Opportunities
Program Overview
The Pathways Program aims to strengthen North Carolina’s governmental public health workforce by providing practical experience, tailored education, and professional development opportunities to individuals at different career stages, from college-level students to early career professionals and those new to public health.
The primary initiatives of this program include:
Internship Program
For junior and senior undergraduate students in North Carolina.
Practicum Program
For graduate students enrolled in a masters-level public health degree program in North Carolina.
New Professionals Program
For new full-time early career staff of NC local health departments with less than two years of public health experience.
PHuture Leaders Program
For early‑career governmental public health professionals in North Carolina with less than three years of experience.
Interested in Hiring an Intern or Practicum Student?
NC Division of Public Health (NC DPH) and local health department partners must complete a submission form to list internship or practicum opportunities in our databases.
The Pathways Program Team will review completed submission forms for relevancy and completeness and contact the submitter with any questions. Approved opportunities will be displayed in the appropriate Opportunities Database, where students may apply during the application period.
When completing an Internship or Practicum Submission Form, partners may request a list of strong candidates.
The Pathways Program Team identifies strong candidates by by screening each applicant’s materials against the position's minimum requirements, preferred skills, and other position details.
If partners prefer to not receive a screened list, the Pathways Program Team will provide an unscreened list of all applicants.
Partners are responsible for selecting a candidate in their preferred manner; interviews are recommended, but not required. Once a candidate is selected, the partner must notify the Pathways Program Team to ensure the student is enrolled in the appropriate Pathways Program.
