Internships

When applying for and selecting an internship:

Think about learning goals for your internship

•    Do you want to develop new skills?
•    Enhance your professional connections?
•    Apply theories and knowledge you learn outside of the classrooms?
•    Are you looking to diversify your knowledge and skills, test out new areas of interest, or gain more experience in an area in which you are familiar?
•    Are you looking for an internship that is more likely to lead directly to a job after graduation?

Some other considerations

•    Organization and structure – Consider size of organization, their mission, expertise, and population they serve
•    Compensation – Paid or unpaid internships?
•    Location – Do you have location preferences?
•    Career Industry or Function – Do you want to explore new roles within an industry or a similar role in a new industry?
•    Timing/Deadlines: Many summer internship postings are in early-November to late-February. Stay ahead of strict deadlines.

How to obtain an internship:

CareerConnect:

•       Employers post internships with our office.  We generally receive and post these beginning in November.

Making Connections to Employers

•       Through Career Fairs and Expos as sponsored by our office and other Harvard schools
•       Through Career Treks

Networking with Alumni and others

•       Many internships are not posted and opportunities surface through informational interviews and outreach.  Connect with alumni, faculty, recruiters, and professionals who work in your area(s) of interest.
•       Find out where others in your department have worked.

Below are a few of the places that our students have completed internships:

•       Boston Public Health Commission
•       Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
•       Pfizer,
•       Humana, Inc.
•       Shire
•       JSI Research & Training Institute
•       Massachusetts Department of Public Health
•       Prevention Research Center
•       Brigham & Women’s Hospital
•       World Health Organization
•       UnitedHealth Group
•       Dana Farber Cancer Institute
•       Beacon Health Options
•       Health Policy Commission
•       Center for Disease Control and Prevention
•       Kaiser Permanente
•       United Nations Population Fund
•       Rand Corporation
•       World Bank Group
•       Clinton Health Access Initiative
•       RTI International

Additional internship links