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1. Prepare. Update your resume, tailor your cover letter, prepare for the interview, etc.
2. Research. Think about the career you hope to pursue and the experience you will need to get there and then start looking for an internship.
   • The first place to start will be in . 
   • Try Career Studio and their internship board.
   • Try the Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement to get some ideas.
   • A good old fashioned Google search can go a long way. Feel free to go outside the box, but be sure to follow instruction on getting a site approved if you do.
3. Site approval. You don't want to line-up an internship and find out later that the site is not an approved ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ internship site. Get ahead of the game and find out if the sites you have chosen are approved sites. Contact your instructor immediately to let them know your site potentially needs to be vetted for approval so they can move this process along as quickly as possible.
4. Contact the site. Now that you have identified your top 3-5 sites, now it's time to reach out and line-up some interviews. It sounds old-fashioned, but phone calls can go a long way and be sure to follow-up with an email if possible. Treat it as if you were trying to get a job. Who knows, this could turn into a job if you play your cards right.
   • Be sure to tailor the internship solicitation template to use for each site you pursue. Keep in mind most of our sites take students every semester and they can tell if you tailored this document or not. Make sure you make it unique to you and your skillsets.
   • Make sure you're sending your resume with any email correspondence you have with potential sites.
   • Have your "elevator speech" prepared
   • Be able to tell your potential Preceptor who you are, your affiliation with the University, the class you will be taking as part of this internship, the internship timeline, the experience you hope to gain and highlight your strengths and added value to their organization.
   • Prepare for that interview
5. Choose. You chose five great internship sites, interviewed at three and were accepted to two. Now what? Well, now you choose which site will ultimately be the most rewarding for you and your career goals.
   • Don't waste anybody's time, once you narrowed it down to the best internship for you, call them and accept the opportunity. Be sure to thank them and line-up a time to meet to talk about your internship project, expectations and timeline of activities.
6. Thank you. Be sure to send thank you emails or letters to every site you interviewed at and inform the sites you didn't choose of your final decision. This will allow that site to move on to the next person on their list.

You will not be able to start your internship immediately. There are a series of checks you must complete before you can begin your internship. Checks include:

Checks

1. You have submitted your internship placement in Sonia (see Step 4 of Sonia Student User Guide) and it was approved by your instructor. You can also email your instructor and they can manually match you with the site and preceptor.
2. You have completed the Title IX Sexual Harassment training i²Ô your respective Canvas course. 
3. You have completed your student forms through Sonia (i.e. Student Agreement and Student Waiver). A link is provided for you through Sonia. You must have an internship site lined up before completing this check.
4. You have completed your Student Learning Contract and uploaded the signed copy. 
5. You have completed your Interprofessional Education (IPE) experience. Ask your instructor for more details.
6. You have completed your Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP).

• Student Learning Agreement. In this agreement, you are agreeing to all the academic requirements for your field internship class. It also covers expectations of student conduct; ensures you will comply with all host site rules and regulations. It covers disciplinary procedures in the event you do not comply with this agreement and covers expectations around safety and transportation. Lastly, this agreement covers insurance and liability terms.
• Student Waiver, Release and Indemnification Agreement. Upon signature, you understand the internship may involve certain risks. It states an informed consent will be given to all students for internships that may include any dangers, hazards and inherent activity risk. This is a release and waiver of liability. Risks may include but are not limited to:
  • Traveling to and from the activity. It is important to note, transportation is not provided by the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´.
  • Manual labor, including lifting, reaching, stretching and moving objects. Students should be aware of their own physical limitations.
  • Inclement weather that can impact safety, such as rain, cold, wind or heat.
  • Physical environment, such as steep slopes, uneven terrain, loose rocks and gravel, or slippery conditions.
  • And working with other volunteers from organizations outside of the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´.
• Project Plan Contract. The Project Management Plan (undergraduate) or Student Learning Contract (graduate) is unique to your internship and will serve as a guide to completing your project as well as serve as an evaluation tool throughout your internship. Your preceptor, faculty advisor (if applicable to your program) and the field studies instructor will offer you input into its development. This has to be completed before starting internship hours.
• Individual Professional Development Plan. The Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) helps students identify their career goals and the strategies for achieving them by linking them to MPH coursework and other educational and professional development opportunities. 
• All instruction regarding student forms can be found in the Graduate Student Resource Center or Canvas course.

