Home: EXPO - Professional Experience for Public Health Graduate Students

EXPO - Professional Experience for Public Health Graduate Students

What is EXPO?

Experiential Learning Opportunities, or EXPO, is a program that provides a $3500 stipend to graduate students in public health to build expertise and gain real-world experience on their paths to professional careers. This Health Resources and Services Administration program helps students increase their skills while organizations achieve their goals.

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Just a Few Exciting Projects Students Have Completed

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Student Testimonials

Enjoy this 8-minute introductory video where participating students share how EXPO works and its surprising benefits for them. Click here to watch the Making the Most of Your Field Placement Opportunities Video.

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Projects? What Kinds?

FIRST KIND: Field Placement

Students embed in a public health-related agency to get experience on a career-related professional project. They gain practical, marketable skills by interning with a site supervisor (note: the site supervisor is not a faculty member).

Requirements and deliverables include:

Finish in one year (2 years for part-time students)
Scientific report or poster presentation
Abstract to submit to a public health conference
Abstract for Pitt Public Health Dean’s Day (Pitt students only)
Other deliverables required by host organization

Click here to learn more about available Field Placements

Detailed info: EXPO Field Placement Handbook

SECOND KIND: Collaborative Project

Students receive mentoring from a university faculty professor. Following rigorous scientific protocols, students get experience with peer-review level research. Topics center on evidence-based practice in public health organizations.

Requirements and deliverables include:

Finish in 3–6 months
Scientific report or poster presentation
Abstract to submit to a public health conference
Abstract for Pitt Public Health Dean’s Day (Pitt students only)
Other deliverables required by faculty mentor

Detailed info: EXPO Collaborative Project Handbook

Do you have an idea for a field placement or collaborative project? Click on the links below to learn more.

Field Placement – Students
Field Placement – Organization
Collaborative Project – Students and Faculty

Experiential Learning Infographic

See the wide range of opportunities for learning and contributing with this colorful infographic illustrating types of organizations, areas of study, core competencies, presentations, and field placement sites past students have explored. Click here to view the Experiential Learning 2019–20 Infographic.

Academic Partners

Besides Pitt, universities participating in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Public Health Training Center EXPO program include:
Academic Partners

Each EXPO Partner has its own guidelines for facilitating EXPO Partner Field Placements for students at their university.

Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health; for more information, contact Ijeoma Okere at iuo24@drexel.edu
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; for more information, contact Dan Barnett at dbarnet4@jhu.edu
West Virginia University School of Public Health; for more information, contact Audra Hamrick at ahamric3@hsc.wvu.edu

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Get Started

First Things First: Are you eligible?

You can get all the benefits of completing an EXPO project by meeting just three simple requirements:

You must not have previously completed an EXPO project.
You must be enrolled part-time or full-time in an accredited graduate school of public health (Master’s or Doctoral program).
You must be a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen U.S. national, or a foreign national who is a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident—that is, in possession of a green card.

NOTE: INDIVIDUALS ON A STUDENT VISA ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A FIELD PLACEMENT OR COLLABORATIVE PROJECT.

How to Get a Field Placement

Check out these three pathways to a placement.

1. CHOOSE AN EXISTING OPPORTUNITY from these postings and complete an application form.

Assessing the Impact of Services upon Our Referral Agencies and Families Served – Pittsburgh, PA
Evaluation of the Youth Program at Casa San Jose – virtual (Pittsburgh, PA)
Maternal Health among African-American Women in Rural VA – virtual (Blacksburg, VA)
Social Determinants of Health Regional and Accountable Health Initiatives – virtual (Philadelphia, PA)
Southwestern PA Cancer and Environment Network – Education and Outreach – virtual (Lowell, MA)
Staffing Study of Regulatory Enforcement Programs at Local Health Departments – Pittsburgh, PA

Click on the link below to access the EXPO Student Field Placement Application.
EXPO Student Field Placement Application – Download

2. CONTACT US FOR A CONSULTATION. Tell us what public health topics interest you most and we will help you find and reach out to an organization that matches. Just email us at marphtc@pitt.edu to get the ball rolling.

3. CREATE YOUR OWN PROJECT. Already have your own idea and organization lined up? Great! Future employers love this kind of initiative! Click on the link below for motivation and procedures.
Student-initiated Field Placements

How to Get a Collaborative Project at a College or University

Students and faculty can create a Collaborative Project together using the EXPO Collaborative Project Proposal available at the link below.

EXPO Collaborative Project Proposal - Download

Click here to learn more about Collaborative Projects

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New Idea

Got a New Project Idea?

Students

Could I really launch my dream career in public health NOW?

DESIGN A FIELD PLACEMENT AROUND WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT!

Work on topic meaningful to YOU
Show future employers your INITIATIVE
Express your CREATIVITY
Forge your own path in your career and your life
Stand out from the crowd
Download Form: Pitt Public Health EXPO Field Placement Proposal Form Student-initiated Project

Organizations

We have so many urgent and worthwhile projects in our pipeline. We could really use some help from a great student!

FIELD PLACEMENT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

Exceed mission goals with substantial public health contributions not possible with existing staff
Innovate with fresh perspectives from graduate students
Mentor students while benefiting your own stakeholders
Interview a student yourself for the best match
Download Form: EXPO Field Placement Request Form Site Supervisor-initiated Project

Faculty

I’d love to mentor a talented graduate student on my public health research project.

COLLABORATIVE PROJECT WITH A GRADUATE STUDENT

Enjoy mentoring a graduate student interested in your research
High-level students bring fresh perspectives to your projects
Promote evidence-based practice in the next generation of public health professionals
Co-author a published academic scientific report or poster
Interview a student yourself for the best match
Download Form: EXPO Collaborative Project Proposal

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Networking: EXPO Exchange

What?

Convenient, distance-accessible interactive forums

Why?

Get current insider tips through panel discussions with advanced public health professionals
Enjoy informal conversations with peers about EXPO experiences and projects
Build lifelong career and networking connections
Get answers and solve problems with your projects and your career direction
Tap into exclusive resources about regional public health issues and interdisciplinary possibilities

Who?

Your peers and future colleagues: EXPO students from many locations
Your future employer: encounter supervisors from real-world public health organizations
Mingle with potential faculty mentors doing cutting-edge research
Uncover opportunities with community-based training partners (more potential employers)

When?