Getting a master’s in public health, which is often referred to as an MPH degree, has slowly become one of the frontrunners for the most popular professional degree in the health area. The reason why is the fact that the job opportunities are numerous, salaries go well above the average for the nation, and the rewards and responsibilities are very fulfilling. In order to get to the starting point of the career, however, one must obtain the aforementioned degree. During that process, it is just a matter of time before questions regarding internships come around. So, should you expect to do an internship while doing your MPH coursework?
Every School Is Different
While many students look for a “yes” or “no” answer, this particular question cannot be resolved so easily. Although internships for MPH students are innumerable and a lot of schools strongly advise people to complete at least one, many institutions have no pertinent mandatory requirements. That means that you may not have to worry about an internship because the school does not force anyone to do it. Of course, “many” institutions do not account for every single MPH program around the nation. For instance, degrees offered at The University of Arizona, University of Florida, and University of Missouri Health all mandate their MPH students to do an internship. Thus, attending one of these institutions in order to obtain a graduate degree in public health will result in at least a few hundreds of hours of practical work.
Benefits of Doing an Internship in Public Health
Since the requirements vary and there is no way to provide a clear-cut answer, considering the benefits and shortcomings is the best starting point. In other words, if you do not have to do an internship, would you be better off just sticking to regular coursework or still finding some kind of temporary work?
There are dozens of benefits of completing an MPH internship. Some of the most important ones include:
- Getting to experience the work in the real world;
- Taking advantage of the on-the-job training;
- Building professional relationships that could translate to a full-time job;
- Earning competitive pay that offsets the costs of an MPH degree.
Not to mention that this experience will undoubtedly improve your job marketability by an enormous margin. In other words, there is really no way to downplay all the positive sides of an MPH internship.
Shortcomings of Doing an Internship in Public Health
Saying that there is nothing bad about doing an internship in public health would be a far-reaching statement. In fact, according to Forbes Magazine, the number of students who complete internships has been declining over the past few years. Forbes sees this as a clear indication that you do not need such experience to land your first job. So, the main shortcoming is the fact that an internship may not actually boost your starting pay at all. Some other downsides include the time that you must spend working instead of studying as well as the potential delay in graduation.
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Ultimately, unless your school has rules in this area, you will get to make the final decision. The vast majority of students getting their MPH degrees, however, decide to simply do an internship as the benefits seem to almost effortlessly outweigh the shortcomings.