The summer internship represents the cornerstone of our two-year Master's of Public Health (MPH) degree in health policy and management. During the summer, students work with an organization on a project or problem, allowing the student to apply the skills gained during their academic training. All MPH students in HPM are required to complete a 400-hour internship in an appropriate healthcare setting and to write a consulting report focused on an operational issue, process improvement initiative, policy white paper, research project, strategic program or business plan, or any of a number of other analyses. Students may continue to work part-time after completing their summer requirement.
The traditional internship timeline loosely follows the major milestones identified below.
January-February |
Recruitment mailing to potential precptors |
Early March |
Preceptor-Student Networking Event |
March-May |
Informational and Job Interviews |
Mid June-Early July |
Internships begin |
Internship Week 2 |
Signed Contract and Scope of Work Submitted |
August 15 |
Consulting Report Proposal Due |
Late September |
Internships end |
Early January |
Completed consulting reports mailed to preceptors |
Department Contact
Laura Erskine, PhD, MBA
Director, Program in Health Policy and Management
Department of Health Policy and Management, CHS 31-253B
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
PO Box 951772 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772
(310) 825-4807 FAX: (310) 825-3317
Email: lerskine@ucla.edu