Bachelors of Science in Public Health
(BSPH) Internship
PHC 4944
The undergraduate public health internship course and related internship provide BSPH students with professional skills and experiences to advance their career-readiness for public health practice.
The BSPH Internship course, PHC 4944, is a 3-credit course that must be taken in tandem with an approved internship. Enrolling in this course amplifies students’ professional development beyond the internship experience through analytical reflections and developing and tracking workplace-specific goals. The course also fulfills an elective requirement for the BSPH degree and meets the Formative Experiences graduation requirement for FSU CORE.
While our internship coordinator can help facilitate the process, students are responsible for securing their own internship. Here are some initial possibilities that students might explore to identify possible internships.
Internship Benefits
Meaningful public health internships provide students with many benefits, including:
★ Knowledge
Apply practical experiences learned in academic course work to a public health setting
★ Skills
Develop and strengthen your personal and professional skills
★ Career
Gain connections to advance future career opportunities
★ Mentorship
Receive professional guidance from experienced public health professionals
★ Participation
Engage in hands-on experience in real-world public health initiatives
★ Graduation
Fulfill Liberal Studies Formative Experience or Elective Requirements under the BSPH Program
Requirements for Enrolling in PHC 4944
Course Number and Title: PHC 4944 Bachelor of Public Health Internships
Internship Coordinator: Dr. Annette Schwabe
Internship Semesters: Fall, Spring, and Summer C.
Syllabus: For more information about the PHC 4944 Internship, please review a draft of the PHC4944 syllabus.
Criteria for Enrolling in the Course: Students who wish to enroll in the PHC 4944 Internship course must first complete an SM Apply form, which will verify that they meet specific academic requirements and that the intended internship will facilitate professional development in the field of public health.
Academic Requirements
- Be a Public Health major.
- Have completed PHC4101, Introduction to Public Health, with a grade of C or higher.
- Have a 3.00 grade-point average or higher (major and cumulative) at FSU.
Internship Requirements
The PHC 4944 internship coordinator will only approve internship experiences that offer meaningful opportunities for students to develop professional skills and substantive knowledge applicable to professional employment in the field of public health.
Typical projects and duties under a BSPH internship include, but are not limited to the following:
- Collecting and organizing data that an organization might use to develop a policy or program
- Creating or assisting in a public health intervention for the community
- Conducting surveys to identify community health challenges
- Developing materials to support health policy changes
- Inspecting water quality, food safety, or air pollution safety
- Designing communication strategies to address public health issues
- Educating community members about public health topics
Internships that involve mostly clinical work, such as taking blood pressure or taking vitals, will not meet the experiential criteria and will not be approved to be taken in tandem with PHC4944.
How to Enroll in PHC 4944
To enroll in the BSPH Internship Course, PHC 4944, you must receive a course enrollment code from the BSPH Internship Coordinator, Dr. Annette Schwabe.
To obtain your course enrollment code, you are required to complete the Survey Monkey Apply form to assess your eligibility for course enrollment. This form will inquire about your academic standing in the program, the specifics of your intended internship role, and its relevance to public health. Please note that it is essential to fill out this form thoroughly before proceeding with course enrollment, including securing an internship placement and submitting a signed Internship Contract.
Possible Internship Sites for BSPH Students
Contact Dr. Annette Schwabe at aschwabe@fsu.edu for more information on possible internship sites.
★ At Florida State University:
- Opening Minds Through Art (OMA), working with elderly individuals to enhance cognitive awareness and well-being through art. Please look for announcements through the BSPH listserv or EAB/Campus Connect or contact in the OMA office for application windows for fall, spring, and summer semesters.
