Master of Professional
Science in Biomedical and
Health Informatics Program
Explore This Program
Internship
Internship Overview
The Master of Professional Science in Biomedical and Health Informatics (BMHI) internship is a personalized, mentored, hands-on learning experience that connects students’ academic studies with real-world professional practice. The internship provides unique learning opportunities that complement and enhance the academic elements of the BMHI program.
The timing of the internship can vary for each student; however, most full-time students will engage in the internship during the summer term. Internship opportunities will involve a project related to the health informatics field that is of value to the organization.
Important Steps
Student-Led Internship
Although the internship coordinator works closely with industry and faculty contacts to inform of available opportunities, students are expected to take initiative in identifying, arranging, and ultimately securing an internship that fulfills the BMHI program requirements.
Note to international students: For students under the F-1 visa, the internship is considered a Curricular Practical Training (CPT). International students should review information about CPT prior to starting the internship search.
Visit the UNC International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) website for additional CPT information and to complete the CPT application for approval.
- Students must complete at least nine credit hours in the program prior to starting their internship.
- Students must work 300 hours to receive credit.
- Internship must be related to health informatics
- Students may work on-campus at UNC-Chapel Hill OR off-campus.
- Internships may be paid or unpaid.
- Students may not receive retroactive credit for internship completed before enrollment.
- Students may pursue an internship at their current place of employment – however, the internship project must be different from their current role or day-to-day tasks, and the internship mentor must be different from their current supervisor/manager in their permanent position.
The expectation is for the student to work on a project in healthcare that exposes the student to healthcare informatics – with elements such as: creation/use of data sets, methods/processes to find data insights, data visualization, and machine learning applied to healthcare data sets.
Tools, methods or processes could include:
- Data visualization to show data insights
- SQL for database querying and manipulation
- Python, R, or SAS for data analysis and statistical modeling
- Machine Learning techniques for predictive/prescriptive modeling
- Statistical methods for healthcare research and analysis
Students may also work on improving, redesigning, and evaluating healthcare systems or applications such as Electronic Health Records or mobile apps.
The internship requires students to apply graduate-level skills & competencies acquired in the BMHI program.
Approximately 50% of students secure internships within the UNC system or with UNC faculty, while the other half find opportunities in the industry. Examples of organizations where students have interned include:
- RTI International
- SAS Institute
- IQVIA
- Kaiser Permanente
- Blue Cross Blue Shield – NC
- RENCI
- UNC Health
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Duke Institute for Health Innovation
- ICON plc
Carolina Health Informatics Program Internship Presentations
You can find internship presentation videos on our CHIP YouTube channel. Click the link below to view these examples.