NEPHIP for Students

This internship is designed to allow students to gain a firsthand perspective on the day-to-day responsibilities of environmental public health professionals, make invaluable connections with those working in the field, and consider careers working in state, tribal, local, or territorial environmental public health agencies following graduation.

Student Applications are Closed for Spring 2027

• The Spring 2027 application is now closed.
• Acceptances and matching are anticipated to be completed by the end of November for the Spring 2027 session.
• Spring session internship experiences will begin in January 2027 and conclude by the end of May 2027.

Student Applications are Open for Summer 2027

• Complete the Summer 2027 application online
• The deadline to submit an application and all supplemental materials is Monday, February 1, 2027.
• NEPHIP is offering an Early Application Review option for the Summer 2027 session:
  • Students who apply by December 1, 2026 will be considered during the early review and matching period in December and January (applying early gives top candidates a greater chance of being matched earlier and knowing their summer plans sooner.
  • Applications submitted after December 1 will still be accepted until February 1, 2027, when final reviews will begin.
• Acceptances and matching are anticipated to be completed by the end of March 2027. Summer session internship experiences will begin in May/June 2027 and be completed by the end of August 2027.
• Learn more about the program and application process by attending our Information Session on Wednesday, October 28 at 1pm ET. Click here to register.
• Students interested in future internships can complete our interest form and we will contact you when the application opens.

Applications

To be considered for placement in NEPHIP, students need to provide:

• The complete application.
• Their most recent resume to be uploaded with the application.
• An unofficial transcript, to be uploaded with the application. Please black out personal information such as social security number, student identification number, and address prior to submission.
• The PDF Letter of Recommendation form from a faculty member of the EH program at the EHAC-accredited academic institution. A letter may be substituted if preferred.

Eligibility

To be considered as an intern for this program, students need to:

• Attend an environmental health academic program that is accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) for undergraduate or graduate programs.
• Be a current sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student at the time the application is submitted and have completed at least one full year of academic training with most courses in environmental health focus areas.
• Be enrolled as a student during the internship. Students who will graduate prior to the internship session will not be eligible to participate.
• Have active health insurance.

International students are eligible to apply.

Internship Format

To allow flexibility for students, NEPHIP now offers the internship experience via virtual, in-person/on-site, or hybrid formats depending on student and host program needs.

Project Types

Projects are open to a wide variety of environmental public health issues and program needs identified by environmental public health host sites. Review our NEPHIP Student Guide for project examples and considerations.

Matching

Our staff will match the selected interns with the host environmental public health programs based on geolocation preferences, interests, and professional goals that align with opportunities at the host program. NEHA cannot guarantee the preferred placement.

Terms of Agreement

All arrangements for the internship, including start and end dates, work hours or timesheet, sick policy, etc. should be made by the academic program in partnership with the intern and host program mentor to meet academic guidelines and requirements. For the student to receive funding, we must receive signed documentation that internship arrangements have been approved by the academic program, student, and host program. Review the NEPHIP Student Guide to understand what is expected.

Funding Details

The CDC's Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch is providing funding to support environmental health undergraduate and graduate college students currently enrolled in a National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) accredited institution in internships at state, tribal, local, and territorial environmental public health agencies.

Learn More

• NEPHIP Student Guide | PDF
  • Intern Terms of Agreement, pages 10-12
  • Project Guidance, pages 13-14
• Details for Health Departments | Webpage
• National Environmental Health Science & Protection Accreditation Council, EHAC | Webpage

Contact: NEPHIP@neha.org