Internships

The Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health at Western Washington University requires majors to complete a full quarter internship of 400 hours. The internship occurs during the Summer after required Public Health coursework is completed.  This is, generally, the Summer quarter after Senior year of coursework.  Students will usually graduate at the completion of their internship.

We are fortunate to have many local and regional agencies participating in the placement of WWU Public Health majors. The majority of opportunities are in the Puget Sound area, especially Seattle and nearby communities. It also is possible for majors to intern out of state or country. These placements require considerable effort on the student's part in identifying and establishing contact with such potential sites and then receiving approval.

How many credits/hours do you need?

HLED 472 (Internship) is a 12 credit course. The internship extends for ten weeks with a 40 hour workweek as the recommended workweek.

The Internship is completed during one quarter; it is not divided into several credits one quarter and then the remaining the next quarter.

Setting up an internship experience:

Public Health faculty will guide students in setting up a placement during the Winter quarter of their senior year in the Professional Preparation Seminar (HLED 430).  If students have identified a particular internship of interest or are wanting to complete their internship internationally, they must communicate with faculty advisors before the Winter quarter of their Senior year.

Sample sites where students have recently interned:

Lummi Nation Health Center, Bellingham

Evergreen AIDS Foundation, Bellingham

Slum Doctor Programme, Bellingham

Peace Health/St. Joseph Hospital (throughout the state)

Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood, Bellingham

Community Schools Coalition, Tukwila

United General Hospital, Sedro Woolley

Skagit Valley Hospital, Mt. Vernon

Skookum Kids, Bellingham

Swedish Medical Center -- Patient/Family Education and Community Health, Seattle

Swedish Cancer Institute, Seattle

SeaMar Community Health Center

Whatcom County Health Department

Snohomish County Health Department

Skagit County Health Department

Tacoma/Pierce County Health Department

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department

Washington State Department of Health

World Vision

ProWorld -- Mexico and Peru

Kaloleni Integrated Anti-AIDS Community-Based Organization -- Kisumu, Kenya

Organizacion de Rescate Infantil (ORI) -- Ecuador

Please contact Ying.Li@wwu.edu for a complete list of internship sites and descriptions.