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Public health internship education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a public health internship. Public health interns usually study public health, psychology, or biology. 74% of public health interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,075 real public health internship resumes to see exactly what public health internship education sections show.
The most common colleges for public health interns are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online public health internship courses to help get the education required to be a public health internship.
There are certain public health internship certifications that you should consider. These public health internship certifications include Certified Health Unit Coordinator and Certified in Public Health (CPH).
What education do you need to become a public health internship?
What degree do you need to be a public health internship?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a public health internship?
- Public Health, 26%
- Psychology, 14%
- Biology, 8%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for public health interns
| Public health internship common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 7.07% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.07% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.54% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 6.36% |
| Oregon State University | 6.18% |
Best majors for public health interns
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Health | 26.0% |
| 2 | Psychology | 13.7% |
| 3 | Biology | 8.0% |
| 4 | Health Sciences And Services | 4.8% |
| 5 | Business | 4.4% |
Best colleges for public health interns
The best colleges for public health interns are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A public health internship with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for public health interns. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become public health interns.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
8. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
9. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
20 best online courses for public health interns
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1. Data and Health Indicators in Public Health Practice
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This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and...
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9. Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2
This course, Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2, addresses public health issues of people affected by disasters, both natural or conflict-related. It discusses the many changes that occur in people’s lives when they are uprooted by a disaster, including many important topics related to humanitarian crises, such as when there is an epidemic a public health emergency; what do we mean with the humanitarian development nexus; what are the basics of disaster epidemiology and surveillance;...
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Public Mental Health is the application of the principles of medicine and social science to prevent the occurrence of mental and behavioral disorders and to promote mental health of the population. This course illustrates the principles of public health applied to depressive disorder, including principles of epidemiology, transcultural psychiatry, health services research, and prevention. It is predicted that by 2020 depressive disorder will be the most important cause of disease burden in the...
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12. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Health & Wellness
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13. Hypothesis Testing in Public Health
Biostatistics is an essential skill for every public health researcher because it provides a set of precise methods for extracting meaningful conclusions from data. In this second course of the Biostatistics in Public Health Specialization, you'll learn to evaluate sample variability and apply statistical hypothesis testing methods. Along the way, you'll perform calculations and interpret real-world data from the published scientific literature. Topics include sample statistics, the central...
14. Foundations of Public Health Practice
This specialisation will enable you to reflect on and cultivate the behaviours you require to become an effective public health professional –whether as an academic, practitioner, clinician, manager or leader.The specialisation is shaped into four courses covering the origins of public health, health improvement, behaviour change, and health protection. The specialisation will draw upon learning from the Statistics for Public Health and Epidemiology for Public Health specialisations, and builds...
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16. NEBOSH health and safety Management System
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17. Leadership for Public Health Crises
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18. Biostatistics in Public Health
This specialization is intended for public health and healthcare professionals, researchers, data analysts, social workers, and others who need a comprehensive concepts-centric biostatistics primer. Those who complete the specialization will be able to read and respond to the scientific literature, including the Methods and Results sections, in public health, medicine, biological science, and related fields. Successful learners will also be prepared to participate as part of a research team...
19. Epidemiology in Public Health Practice
This specialization is intended for people working or aspiring to work in the field of public health at the local, regional, and national level. Over five courses taught by faculty from the preeminent school of public health, you'll learn to use the core epidemiologic toolset to measure the health of populations, assess interventions, collect and analyze data, and investigate outbreaks and epidemics...
20. Introduction to Digital health
This course introduces the field of digital health and the key concepts and definitions in this emerging field. The key topics include Learning Health Systems and Electronic Health Records and various types of digital health technologies to include mobile applications, wearable technologies, health information systems, telehealth, telemedicine, machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data. These technologies are assessed in terms of the key opportunities and challenges to their use...
Top 10 most affordable universities for public health interns
The most affordable schools for public health interns are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for public health interns are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for public health interns.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for public health interns
The hardest universities for public health interns to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for public health interns are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for public health interns based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for public health interns
The easiest schools for public health interns to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, marymount university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a public health internship without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for public health interns.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,061
6. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
7. Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Lock Haven, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
1,020
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
Average public health internship salary by education level
| Public health internship education level | Public health internship salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,034 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,122 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,322 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,504 |
Public health internship education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025