MPH Internships & Applied Practice Experiences

MPH Experiential Learning Requirements

Experiential learning encompasses both the internship and Applied Practice Experiences (APEx) for Master of Public Health (MPH) students at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

  • Employer: Any employer
  • Hours: At least 168 hours. If a student is completing multiple placements, each experience should be at least 84 hours.
    • Health Behavior & Health Equity students are required to complete a minimum of 252 internship hours.
    • Health Management & Policy requires a 10-week full-time placement.
    • Nutritional Sciences Dietetics students engage in Supervised Experiential Learning (SEL) hours during summer 1 and summer 2.

  • Employer: Non-Academic Public Health Partner
    • A non-academic public health partner may be a non-profit organization, a for-profit business that is doing work in health, a governmental agency, or a community group. Activities conducted solely with or at an academic institution, whether that is the University of Michigan or another university, are not eligible for the APEx. If the organization is academic, the student must work on a project that has a non-academic partnership.
    • It is acceptable to do APEx activities in university-affiliated sites that are community facing (and the "community" can be the campus). For example, university health promotion or wellness centers and clinics may be appropriate.
  • Hours: No specific amount of hours required
  • End Result: At least 2 products demonstrating 5 unique competencies
    • A product is a tangible deliverable that is identified by the partner and allows a student to implement a specified skill. See examples below.
    • The 2 products that the students complete for the non-academic public health partner must demonstrate 5 unique competencies. Students will need to demonstrate at least 3 CEPH or Foundational Competencies and at least 2 concentration or department competencies (Epidemiology students do not need to include at least 2 department competencies).

If you are an international student on an F1 visa applying for an internship or Applied Practice Experience (APEx) that is not located at the University of Michigan, you will need to file a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) visa application through the University of Michigan's International Center.

Example Internships & APEx

Many students will complete their internship & APEx requirements with the same employer. However, students have the option of completing their internship requirement and APEx requirement at different sites.

  • Example 1: Internship and APEx completed at Corner Health Clinic. Student completes 168 hours while working at Corner Health over the summer and during the internship creates 2 APEx products: Health Safety Infographic and Report of Health Survey Results.
  • Example 2: Internship and APEx completed at Henry Ford Health System. Student completes a 10-week full time placement (400 hours) while working at Henry Ford over the summer and during the internship creates 2 APEx products: Benefits Plan and Patient Evaluation of Facility.

  • Example: Student completes 168 hours for internship as a Research Lab Specialist at the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology. Student works with Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) to create 2 APEx products: Lesson Plan and Needs Assessment Analysis.

APEx Products & Competencies

APEx products could include any of the following: educational materials, survey tools, evaluation reports, resource guides, policy briefs, advocacy toolkits, data analysis protocols, recommendations based on data analysis, lesson plans, project plans, grant proposals, training manuals, memos, presentations, or other digital artifacts of learning. These products must be submitted digitally and then evaluated on whether they demonstrate the use of 5 unique competencies. At least 3 competencies must be foundational competencies  and up to 2 competencies can be department competencies.

  • Sustainable Eating in Dining Halls (PDF)
  • Sample Foundational Competencies:
    • Foundational Competency #9: Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention
    • Foundational Competency #18: Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.

  • San Antonio Strengths & Resources (PDF)
  • Sample Foundational Competencies:
    • Foundational Competency #7: Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities' health.
    • Foundational Competency #8: Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs

  • Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIRM): A Guide to Establish a FIRM in Michigan (PDF) 
  • Sample Foundational Competencies:
    • Foundational Competency #14: Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations
    • Foundational Competency #19: Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation

  • Hospital Provider Toolkit (PDF)
  • Sample Foundational Competencies:
    • Foundational Competency #13. Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
    • Foundational Competency #20: Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content

  • Exploration of Rural Conditions for Older Adults (PDF)
  • Sample Foundational Competencies:
    • Foundational Competency #2: Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
    • Foundational Competency #7: Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities' health

MPH Internships & APEx Organizations

Below are examples of organizations where MPH students have interned across various departments.

  • University of Michigan Health Service - Infection Prevention & Control Summer Intern
  • Michigan Medicine - Analyst Intern
  • Marshfield Clinical Research Institute - Research Intern
  • Center for Global Health Equity - Research Intern
  • Henry Ford Health - Research Design & Analysis Intern
  • Monroe County Public Health Department - Emergency Preparedness Epidemiology Intern
  • University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center - Injury Prevention Intern
  • Michigan Public Health Institute - Asthma Surveillance Program Intern
  • US Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center - Infection Control Intern
  • RHP Risk Management Inc. - Intern
  • United States Department of Agriculture - Food Safety and Inspection Service Intern
  • Merck - Epidemiology Operations Intern

  • NSK Corporation - Environmental Health and Safety Intern
  • Environmental Health Project - Environmental Health Fellow
  • Eli Lilly and Company - Industrial Hygiene Intern
  • Breathe Project - Air Quality and Environmental Public Health Fellow
  • City of Dearborn - Dearborn Public Health Intern
  • NSK Corporation, NSK Americas - Environmental Health and Safety Intern
  • Boeing - Occupational Health and Safety Intern
  • Church & Dwight Co.- Toxicology Intern
  • Comcast - Environmental Health and Safety Intern
  • Women for a Healthy Environment - Environmental Health Fellow
  • Ecology Center - Summer Intern
  • Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment - Intern