- University Health Services (UHS) and Health and Wellness Center
- Center for Health Advocacy & Wellness (CHAW). Look for paid positions and volunteer opportunities. https://chaw.fsu.edu/
To apply for internships: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zvkjrlJHFzT5vT - Other units in UHS with possible positions: https://uhs.fsu.edu/getinvolved
- Center for Health Advocacy & Wellness (CHAW). Look for paid positions and volunteer opportunities. https://chaw.fsu.edu/
- Jobs and internships on campus and other places listed by the FSU Career Center: https://career.fsu.edu/nolenetwork
- FSU Human Resources: https://hr.fsu.edu/working-fsu/prospective-employees/student-jobs
This site will also lead you to the NoleNetwork for students with postings and information on how to prepare for a job or internship. https://career.fsu.edu/nolenetwork
★ In Tallahassee or Nearby:
- State of Florida Agencies
- Florida Department of Health
- Florida Department of Elder Affairs
- Department of Children and Families
- Agency for Persons with Disabilities
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Big Bend Homeless Coalition
- Big Bend Cares
- KNOWLI Data Science
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWC)
- Planned Parenthood
- Refuge House (Domestic Violence Support and Shelter)
- Florida Health Science Consulting
- On FSU Campus
- Florida Department of Health
- Go to their job posting website: https://jobs.myflorida.com/search
- Search for jobs listed as “Bachelor’s Preferred” & OPS (“Other Personnel Services”: paid hourly, not salary, and temporary and mostly part-time)
- Florida Elder Affairs
- Go to their site https://jobs.myflorida.com/go/Department-of-Elder-Affairs/2817300/
- Search “Careers” for the kind of job category. You can search several, of course.
- Scroll down to find postings.
- Big Bend Area Health Education Center (AHEC): The BSPH program, in partnership with AHEC, offers two funded internship spots a year specifically for BSPH majors as a Health Ambassador in their “Bingocize” program for elderly adults. Click here for a description of general duties, timelines, and contact information. In addition, please see their website for other possible opportunities for interning. https://bigbendahec.org/
- For opportunities in all other State of Florida agencies such as Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), Department of Children and Families, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and Environmental Protection go to the main State website and search by agency and job category as above for FDOH and FEA. https://jobs.myflorida.com/
Most internships appropriate for undergraduates will be listed as “OPS” (Other Personal Services), which indicates that the job is part-time, paid by the hour, with no benefits and generally temporary (about a year). In short, much like a paid internship.
For the Florida Department of Health, students can apply here for internships (which are likely unpaid: https://leon.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/volunteer-and-internshipopportunities/index.html - Big Bend Homeless Coalition http://www.bigbendhc.org/about-us/
Presently one would have to contact them for internship experiences that might require public health skills (data analysis, helping with program development or implementation, etc.) and not receptionist work or one-day volunteer opportunities. - Big Bend Cares (HIV) https://bigbendcares.org/careers/
- KNOWLI: The BSPH internship coordinator will continue to work with them to identify opportunities for unpaid internships appropriate for undergraduates, but you can also find their paid job positions here: https://www.knowli.com
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWC) Bear/Turtle/Manatee Internships: Look for a call on the Public Health listserv each semester (typically about October for spring and summer internships and late spring for fall). https://myfwc.com/get-involved/internships/bmt-internship/ AND/OR general site for other opportunities https://myfwc.com/research/about/careers/internships-volunteers/
- Planned Parenthood. The program has had at least one intern there. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/get-involved/jobs-and-volunteering
- Refuge House (Domestic Violence and Shelter) https://refugehouse.com/volunteer-internships/
- Epilepsy Agency of the Big Bend (we are working on establishing internships here so please ask Dr. Schwabe, BSPH Internship Coordinator, about this)
Possible Internship Sites for BSPH Students at FSU.
See the Public Health Internship web page or contact Dr. Annette Schwabe at aschwabe@fsu.edu for more information
★ Outside of Tallahassee and Virtual Experiences:
- Association of Public Health Laboratories internships https://www.aphl.org/ https://emilyslist.org/internships/internship-descriptions/ (include remote work options)
- Centene Corporation. https://www.centene.com and https://www.centene.com/who-we-are.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/fellowships/php/opportunities/applying-for-undergraduate-students-opportunities.html (and see below for more information about how to search and prepare to apply).
- Environmental Protection Agency: https://www.epa.gov/careers/recent-graduates (and see below for more information about how to search and prepare to apply).
- Resources for Finding and Applying for Federal Jobs
- Below is additional information about how to search and prepare to apply for federal health-related jobs. A former student who works at the Environmental Protection Agency (after serving in the Peace Corps) conveyed that searching for a federal internship or job can be challenging for someone who has not been in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or other similar federal programs and that the USA Jobs site (the portal that lists federal jobs and through which one applies) can be confusing. She says “Even if you know someone within an agency, much of the key to getting hired is knowing how to ‘get through’ the USAjobs” site.
