Public health is a broad discipline that focuses on the wellness, illness prevention, and health equity for individuals, populations, and communities. Career opportunities in global and public health are diverse, and include areas such as: health services administration, environmental health, data analysis, health policy, biostatistics, epidemiology, health education, mental health, behavioral science, international health, maternal and child health, public health practice, program management, capacity building, and global health delivery.

Finding Internships

Peruse the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health & Well-Being) and related goal targets for areas where you’d like to make an impact in this field.  Consider getting international experience during the summer (and/or a post-graduate internship). Returning students can check out the MCS independent or third-party internship funding for opportunities abroad. Identify an organization whose mission you value and check their website for opportunities, or be proactive and contact them. Organizations that arrange international opportunities typically charge a fee and provide a range of services that might include: placement with a host organization, orientation, in-country support, housing assistance, training, and sometimes a stipend. Evaluate these organizations carefully to determine whether there’s a good match with the opportunity—as well as with the organization—and speak with several past participants about their experiences.

Finding Jobs

Entry-level jobs can be found in many settings including community health centers, research institutions, consulting firms, start-ups, government departments, international organizations, and more! Identify organizations whose mission you value and check their websites for entry-level opportunities. Learn more about the recruiting structure of the organizations to help you plan your approach. Consider a paid post-graduate internship or fellowship, if available. Identify your interest areas and seek opportunities that will help you get experience and build skills. Depending on how you’d like to contribute, foreign language ability, interpersonal skills, and cross-cultural competence are increasingly important.  Conduct informational interviews with alumni or peers who work in global or public health as a way of learning more about organizations and roles as well as getting referrals to potential hiring manager. Connect with employers through events hosted by MCS, student organizations, or other Harvard institutes.

Graduate and Professional Programs

In general, the M.P.H., M.H.A., M.S.G.H., and Dr.P.H. degrees are oriented toward practice in public health settings, such as health departments, managed care organizations, community-based programs, hospitals, international agencies, state and federal agencies, etc. The M.S.P.H. and Ph.D. programs are oriented toward careers in academics and research. To find and select public health schools you should begin your search with the Association of Schools of Public Health, which lists accredited programs.

Breaking into Biotech & Pharma: Key Takeaways from Harvard Alumni Panel

Last week, we gathered for a Biotech and Pharma Alumni Career Pathways Panel, where industry professionals shared insights on navigating careers in this dynamic field. Whether you missed it or just need a refresher, here are the major takeaways and …

By Caroline Rende
Caroline Rende Associate Director of Graduate Career Exploration
Read more

…But How Do I Make The Right Choice?

It’s that time of year – you’re starting to hear back from volunteer sites, research opportunities, graduate schools, or internship/job applications. Now that you know what your possibilities are, how do you decide which one to pursue?

Making big decisions …

By Katie Fell
Katie Fell Advisor, Harvard College Still Deciding, Exploring, & Self-Assessment
Read more

Dianelis Lopez, Molecular and Cellular Biology

Where are you located now?
São Paulo, Brazil

What are you doing?
I will be engaging with the immigrant community in Brazil through and immersive travel cultural experience, and later on I will be conducting malaria research at the University …

By Mignone Center for Career Success
Mignone Center for Career Success
Read more

Sidebar

Featured Resources

Below is a sample of the organizations that have structured leadership development programs. These entry-level programs often allow employees to …

Job Market InsightsIn partnership withLightcast logo

Find a career that aligns with your career interests, see current salary projects, and identify skills you need to apply for that next job or internship.

There are two ways to use this tool below:

  1. By Keyword: Search for the name of the occupation you’re interested in.
  2. By Occupation: Not sure what job you’d like? See available occupations within this career pathway/industry.

First, choose an industry of interest, then filter for occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Type in a keyword to select a relevant occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

GRADUATE SPOTLIGHTS

Meet Atlas
Meet Emmanouela
Meet Daniel
Meet Cody
Meet Samantha
Meet Robert
  • Boston, MA
  • Research Fellow CAUSALab and Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention, Harvard
Meet Emma
Meet Peter
  • New Hampshire
  • International Program Specialist - Eastern Europe & Central Asia Department of Commerce - Commercial Law Development Program
Meet Kacie
Meet Harim Won
Meet Kyle Colonna
Meet Madalyn Won
Meet Noémie Sportiche
Meet James Travis Donahoe
Meet Futu Chen
Meet Daniel Alejandro Arias
Meet Kevin F. Jura

Contact & Location

Phone
617-495-2595
Address

Harvard University
54 Dunster Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

MCS Hours

Monday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

The Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS) is committed to ensuring access to a broad range of information and opportunities across all sectors. Our website contains external content that may be useful to our learners. The inclusion of external content does not necessarily constitute endorsement, recommendation, or agreement with the information.