Public Health Students
A Public Health internship, as a core component of the curriculum, should allow students to apply their academic knowledge in professional settings. Students who want to gain relevant professional experience should engage in projects and tasks that contribute to the mission and work of the organization, but they must, at the same time, engage in meaningful experiences that allow for the application of academic knowledge.
Check out our list of competitive summer internship opportunities and regular semester internships. UMBC is not affiliated with many of these sites, but we encourage students to apply to any that are of interest. These internships are eligible for completion of our required internship for graduation (PBHL 470), but students do not have to use them to complete PBHL 470.
Intern Spotlight
Read about Inaya Wahid’s (HAPP 2020) internship experience at the Delaware Public Health Association/Delaware Academy of Medicine in Newark, Delaware.
Read about Jessica Linus’ (HAPP 2018) internship experience with National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in Rwanda.
Read About Fehintola’s study abroad experience in Ghana. Fehintola is a FEA, Boren, and Gilman scholar!
Resources for Interns, Preceptors, and Organizations
Review the Student Internship Orientation.
Review the Public Health Internship Handbook for details about the criteria, opperation, and completion of a Public Health internship at UMBC.
Review our quick-start guidelines to see if your internship meets the requirements of the Public Health program.
Are you interested in offering public health internship positions with your organization? Contact Melissa Cox (mrose4@umbc.edu) or Katie Birger (katie.birger@umbc.edu) to find out how you can become a preceptor to UMBC Public Health student interns. If your proposal contributes to improving the health of a population, is non-clinical in nature, and allows the student to complete and report on a semester-long project then it may meet our criteria!
Sociology & Anthropology Students
An internship can be taken in two ways in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health.
One is SOCY 396, Community Service and Learning Internship, which is a pass-fail course (1-3 credits) and does not count towards the minor or major. This course is offered through the Shriver Center and permits students to participate in the delivery of social services to the elderly, disadvantaged youth, the mentally and physically challenged, the homeless, the environment, or illiterate adults. In order to sign up for this course, you should contact either Emily Passera, epassera@umbc.edu, or Lori Hardesty, lhardesty@umbc.edu.
The second course is either SOCY 399 or ANTH 399, Independent Study, which is taken for credit (1-3) and does count towards the major or minor. You should find a faculty advisor who will agree to work with you on an internship. In this course you will complete additional work, such as a term paper, beyond the SOCY 396 internship requirements. The additional work involved will be specified by the advisor. You can count only two independent study courses or internships towards the Anthropology or Sociology major or minor.