California State University, Los Angeles Department of Public Health PH 4960 Internship Course Policies and Site Information Advisor: Behjat A. Sharif, PhD, MCHES

A site is any agency that offers an internship. Any site you choose must have a contract with CSULA before you can do an internship there. Please visit the department’s internship website for a list of approved internship sites. *** If a site is not listed: You can request establishing a new contract, see information below on slides

Plan for your Internship Plan your internship several weeks in advance of the semester you want to do your internship. Like other courses, be prepared to register during the University course enrollment period. It’s important to start your internship at the beginning of the semester. This helps your attendance in any training/orientation program by the site as they may have interns from other locations than our department.

Once you have been accepted by a site: 1.Discuss your internship duties and responsibilities with the site supervisor. 2. Acquire a Letter of Acceptance from the site supervisor. You will use this letter to fill out the internship Application and Learning Plan that are posted on the department website. ***Students are required to take one 3 units internship course in one site for the total of 180 hours.

The Letter of Acceptance The site should provide the following on letterhead stationery: 1.Dates of internship and offering you time to complete the required180 hours 2.What you will do (your responsibilities). 3.The name of your site supervisor. 4.A statement that they approve of your Learning Plan. 5.The signature of a site representative. 6.The student should submit this letter, an is not acceptable.

The Application and Learning Plan 1.Print out the internship application and learning plan from the PH Department website. 2.Fill these out, read it completely, include your signature and initials. You may include the Service Objectives & Learning Objectives from the Letter of Acceptance. ***If you are unsure what to write, ask your site supervisor.

Once you have the documents: 1. You can leave the documents at PH department office, (see Caroline Trejo ) to place it in the faculty advisor’s mailbox. 2.Once the PH faculty advisor approves the documents, Caroline is notified to provide you with a permit (via ) to enroll in PH 4960.

To enroll in PH 4960 You need to have: 1.All internship paperwork completed and placed in the faculty advisors mailbox prior to the course enrollment period. 2 Approval from the PH faculty advisor that is send to the PH department (Caroline Trejo). 3Have permit to enroll that is ed to you by Caroline Trejo. 4.Once you have permit, log into GET and enroll in the course. You must do this within two days or the permit elapses.

Internship course materials 1. The syllabus and any other course materials is posted on the Moodle at the beginning of semester. 2. There are scheduled meetings for all student interns for discussion of experiences. 3. See syllabus for details 4. Students can the faculty advisor for assistance throughout the semester.

Proposal for a New Site Contract To request a new site contract, your proposal (one page single space) to the internship faculty advisor with following information: 1. Name of the organization, location address and website. 2. Name, phone #, and address of a contact person. **You should have already received the site agreement for internship contract. 3. Your rationale to include: a.) What you plan to do during your internship b.) List of objectives for your internship c.) Your reasons that the site can be of potential internship interest to other students in our department.

Proposal for a New Site Contract, cont. 4. Provide the above information through an to the PH internship faculty advisor at least 6 weeks prior to the start of semester in which you plan to do your internship. 5. If the site is approved by the faculty supervisor, your request is reported to the PH department for the staff assignment to start process of establishing a contract. *** The process and paperwork involve the PH department, the site and the University. You will be contacted when the contract is signed.

After a new contract is established, you can enroll for an internship there if: 1.The contract is signed before start of the semester in which you want to do an internship. 2.The site must be listed on the approved list on the PH department website for all students information. Please note: This process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. You must submit your request at least 6 weeks prior to the start of the semester. ***Holidays and semester breaks may take more time for the process of establishing new contract.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q: What types of sites are appropriate for an internship? A: Many sites are appropriate, but your internship must involve tasks related to courses you took in your major in public health and your option in community health. Check with the faculty advisor if you are unsure about appropriateness of your internship responsibilities.

FAQs cont. Q: Can I get a paid internship? A: If you find one, sure. However, many internships are unpaid. Q: I already work at an agency. Can I do my internship there? A: You are encouraged to do an internship at a site other than where you work. However, you can if you have a letter from your work with detailed description of your new responsibilities with hours allocated to each one of the activities, a strong rationale, and faculty advisor’s approval of your request. Also, the site must have a contract with CSULA.

FAQs cont. Q: I’m a new Public Health major. When should I do my internships? A: You will do your internships during your senior year. Internships are an opportunity for you to use the knowledge and skills you’ve gained as a PH major, with an option in community health. You are encouraged to take your internship during the last year before your graduation.

FAQs cont. Q. If I don’t make the 180 hours in a semester, can I get an incomplete grade? A: Yes, only if you provide documentation of an unforeseeable/emergency situation. You need to provide documentation to the faculty advisor prior to final exams week. You need to contact the faculty advisor in following semester, not during the campus break, to scheduled meeting to discuss the requirements for completing the course.

Best wishes for a great internship experience! Professor Sharif