Your Community Health internship is designed to help you apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to real public health work, while building the skills and confidence you’ll need as an entry‑level public health professional. This experience gives you a meaningful opportunity to understand how public health functions on a day‑to‑day basis and to begin developing your own professional identity in the field.
To support these goals, your internship must take place at an agency that provides authentic, supervised public health work. You should be actively involved in planning, implementing, or evaluating public health programs and engaged in the daily operations of the organization, including meetings, trainings, and community events.
Your Faculty Internship Coordinator
Kathy Finley Department: Applied Health Science Email: kfinley@iu.edu
Internship Course: SPH-B 496: Field Experience in Public Health Education Grading: S/F Credits/Hours: 5 credits/250-hours minimum
The internship is expected to provide the student with the opportunity to:
Participate in the daily functions of a public health agency, including administration and non-educational activities of the agency.
Participate in the agency's program planning which include assessment of needs, planning and implementing programs, budgeting, and program evaluation.
Create a public health project incorporating entry-level public health competencies.
Demonstrate the ability to successfully work independently and with co-workers.
Use appropriate written and oral communication and human relationship skills.
Apply knowledge and skills gained in the classroom to practical experiences in the field.
Demonstrate the ability to coordinate public health services to those populations served by the agency.
Demonstrate the ability to utilize and disseminate public health education/promotion resources.
Describe how the knowledge and skills gained during the internship will be put to future use.
Community Health Internship Requirements
Start early! Attend the annual internship meeting or meet with Kathy Finley, the Community Health internship coordinator, at least 4 months before your internship semester. This gives you enough time to explore sites, ask questions, and complete required paperwork.
Use the Internship Portal (search B496) to explore past placements and contact your coordinator for site details. You can also look for new sites that support the 10 Essentials of Public Health.
As you search, think about:
Location, transportation, and living costs
Type of agency (nonprofit, NGO, health department, etc.)
Type of population and/or content area you want to work with
Whether you prefer direct community work or behind-the-scenes work
The skills or experience you need for your future career
Have a resume and cover letter/email ready to send to potential sites. Use SPH-B Career Services to assist you in the design of your resume and cover letter/email.
You also MUST complete a required project at your site where you plan, implement, or evaluate a public health program.
If you want to intern internationally, talk with your coordinator early.
The internship is a 5‑credit required course (aligned with tuition for 5 credits) but students can take up to 9 credits of internship.
You must be a senior, finished with all core/required coursework—the internship is your final course.
You may take it alone or with one 3‑credit elective.
Students on scholarships that require full-time enrollment may take 9 internship credits (450 hours) plus one 3‑credit class.
Standard requirement: 250 hours for 5 credits, plus 50 hours per additional credit (up to 450 hours).
The internship can be completed during fall, spring, or summer, must last at least 7 weeks, and all work must be completed by Monday of finals week.
Your supervisor must:
Have a Bachelor’s degree in a behavioral/health-related field + 3 years experience, OR 8 years of professional public health experience
Be willing and able to mentor you
Be someone you work well with and who has experience or connections relevant to your interests
Note: Family members cannot serve as supervisors.
You may ask whether the internship is paid, though many sites do not have funding. SPH Career Services can help you learn how to ask.
Before you can register, all required paperwork must be completed and approved by your site supervisor and internship coordinator.
Steps:
Complete the online internship paperwork, including your competencies.
Send the completed form to your site supervisor for their electronic signature (bottom of form) and logo (upper corner of form)
Ask the supervisor to send it back to you, review it, then send it to kfinley@iu.edu for approval/review.
Tell your site supervisor they’ll receive an approval email (they may need to create an IU login).
Once approved, the SPH-B Records Office grants authorization for you to register.
Register for the correct course number, section, and credits.
Attend the required pre‑internship Zoom meeting.
You cannot count any internship hours until you are officially registered.
If your site requires a legal affiliation agreement with IU, know that this process can take 6–8 weeks or longer—start immediately.
While at your site, you must:
Complete the tasks and responsibilities outlined by your site supervisor
Dress professionally and follow all agency rules
Notify your supervisor and coordinator immediately if you're sick or have an emergency
Cover your own travel costs (IU does not reimburse travel)
Never transport clients/patients in your personal vehicle
Participate in daily operations, meetings, and trainings when possible
Complete required evaluations at the end of the internship
Understand that sites may dismiss interns who do not follow policies
You must:
Attend the required pre‑internship meeting
Submit weekly journals on time
Communicate with your supervisor and coordinator about any absences
Schedule midterm and final evaluation meetings with your supervisor
Complete all Canvas assignments by Monday of finals week
Submit your evaluations of the site, supervisor, and coordinator