  • Henry Ford Health System - Employee Wellness Intern
  • Detroit Urban Research Center - Graduate Research Assistant Intern
  • LGBT Detroit - Intern
  • Feeding Michigan Families - Policy Research Assistant
  • University of Michigan Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center - Graduate Coordinator Intern
  • University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center - Research Intern
  • Springdale Health Department - Community Health and Well-being Intern
  • Michigan League of Conservation Voters - Our Water Activist Intern
  • Michigan Clinicians for Climate Advocacy - Community and Clinical Engagement Intern
  • Washtenaw Health Plan - Latinx Health Intern
  • Food Gatherers - Community Engagement Intern
  • Optum - Payment Integrity and Managed Care Intern
  • Michigan Medicine - Clinical Research Assistant
  • Community Action to Promote Health Environments - Research Assistant

  • Michigan Medicine - Administrative Intern
  • Global Health Action - Health Policy, Research, and Advocacy Intern
  • Stanford Healthcare - Administrative Intern
  • Our National Conversation - Healthcare Policy Writer Intern
  • Health Policy Matters - Intern
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan - Product Performance and Insights Intern
  • Gift of Life Michigan - Administration and Policy Intern
  • Southwestern Michigan Behavioral Health - Administration and Policy Intern
  • Henry Ford Health - Health Policy Intern
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - Intern
  • Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) - Health Policy Student Intern
  • Ballad Health - Administrative Intern
  • Institute of Health Policy and Innovation - Analyst Intern

  • Food Gatherers - Summer Food Service Intern
  • Genesee County Michigan - WIC Student Inter
  • DaVita Dialysis - Dietetic Intern
  • Urban League of Detroit Women, Infants and Children (WIC) - Dietetic Intern
  • Michigan Dining - Nutrition Program Assistant
  • The Farm at St. Joe's - Farm & Nutrition Intern
  • Bass Root Farm - Farm Intern
  • Kandle Dining Services, Inc. - Dietary Lead
  • Michigan Medicine Integrative Family Medicine - Intern
  • Central Ohio Diabetes Association - Dietetic Student Staff
  • Platos Sin Fronteras - Platos Sin Fronteras Intern

Experiential Learning Funding Opportunities

MPH Students can access internship funding through their departments, the School of Public Health, as well as the University of Michigan. If you are considering interning at a non-profit organization, local/state government department, or an international organization, which often host unpaid or underpaid internships, we recommend connecting with potential internship sites early (November - January) in order to ensure that you can meet deadlines for funding applications.

  • HBHE Internship Funding - HBHE Students completing their MPH internship requirement when the internship is unpaid or underpaid are eligible to apply for HBHE Internship Funding. Applications are usually reviewed on a rolling basis from April - June. The amount of funding received depends on the year, but has been up to $3,000.
  • HMP Internship Funding - HMP Students completing their MPH and MHSA internship requirement when the internship is unpaid or underpaid are eligible to apply for HMP Internship Funding. Applications are usually due in April. The amount of funding received depends on the year, but has been up to $1,500.
  • Epid Internship Funding - Contact epidstudentservices@umich.edu regarding Internship Funding Questions.
  • EHS Internship Funding - Contact Rachel Yarbrough (ryarbro@umich.edu) regarding Internship Funding Questions.
  • Nutrition Internship Funding - Contact Keegan Gramza (kgramza@umich.edu) regarding Internship Funding Questions.

Internship Transition Funding - Current SPH masters level students completing an internship required for their program are eligible to apply for the Internship Transition Fund. Applications are usually due in April. The amount of funding received depends on the year, but has been up to $1,000.

Women's Health Internship Funding - Undergraduate and Graduate students at the School of Public Health with an internship related to the field of Women's Health are eligible to apply for the Women's Health Internship Fund. Applications are usually due in April. The amount of funding received depends on the year, but has been up to $1,000.

Region V Public Health Training Center Funding - Undergraduate and Graduate students at the School of Public Health who have accepted unpaid or underpaid summer field placements in a Region V state (MI, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN) are eligible to apply. Applications are usually due in April. A $3,500 stipend is included upon acceptance into the program.

Global Public Health Internship Funding - U-M SPH master level students are invited to apply for financial support for summer internships entailing experience and training in global health. Applications are usually due in mid-February. The amount of funding received depends on the year, but has been up to $3,000.

International Institute Global Individual Grants - UM-Ann Arbor undergraduate, graduate (master's, PhD pre-candidates only), or professional school students, regardless of citizenship, who are enrolled in a degree program, are eligible to apply for the International Institute Grants. Applications are usually due in mid-February. The amount of funding received depends on the year, but has been up to $5,000.

Taubman Health Sciences Library Funding Guide - The Taubman Health Sciences Library has put together core strategies for helping students identify funding opportunities at U-M and beyond. Email SPHLibraryHelp@umich.edu with questions.

Experiential Learning Student Resources

Current students can access experiential learning resources, including documents on requirements, responsibilities, timelines, and processes on the Heights. Authentication Required.