HM Internship Student Information

Preparing for Your Internship

The ideal time to complete your internship is during the summer before your senior year. Based on your individual circumstances, you may choose to do your internship at another time.

• 1Fulfill internship prerequisites
• 2Prepare your materials (two semesters before internship)

• 3Search, apply, and secure (1−2 semesters before internship)

Step 1: Fulfill Internship Prerequisites

Once you've been admitted to the Healthcare Management major, start preparing for your internship. In addition to the Foundation courses, the following Core Courses must be completed before you begin your internship.

• HSM 3051 – Career and Internship Skills in Healthcare Management (2 cr)
• HSM 3521 – Healthcare Delivery Systems (3 cr)
• HSM 4531 – Human Resources in Healthcare Management (3 cr)
• HSM 4541 – Healthcare Management Finance (3 cr)
• HSM 4561W – Management of Healthcare Organizations (3 cr)
• HSM 4591 – Law and Ethics in Healthcare Management (3 cr)
• Recommended: HSM 4301 – Quality and Patient Safety in Healthcare Management (3 cr)
• Recommended: HSM 4043 – Project and Program Management in Healthcare Management (3 cr)

Step 2: Prepare Your Materials

Your HSM 3051 course, Career and Internship Skills in Healthcare Management, will help you refine your professional materials, which may consist of a resume, cover letter, LinkedIn page, Handshake profile at the University of Minnesota, etc. To be prepared for an internship search, students should take HSM 3051 at least two semesters before their planned internship. For example, a student planning for a summer internship should take HSM 3051 no later than the preceding fall.

For additional guidance on preparing your professional materials, reach out to Career and Internship Services. Their office provides broad internship preparation, including practice interviews, networking strategies, and resume and cover letter tips.

Step 3: Search, Apply, and Secure Internship

Search and Apply

After your materials are complete, you'll begin searching for internship opportunities and applying to a variety of positions.

• Talk with your network of contacts (friends, family, coworkers, faculty, etc.).
• Attend networking events and career fairs.
• Use job and internship search resources:
  • Handshake at the University of Minnesota, Indeed, and LinkedIn
  • Company websites (see list of previous HM internship sites)
  • Email updates you’ll receive from HM Internship Coordinator
• Apply for multiple internships.
• Interview.
  • Schedule a practice interview with Career and Internship Services.
  • Complete a practice AI interview for free with Quinncia after uploading your resume.
  • Research organizations and prepare questions for employers.
  • Follow up with a thank-you email or letter after interviews.

Secure Your Internship

The final step is to secure your internship and register for HSM 4596. Your enrollment in HSM 4596 must be in the same semester you complete your internship.

Once you've accepted your position:

• Agree on start and end dates (January−May, May/June−August, September−December) and times. These dates must correspond with the start and end of the academic term.
• Agree on payment terms. Internships can be paid or unpaid, part-time or full-time. The average pay for HM interns in 2024–25 was $20.46 per hour.
• Determine a mentor at the site. This is the individual that will be supervising you and providing feedback throughout your internship. Mentors are typically assigned by the organization, but you should clarify who will serve in this role.
• Submit the Experience Agreement Form via Handshake at the University of Minnesota.
• Upon approval, the Internship Coordinator will send you a permission number to register for the course.

What Will the Internship Be Like?

Your internship should include:

• an orientation to the organization at the start of the internship.
• access to meetings with a variety of internal and external constituents throughout the duration of the experience relevant to your role.
• assigned projects designed to give you practical experience at various administrative levels.
• a mentor as a point of contact in the general management of the organization.
• a final presentation. As a requirement of the HM internship course HSM 4596, you will give a formal presentation on your experience and learning to an audience of students, faculty, and professionals. Past  presentation topics include: provider productivity and compensation metrics, clinical quality metrics and patient retention, patient check-in process improvement, clinical supply workflow implementation, updating databases, policies and procedures, diversity and inclusion initiatives, social media reach, clinic insurance guidebook.

Internship Objectives

Your internship must also meet the following objectives:

• Demonstrate real-time problem-solving and business skills in a health care-related work environment.
• Interpret and observe the role, function, and style of middle and senior management individuals in order to learn from them.
• Apply and evaluate coursework skills, theories, and concepts learned from the Healthcare Management courses within a controlled internship environment.
• Interact with an assigned onsite mentor to meet regularly to discuss progress, skills development, learning and your final presentation.
• Apply skills and expertise learned in the Healthcare Management field by completing a presentation for the employer, faculty and, more generally, the industry as a whole.

Any internship that requires direct care hours will not be approved. HM Internship hours must be administrative related.

Work Hours and Payment

The HM internship requires a minimum of 200 hours. While 200 hours is the minimum program benchmark, you are encouraged to complete as many hours as possible at the internship site. It is not uncommon for students to complete more than one internship experience during their undergraduate education.

Internships can be paid or unpaid. Wages vary according to experience and skills, type of position and employer, and location. The average pay for past HM interns was $20.46 per hour (range of $16−$28 per hour).