Internships
All students in the Master's Program in Global Public Health are required to complete a Global Public Health Internship, working at least 120 hours in an approved public or private organization engaged in the prevention of disease, health promotion, health service delivery, health policymaking, or research in a global context. The internship provides the opportunity to become familiar with the kinds of organizations that put into practice the theory, concepts, and methods taught in the master's program. Internships can take place in the greater New York City area, elsewhere in the United States, or overseas. As part of the internships, students are expected to "shadow" a senior staff member within the selected organization or program for at least one working day. The assignment should be relevant to the student's career goals. The internship field experience is accompanied by a 3 credit (Pass/Fail) seminar and must be completed prior to completing the first semester of the capstone course.
At the end of the internship, the student will:
- Gain direct work experience in an health organization (not their own) addressing global health issues
- Understand and be able to analyze the environment and operations of an health organization addressing global health issues
- Be aware of the roles played by individual leaders in a global health organization.
- Be able to reflect on their current work experiences and future career plans in relation to the concepts, theories, and approaches contained in the MPH program
Criteria for Selecting Internship Sites
Students are expected to identify an internship agency that provides a challenging and rewarding experience in global public health. While internships will vary considerably among students, the following basic criteria should be used in selecting sites for placements:
- Willingness of the agency to provide an internship relevant to global public health
- Relationship of the agency and the assignment to global public health issues
- Conducive environment for graduate-level fieldwork
- Ability of the agency to provide adequate and suitable supervision. Ideally, the preceptor or mentor should have formal public health training.
- Ability of the organization to provide a shadowing experience with a senior staff member.