Frequently Asked Questions about Internships and Volunteer Opportunities
What is the difference between an intern and volunteer?
A volunteer serves with the Department of Public Health to gain experience and/or personal fulfillment. Volunteers will not receive academic credit. Volunteers can include community members, students, or any qualified individual interested in serving LA County.
An intern is a student that works with the Department of Public Health to gain experience and receive academic credit for their participation.
What are the requirements for an internship?
You must be enrolled at a university with a partnership agreement with LA County.
Students must have junior, senior, or graduate level standing and be completing their internship for academic credit or internship hours.
All County workforce members (including interns) must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Successful candidates for this position will be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Candidates should not present proof of vaccination until instructed to do so by the hiring department.
Interns must submit an application to the Department of Human Resources Academic Internship Program:
www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty/jobs/1197376/academic-internship (after a Department of Public Health program office has agreed to host them).
Which schools have partnerships with Los Angeles County for internships?
As of June 13, 2022, Partner Colleges/Universities include:
Antelope Valley College
A.T. Still University
Azusa Pacific University – School of Nursing
Azusa Pacific University – School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences
Baylor University
Biola University
California Lutheran University
California State University (All Campuses)
Capella University
Cerritos Community College
Chamberlain University
Claremont Graduate University
Columbia University
Concorde Career College
East Los Angeles College
Elon University
George Washington University
Grand Canyon University
Hawai’i Pacific University
Holy Names University
Liberty University
Loma Linda University
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Mission College
Los Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Southwest College
Los Angeles Trade-Tech College
Los Angeles Valley College
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Louisiana State University, Shreveport
Loyola Marymount University
Michigan State University
Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles
National University
New England Institute of Technology
Occidental College
Pomona College
Rio Hondo College
Rush University Medical Center
Scripps College
Simmons University
Southern New Hampshire University
State University of New York at Albany
State University of New York at Buffalo
Texas A&M University – Commerce
The Chicago School
UCLA Extension
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
UMASS Global
University of Arizona
University of La Verne
University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California
USC School of Social Work
West Coast University
West Los Angeles College
Western University
Whittier College
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What can I do if my school does not have a partnership agreement with LA County?
You may also gain experience as a volunteer with the Department of Public Health. However, you will not receive academic credit as a volunteer.
You can email the Academic Internship Program at Interns@hr.lacounty.gov and provide them with the name of your college or university’s Internship Coordinator, as well as their phone number and email address. They will contact your school and inquire about an agreement. Some schools decide not to enter into a partnership with the County of Los Angeles, which means students from those institutions are not eligible to participate in internships with LA County.
Are internships and volunteer positions paid opportunities?
No, the Department of Public Health is currently not offering paid intern or volunteer positions. However, LA County often has opportunities for
Student Professional Workers
, which are paid positions for students enrolled in school.
Comparison of internship, volunteer, and student professional worker opportunities:
Is there a list of public health internships with specialty areas listed?
Yes, the list can be found in the
Internships and Volunteers Catalog, starting on Page 3.
How do I apply?
1. Review project descriptions and apply accordingly.
- For an internship opportunity (seeking academic credit), go to website:
https://hr.lacounty.gov/academic-internships/ to get started. You must apply to Los Angeles County’s Academic Internship Program (AIP) and complete their orientation prior to interning with a Department of Public Health program.
- For a volunteer opportunity (not seeking academic credit), email
HRAdminSupport@ph.lacounty.gov.
2. Select the project(s) of interest.
- For internships, LA County’s Academic Internship Program (AIP) will work with you and send your resume to the programs that have projects you are interested in.
- For volunteering, you may send your resume to the program’s contact person of the project you are interested into inquire if they are accepting volunteers.
3. The program will contact you for an interview if the can host an intern or volunteer.
What should I do if I don’t hear back after an interview?
We would recommend sending one follow up email. If you do not get a response, it would be best to look for another opportunity.
How many hours per week are internships?
As a general rule, interns are expected to be available at least 8 hours a week.
Can Los Angeles County employees also participate in internships?
Yes, County employees can apply to be interns. County employees should work with their current supervisors to ensure that internships do not conflict with work obligations. Employees should follow the same process detailed above to apply.
Does the Department of Public Health have nurse preceptorships?
The Department of Public Health only offers nurse preceptorships with the 9 universities that have affiliation agreements. Nurse preceptorships must be arranged through the university. In addition, students need to be completing their Community/Public Health Nursing practicum to participate in a preceptorship with us. Nursing students must be a part of a cohort that is accompanied by a clinical instructor in order to rotate in the Department of Public Health. The affiliated universities include:
- Azusa Pacific University
- California State University Fullerton
- California State University Los Angeles
- California State University Dominguez Hills
- California State University Northridge
- Charles Drew University
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of San Francisco
- West Coast University
- Western University
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