Community Health and Interdisciplinary Health Internships/Experiential Learning
One of the strategic goals of the University of Illinois is to encourage students to complete an internship, capstone or other learning experience. Each unit in the Department of Health and Kinesiology encourages—and, in many cases, requires—students to gain exposure to experiential learning through a field placement, either at the undergraduate or graduate level.
Every year, hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students in Health and Kinesiology gain professional experience through external placements. Bachelor’s degree programs in community health, interdisciplinary health sciences, speech and hearing science, and recreation, sport and tourism include internships among their graduation requirements. Graduate students in public health, health administration and health technology must complete external placements and capstone projects with professional partners.
Each of these requirements is designed to give students real-world, hands-on experience that helps them transition from school to the workforce. Internships also allow students to apply the knowledge they’ve gained from their studies, and to bring fresh perspectives to the organizations with which they work.
Intern Interview Videos
Internship Courses
HK 471: Community Health Internship (8 credit hours)
This course provides students with supervised field experience in official, voluntary and professional health agencies. It is designed to allow students to gain work experience in actual field situations. Students will work in university-approved health agencies and/or on course assignments that will prepare students for their future careers as health professionals. These experiences will be tailored for each student.
Requirements: The completion of the internship is a requirement for graduation for all community health students. There is no graduate credit. Approved for S/U grading only.
Prerequisite: Senior standing in community health.
Restrictions: Restricted to community health majors; restricted to students with senior class standing.
HK 471: Interdisciplinary Health Internship (4 undergraduate credit hours/4 graduate credit hours)
This course is designed to emphasize field and research experiences that facilitate working with individuals from a variety of health disciplines. Field experience and research placements will be selected to best prepare students to address issues of health within their concentration areas.
In-class sessions will focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, professionalism and important global health issues. This course serves as the capstone course for i-Health majors.
Prerequisite: Restricted to senior i-Health majors.
Handbooks
On-Campus Internship Opportunities
- Campus Well-Being Services
- The U. of I. Wellness Center aims to empower the Illinois community to incorporate healthful practices into their lives and to help create a culture of wellness that supports healthy living, personal growth. and enhanced quality of life.
- Project examples: Mapping wellness resources on campus and in the Champaign-Urbana area, expanding walking programs for students and faculty and creating wellness newsletters.
- WRC (Women’s Resources Center)
- DRES (Disability Resources and Education Services)
- DRES offers a variety of internship experiences, including career services, physical therapy/athletic training/occupational therapy and the testing office. Outreach is an important component of the internship experience at DRES.
- CCIL (Cancer Center Illinois)
- CDL (Child Development Laboratory)
- Interns work with the CDL director and associate director to identify health and nutrition issues related to program services provided for enrolled children.
- Project examples: Developing in-service training materials for CDL staff members, assisting teachers with developing health and nutrition educational materials for use in classrooms and developing parent workshops about health and nutrition issues during the early childhood years.
- Chez Veterans Center
- CHAD (Center on Health, Aging, and Disability)
- Interns conduct original research on issues faced by older adults.
- Project examples: Developing and implementing outreach programming and education materials, assisting with public outreach events for older adults and attending and taking minutes at monthly meetings of organizations including Age-Friendly Champaign-Urbana and Champaign County Senior Task Force.
- Preferred skills and qualifications: Passion for working with older adults, strong writing and verbal communication skills, interest in and experience with research and junior or senior standing with a 3.0 GPA.
- Campus Rec
- Beckwith Residential Support Services
- Internships may include outreach activities, assisting with wellness programs and helping students with disabilities navigate campus/completing activities of daily living.
- La Casa Cultural Latina
Professionalism Video Series
Need more resources?
Coordinator of Internship Programs
116 Freer Hall
906 S Goodwin Ave
Urbana, IL 61801