Internship

The faculty-supervised internship (minimum of 120 hours) is an integral component of the Health Care Administration major. Students, under the direction of a preceptor, are given opportunities for management-related experience in local, national, and international health care organizations.

You must complete a faculty-supervised internship prior to graduation; you may enroll in up to 3 HCA internships for academic credit before graduation. The required HCA Internship and capstone course is HCA 580.

The internship application is required, and must be completed online and submitted by the October 1 deadline for the following Spring semester, and by the March 1 deadline for the following Fall semester (or summer semester when pre-approved to graduate on time). By the same deadline, forward your unofficial transcript and draft resume with skills and relevant courses included to Kathleen Olewinski at kmo@uwm.edu.

The internship application is separate from the application to the HCA major. Please refer to the UWM HCA Program Flow Chart (PDF).

Eligibility

To be eligible to complete the required senior internship, you must:

1. Submit a completed internship application by:
   1. October 1 for the following Spring semester
   2. March 1 for the following Fall semester
   3. Summer internships may also be approved by the internship coordinator if required to graduate on time, if eligibility criteria are met and a completed application is submitted by March 1.
2. Have senior status in the HCA program.
3. Adhere to all professional behavior standards.
4. Submit required paperwork from mandatory orientation which includes completion of a background check.

Criminal Background Check

If you have been asked to have a criminal background check done in preparation for your internship, you will get instructions during the mandatory HCA Program Orientation upon your admission to the major.

Health Screening Requirements

Health screening requirements must also be met for specific sites prior to placement consideration. Physical and health screening forms are provided as part of the mandatory HCA Program Orientation.

UWM Career Planning & Resource Center (CPRC)

• Non-credit and experiential internships may be available
• Walk-in career advising, as well as information regarding jobs, career fairs, and resources for students and alumni.
• Handshake to search for jobs and internships in all fields