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Internships

A PHST internship (PHST 416) is designed to provide students with hands-on work experience in a community setting and an opportunity to work directly with people involved in an agency, service, or organization. Working with an organization in an area that interests the student offers real-world insight into the structure, responsibilities, and routines of the setting, as well as the work of the staff, and the background and needs of the clients.

The benefits of internships? 

  1. Students gain practical work experience, applying the theories and concepts learned in the classroom. 
  2. Students have the opportunity to explore a public health area to determine if it is an area they want to pursue. 
  3. By working directly with organizations in the area, students are establishing contacts that may help in securing future employment.

Our Public Health Team is here to support you!

Students work with the internship coordinator, Dr. Kristen Rapp (schorpp@roanoke.edu), PLACE, or through their own contacts to find a suitable internship site.

What kind of internships are available for Public Health students?

Students conduct internships in the Roanoke Valley and elsewhere. Students may conduct summer internships for credit near their hometown. Paid internships are permitted. This is a sampling of internships from the past five years.

  • Richfield Living
  • Bradley Free Clinic
  • Brandon Oaks
  • TrustPoint Insurance
  • Chris’s Coffee and Custard
  • Aflac
  • Carilion Clinic
  • Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
  • Lewis Gale Medical Center
  • Center for Community Health Innovation
  • Healthy Communities Action Team
  • Planned Parenthood
  • Military Family Support Centers
  • Child Health Investment Partnership (CHIP)
  • Heartland Hospice
  • Susan G. Komen Virginia Blue Ridge
  • Center for Rural Enterprise & Environmental Justice
  • Roanoke College Student Health & Counseling Services
  • Ursula’s Cafe
  • Salem Rescue Squad
  • Roanoke Resource
  • Heartland Hospice
  • LEAP (Local Environmental Agriculture Project)
  • TAP (Total Action for Progress)
  • Feeding Southwest Virginia
  • Cave Spring Rescue Squad
  • Hope Tree Family Services
  • Family Services of Roanoke Valley
  • Prevention Council of Roanoke
  • Family Promise
  • Fralin Institute of Biomedical Research
  • Honeytree Early Learning Center
  • Roanoke Birth & Perinatal Center

Internship Requirements

The internship is a class that students register for (PHST 416). On top of working a minimum of 120 hours at the internship site, students must: 

  • Communicate with the internship coordinator throughout the internship
  • Submit a journal that reflects on the daily experiences of the internship
  • Complete a 7-10 page paper that discusses the mission of the organization; an analysis of how the organization fulfills that mission; an assessment of the practical and experiential benefits of the internship, and; an analysis of how the internship experiences relate to, enhance, or differ from theories and concepts learned in the classroom. 
  • Present a poster at the Internship Showcase
  • The paper should discuss: the mission of the organization

I have found an internship site–now what? 

Submit an Application. Students complete all application forms, including the internship application and two Learning Agreements (student’s goals and site supervisor). Forms must be completed no later than one week before the start of the semester. The site supervisor will complete an evaluation at the end of the internship. 

Register for PHST 416 (1 unit; P/F): Students must be classified as a junior or senior; have successfully completed three PHST courses; and have a minimum PHST GPA of 2.0 at the time of application.

Student Learning Agreement Form 
Site Supervisor Learning Agreement Form 
Internship Application Form