Practice Opportunities

There are several different types of practice opportunities for students. Practice opportunities are times when students have actual experience in public health work settings. These can be paid or unpaid, for academic credit or not. Each is different, depending on the situation, the student, the organization, and degree requirements. The different mechanisms for student practice are described below.

Practicum and Residency – are planned, supervised and evaluated activities as part of a professional public health academic program. The practicum and residency are part of the academic program. See the student handbook in each Department for a complete description of the program requirements:
- Environmental Health Sciences
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Exercise Science
- Health Promotion, Education and Behavior
- Health Services Policy and Management
- See the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department for program-specific information.

Other Practice Opportunities

Graduate Assistantships – The graduate assistantship (GA) is a paid opportunity, some with tuition abatement, to work in university offices, faculty projects, or agency practice programs and may be located on or off campus. To be a GA, you must be enrolled in a degree program and in good standing, and must be registered for at least six graduate credits during a major semester. See The Graduate School policy on graduate assistantships for more information. International students are advised to see the office of International Student Services for guidance on paperwork requirements specific to paid opportunities.
Internships – Internships help you explore your career interests and give you “hands-on” experience in a professional setting. They’ll help build your resume, reinforce what you’ve learned in class, and can often lead to full-time employment. See the Internships page for more information.
Service Opportunities – Some programs require students to complete some type of community service or will allow students to do an independent study. For more information, see the Arnold School Student Services and University Community Service Programs for more information.

The Office of Public Health Practice provides tools and services to make these practice opportunities as rewarding as possible:

Preceptor Program matches public health practitioners with Arnold School professional degree students based on the student’s interests and career goals.
MySPH is a Web portal designed to enhance collaboration among public health students, scholars and practitioners. MySPH users will be able to use the portal to: engage in professional exchanges and social networking activities; post, search and apply for practice opportunities; share and disseminate data; and access academic, public and private Web-based resources.

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