Below are a few examples of resources that will help you navigate the federal jobs site and facilitate your internship or job search. - Events related to internships or jobs for students: https://www.usajobs.gov/event/ Also: https://jobs.cdc.gov/working-atcdc/students.html (some events will be the USAjobs events, some through CDC)
- Virtual training sessions offered via USAjobs such as building a federal resume and recruiting events for specific jobs.
- A list of workshops sponsored by and about USAjobs can be found here: https://www.usajobs.gov/Notification/Events?EventType=5
Scroll down to find relevant workshops such as “Navigating USAJOBS” or “Navigating the Federal Hiring Process Series: Crafting Your Resume.”- How to complete any task on USAJOBS, step by step: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to
- Internships and other opportunities for students: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/students
- “Opportunities for Students and Recent Graduates” at the Environmental Protection Agency FAQs about student internships federal agencies: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/students/faq/federal-internship-faqs
- Below is additional information about how to search and prepare to apply for federal health-related jobs. A former student who works at the Environmental Protection Agency (after serving in the Peace Corps) conveyed that searching for a federal internship or job can be challenging for someone who has not been in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or other similar federal programs and that the USA Jobs site (the portal that lists federal jobs and through which one applies) can be confusing. She says “Even if you know someone within an agency, much of the key to getting hired is knowing how to ‘get through’ the USAjobs” site.
The list of internship sites are not exhaustive. If you have questions regarding your internship site or experience, please reach out to the BSPH internship coordinator, Dr. Annette Schwabe.
In addition to exploring the opportunities above, contact Jessica O’Neill, the Career Center liaison for the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP). She can meet with you to discuss additional internship opportunities. Ms. O’Neill offers in-person drop-in (no appointment necessary) career advising on Wednesdays: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Noon) and 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Bellamy Building (BEL), Room #101A. Jessica O’Neill, the Career Center liaison in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (on the 1st floor of Bellamy in the advising office). She is a wealth of information and can guide you on internships at most of the sites listed here.
Contact Ms. O’Neill at: https://cosspp.fsu.edu/career-advising/ or email joneill2@fsu.edu or call 850.644.2148
Please also keep an eye out for opportunities that circulate through the BSPH listserv or via Campus Connect. Both Ms. O’Neill and Dr. Annette Schwabe will post opportunities there.
Download file: Possible Internship Sites for BSPH Students at FSU
Download the Internship ContractFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I take the course over the summer?
Yes. The internship course is typically offered every fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Is this course required for the BSPH Degree?
No. Although this course is not required alongside your core courses, it can count toward the FSU CORE Formative Experience or toward the BSPH elective requirements.
How should I navigate the internship process as a student graduating this upcoming semester?
If you are graduating soon, you should look for internships the semester before you graduate. Please reference above to gain insight toward possible internships in the Tallahassee/FSU area or outside. If you need more help trying to secure an internship, please contact the Graduate Assistant or BSPH Internship Coordinator.
If I am located on the Panama City campus, who should I contact to identify local internships?
You may intern anywhere, including in remote work positions. However, you can search for potential opportunities in public health-related organizations in the Panama City area.
How can I prepare for interviews from internship programs?
Please refer to the FSU Career Center website or contact the COSSPP Career Center Liaison, Tyrone “TJ” Johnson (tdjohnson2@fsu.edu)
Must I have secured an internship before I register for the course?
Yes. Before you can register for the PHC 4944 course, you will be required to submit your internship contract, in which you provide detailed information about your internship site and role. If possible, you should secure an internship formally during the semester prior to taking the internship course in tandem with the internship experience. If you have a unique situation with an internship site, please reach out to us.
What does the internship application process look like?
Every internship application process differs depending on the site. You would need to reach out to your site to determine the steps needed to obtain an internship.
When should I apply for an internship if I am not yet declared a Public Health major?
You can start applying now! Some organizations may take a while to process interns, so we recommend finding internships early to give ample time to complete any onboarding processes at the internship site prior to beginning the work. As a reminder, your application to enroll in the course will not be approved until you are declared in the major and have met the other academic and internship criteria.
What should I expect from this course?
The primary focus of this course is to reflect analytically, identify specific goals for your professional growth during the internship, and self-evaluate your progress on meeting those goals to foster further development of workplace skills and dispositions. That is, the course is designed intentionally to enrich your professional and personal growth in the internship experience through weekly discussion boards and reflections.