Environmental Health

You should begin preparing at least one semester in advance. This allows time to explore internship sites, meet with your faculty internship coordinator, and complete required paperwork.

You are responsible for securing your own internship site.

Internship sites must:

• Regularly provide public health services
• Offer meaningful environmental health–related experience
• Provide professional supervision

As you search, consider:

• Type of organization (government, nonprofit, consulting, industry, community-based)
• Opportunities to engage in environmental health practice
• Location, transportation, and scheduling needs
• Alignment with your career interests

• The internship is a 5‑credit required course (aligned with tuition for 5 credits).
• 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.
• Tell your site supervisor they’ll receive an approval email (they may need to create an IU login).
• After your supervisor approves, your faculty coordinator reviews it.
• Once approved, the SPH 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