• Searching websites for specific organizations of interest. For example: Washington County Health Department has opportunities posted on their volunteer and internship page.

Students should begin searching for internship potential opportunities early in the term prior to the term when they want to begin their internship. For example, if you want to begin your internship in spring term, you should start your search several quarters before and then email the internship coordinators for guidance as needed. Students MUST get approval from the internship coordinator before registering for an internship.

The steps are as follows:

1. Once an internship site has been identified and approved the student will complete the Application/Learning Application.
2. The student and the site supervisor will sign the contract.
3. The student will email the learning contract to the internship coordinator who will then provide the student with the registration process.

Students are only allowed to register after they have approval from an internship coordinator who will then help the student with registration

Registration is otherwise locked but internship never fills so don’t worry that it shows as full in the registration schedule.

The student will need to include with his/her learning contract a short list of goals and or objectives that they wish to gain from their internship experience. Some sites will provide a detailed list of the student responsibilities and can be submitted to the internship coordinator and used to complete the Learning Contract.

Some sample goals and objectives are as follows:

• To participate in a health promotion program being implemented locally
• Understand how health promotion policies form and/or become law
• Understand the role fitness staff play in promoting healthy lifestyles in their clients
• Gain experience in a health classroom setting

The internship experience is meant to provide students with a real-life experience.

As in real life, sometimes there are problems at the selected site for the internship. Students are encouraged to contact their internship advisor if there is a problem.

Working closely with the worksite supervisor and the internship coordinator, most problems can be resolved if addressed early. In rare instances, it may be necessary to find another, more appropriate placement.