office of PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT

Contact :

CDPH Internship Program

CDPHInternships@cdph.ca.gov

CDPH Internship Program

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) offers paid internships for undergraduate and graduate students. Internships provide opportunities to work in a variety of different public health disciplines such as health education, epidemiology, health statistics, laboratory sciences, public policy, healthcare administration, human resources, information technology, data science, informatics, and communications. An internship with CDPH offers exposure to state-level public service and equips aspiring public health leaders with professional development opportunities to help prepare them for the workforce upon graduation.

Sign up to receive future notifications about upcoming cohorts!

The next chance to apply for paid placement opportunities will be for the Spring 2026 cohort, currently scheduled to begin on February 3, 2026. For more information about joining CDPH as a volunteer this fall, visit our Volunteer Program webpage.

If you would like to receive recruitment updates about future cohorts, including the CDPH Volunteer Program, please complete the CDPH Internship Program Interest Form to be added to the mailing list.

Internship Program Details

Paid internships are offered every spring and fall. (Please see the Volunteer Program page for summer internship opportunities.)
Remote, hybrid, and onsite internships are available. A majority of hybrid and onsite placements will be hosted at our Richmond and Sacramento campuses.
Interns are paid an hourly wage and work 18 to 29 hours per week.
Starting rates of pay are pre-determined by placement location and the candidate’s level of education.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered for a paid internship:

Reside in the state of California throughout the duration of the internship.
Applicants must be enrolled at a school listed on the Affiliated Colleges and Universities (PDF)
Students must be enrolled in at least: six-semester units or nine quarter units for undergraduate students; four-semester units or six quarter units for graduate students.
Students must be available to work between 18 to 29 hours per week during normal business hours (Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.) Interns are not permitted to work during evenings or weekends.
Paid interns must provide proof of eligibility to work in the United States. DACA and International students are eligible to apply.

Preferred Requirements

Students studying Public Health, Data and Informatics, Information Technologies, Communications, Health Education, and other supporting fields are encouraged to apply.
Priority is given to college seniors and juniors, masters candidates, and transferring junior college students.

Cohort	Timeline
Spring 2025	February 4 to May 16, 2025
Fall 2025 Applications for paid placement opportunities are closed. For information about joining CDPH as a volunteer, visit the Volunteer Program webpage.	September 3 to December 12, 2025
Spring 2026 Complete the CDPH Program Interest Form to receive future recruitment notifications.	February 3 to May 15, 2026