Just because you found an internship, doesn't mean it is an approved internship site. According to ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ policy, all internship sites must be vetted every five years with a safety assessment form, proof of liability insurance, a sexual harassment policy and a signed organizational agreement on file. If your internship site doesn't have these things on file, you will not be able to start your internship until they are. This process is initiated by your class instructor.

The process can be very time consuming depending on the organization, so the earlier you can find out if your site is approved, the better. Below are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to find out if your site is approved or not.

FAQs 

• I found my internship through Sonia, are those approved sites?
  • Yes. All theMost internship sites you see in Sonia have been vetted and approved. However, sometimes contracts expire. The best way to know if your site is a Uniersity approved internship site is to ask your class instructor.
•  What is the procedure to find out whether my internship site is approved or not?
  • Email your instructor directly to look-up the site in the University system.
• What if my internship is not an approved site?
  • If you started looking for your internship early enough before the semester, there may be time to get your site vetted before you need to begin your internship.
  • Email your instructor with the following information:
    
    • Name and address of the organization
    • Full name of the contact
    • Contact email address
    • Contact phone number
• How long does it take to vet an organization thoroughly?
  • It depends on the organizational structure and how big/small it is. If it is a large organization or is outside the state, it can take anywhere from 3-12 months.
  • Mid-size organizations such as non-profit agencies are usually quick and can take 1-2 months if they have general liability insurance.
  • A start-up agency can be difficult to vet because they might not have a site or have liability insurance. It tends to be very difficult to get these types of sites approved.
  • Government agencies, especially non-local government agencies and large hospital systems are the most difficult and can take up to a year to be fully vetted.
• What if my internship is not vetted in time to begin my internship?
  • Unfortunately, if your site is not thoroughly vetted per University policy, you will not be able to do your internship at your desired site.
  • It is our recommendation that you always have 2-3 sites lined up in the event your first choice does not get approved in time.
  • Also, start finding your internship site early. The earlier you begin your search, the more prepared you'll be to start your internship on time.
• Is it my responsibility to get the paperwork on file for University approval?
  • No. It is the responsibility of your class instructor to initiate the approval process.
  • However, it is your responsibility to make sure the site has been approved by following the instructions above.
• Am I guaranteed an internship for this course?
  • No. It is your responsibility to find your own internship and to make sure it is an approved ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ site so you may begin your internship.
  • If you end up in a situation you cannot find your internship by the class deadline, you will be asked to drop the class and will have to take the course the following semester.
• Do some sites require additional documentation? 
  • Yes. Some agencies, such as Northern Nevada Public Health, Renown Health and Saint Mary’s Regional Hospital all require additional documentation, immunizations, drug screenings and/or background checks. Talk to your class instructor about what these requirements are.

List of Internship Milestones and Dates

Internship Milestone	Due
Attend MPH internship orientation	Fall prior to internship
Complete all pre-internship academic modules and associated assessments	By January 1
Students will independently search for a viable internship project. Past project examples and internship resources will be provided by your instructor. Internships must meet CEPH internship criteria and be approved by Faculty Advisor and Internship Coordinator.	At least 12 weeks prior to internship
Once a suitable internship is identified, students will use doodle to schedule a virtual internship contracts meeting with the Student, Preceptor, Advisor, and Internship Coordinator.	At least 8 weeks prior to start of internship
Final Student Learning Contract with signature submitted, risk/legal paperwork submitted	At least 8 weeks prior to start of internship
Students must complete all pre-requisite courses with a C or better to begin internship	First day of internship
Timesheets, Internship Midterm Report, Midterm Student Evaluation, Midterm Virtual Site Visit with Student Presentation	At 75 hours completed
Timesheets, Internship Final Report, Final Student Evaluation, Site Assessment, Internship Presentation	At 150 hours completed

To identify and arrange for an internship requires the work of a team. In the MPH program that team includes you (as the student), the internship coordinator and the faculty advisor. Once a site is approved and selected, the preceptor joins the team. This team will serve as your support system through the process of identifying, preparing for and successfully completing the internship. Active communication is imperative in this process. It is important for you to include the entire team on all communications related to the internship to help ensure their active engagement.

Internship Coordinator

The MPH internship coordinator will be your key contact in this process. The internship coordinator assists you in identifying internship sites and preceptors. Throughout the internship, the coordinator will stay in contact with your team to discuss your progress. The internship coordinator determines what grade you will receive at the completion of the internship.

Faculty Advisor

Your faculty advisor discusses internship opportunities with you that match your goals and identified competencies. The advisor will approve your project and stay in contact with you to discuss internship progress and to resolve challenges that may arise.

Internship Preceptor

Preceptors play an important role in the overall success of the internship project. Your preceptor will serve as your day-to-day manager and supervisor of the overall project. The preceptor is also responsible for a significant portion of the internship grade. It is important that you feel comfortable with and supported by the preceptor.

Final approval of the internship preceptor is at the discretion of the internship coordinator and faculty advisor and must be in alignment with accreditation (CEPH) standards.

CEPH competencies set a baseline for skills that master students should be competent in upon graduation. The MPH Core Competency Model includes competencies in the five traditional core areas of public health and seven interdisciplinary/cross-cutting areas and applies to students upon graduation from a CEPH-accredited school or program of public health:

• Biostatistics
• Environmental Health Sciences
• Epidemiology
• Health Policy and Management
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Communication and Informatics
• Diversity and Culture
• Leadership
• Public Health Biology
• Professionalism
• Program Planning
• Systems Thinking

A specific list can be provided by your instructor or through the Graduate Student Resource Center.

Background checks policy for University programs

Some state, as well as federal laws, now require that any individual who regularly provides services to certain segments of the population (generally, those deemed "vulnerable" or "special," including but not limited to children and the sick) must submit to a criminal background check in order to obtain and maintain privileges in clinical and/or educational settings. Additionally, many sites affiliated with the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ for educational purposes have adopted this requirement.

It is not ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ policy to perform background checks on all ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ students, and the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ does not certify or vouch for the background of the students who participate in an internship. Accordingly, an organization must conduct its own background check or require the student to obtain a background check, if the organization wants to determine fitness for duty using that information. It shall be the organization's responsibility to evaluate the results of such background check and determine the student's fitness for duty.

Disclosure: Background check requirements

As a student in the School of Public Health, you may be required to submit to a background check before being assigned to a clinical facility. The clinical facility will review your background and either accept or reject you for clinical placement. If you receive an adverse action notice from the agency conducting the background check, you have the right to contact the director of human resources at the clinical facility where you are being placed. You may explain the adverse action to the clinical facility and request to be accepted for placement at the facility. If the facility rejects you for placement after review and discussion with you, the clinical facility will notify your program and your field education coordinator for your program will attempt to place you at another facility. If you cannot be placed at a clinical facility and failure to have a clinical rotations or internship will prevent you from completing your program, you will be advised to withdraw from the program.

Students must be aware that:

1. If a criminal background check is required for placement at any internship or clinical facility, the expense for the check will be borne by the student or requesting
2. Student's responsibilities: Each student required to provide a criminal background check must provide documentation that they have completed the fingerprinting and criminal background check as required by the clinical facility. Students may need to provide this information prior to beginning a clinical or educational Students need to be aware of the requirements of their program and provide this information in compliance with the stated due date.
3. Results of a criminal background check will not be the property of The University and will not require the submission of results to the School of Public Health or the University.
4. If a student fails to pass a criminal background check they may be ineligible for enrollment and/or participation in the course/activity being
5. The School of Public Health or the University does not accept responsibility for any student being ineligible for coursework or continued enrollment in the School of Public Health for any reason, including failure to pass a criminal background.