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Experiential Learning

The Health: Science, Society and Policy (HSSP) Program offers four options for fulfilling the Hands-On Experience (HOE) Requirement.  Please note that the following text is a clarification of the prior requirements and not a substantive change to how HSSP majors may fulfill the HOE requirement.

Internship and Research Options

As part of the major, each student is required to complete one of the following three options:

Option 1: HSSP 89a (Internship Seminar)
This course for declared HSSP majors combines a weekly seminar and a supervised internship in a health-care or policy organization. The internship placement with a health-related organization in the public interest must be arranged in consultation with the course instructor and could include work in a department of public health, hospital or health-care agency, health-advocacy organization or other appropriate public, non-profit, or private-sector organization.  Internships must be approved by the HSSP internship instructor before the internship begins.  Internships may be completed during the summer or during the academic semester.  If you complete an internship during the academic semester, you must intern between 8-10 hours per week over the course of 10-12 weeks.  If the internship is completed during the summer, students are required to intern for at least 110 hours. 

Students are required to provide a presentation on their internship placement and to submit a 20- to 25-page research paper relating to their internship. Paid internships, whether funded by a grant/fellowship or the internship site, are allowed based on individual assessment from the internship instructor. In order to receive credit for a paid internship, the student must notify the internship instructor that the internship is paid and get approval from the internship instructor prior to starting the paid internship. If an internship is approved as an unpaid internship and a student then receives an award or fellowship for this internship, the student needs to inform the internship instructor. However, the internship will remain approved, unless the student is informed otherwise.

Note: With prior written approval from the HSSP internship instructor, a student may substitute a health-related internship taken in conjunction with ENVS 89 or HSSP 92a to fulfill the hands-on experience requirement.  These are evaluated on a case by case basis.

Samples of recent internship sites include:

• Bio-Acoustic MEMS in Medicine (BAMM) Laboratories, MIT:  Applied micro- and nano-scale technologies to solve problems in medicine, specifically one student conducted a cell printing project.
• Boston Women's Health Book Collective:  Interned with authors of "Our Bodies Ourselves" and advocated to increase access to midwifery services in Massachusetts.
• Cameroon Ministry of Health:  Assisted with local and national initiatives to respond to the HIV epidemic.
• Disability Law Foundation:  Assisted with a Medicaid class-action suit.
• GROW Clinic, Boston Medical Center:  Provided resources to families and caregivers with children diagnosed with failure to thrive.
• Institute for Community Health, Cambridge Health Alliance:  Conducted community-based participatory action research on men's health in low-income communities.
• Fenway Community Health:  Interned on an HIV prevention project.
• Health Care for All:  Advocated for health-care reform.
• Jane Doe, Inc:  Assisted in efforts to prevent domestic violence.
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health:  Assisted with project development and coordination in various prevention programs.
• Unite for Sight:  Assisted in improving eye health and reducing preventable blindness in India and Ghana.
• Planned Parenthood:  Provided assistance with media relations; conducted outreach and education on reproductive health.

Option 2: HSSP 98a/b (Independent Research)

Under the direction of a member of the HSSP faculty or faculty sponsor approved by HSSP's chair, students will conduct an intensive laboratory or field-based project that culminates in a 20- to 25-page research paper relating the research to science, society and policy. This requires a one-semester commitment. 

The project requires collection of primary data or use of existing data set (with permission from advising professor) for analysis, not limited to library research or literature review. Literature reviews and library-based projects are not appropriate for HSSP 98.  

Students must have prior training in the research methods that will be used during the project. In addition, students are responsible for finding an appropriate faculty supervisor by the end of the semester preceding enrollment in HSSP 98. If the faculty supervisor is not a member of the HSSP faculty, approval of the project by the chair of HSSP is required before students can register for HSSP 98.

Option 3:  HSSP 98a/b (Study Abroad)

Field work performed during a study-abroad program may be appropriate.  Students interested in this option must speak with the HSSP Program Chair in the semester prior to the study abroad program.  The program will be reviewed to ensure it meets criteria for a hands-on experience in a health-related field.  Upon completion of the study abroad experience, students must submit a 20-25 page paper to the Program Chair.  This paper will be reviewed to ensure programmatic requirements are met.  If met, the Hands-On Experience requirement will be fulfilled. 

Option 4: HSSP 99d (Field-based Senior Research)

Under the direction of a member of the HSSP faculty, each student will conduct an original health-related research project field and data based and write a thesis. Students who select this option will register for two semesters, one of which will count toward the major requirements. This option can be used for students who wish to seek HSSP Honors" (see honors requirements).  Students who complete their internship requirement thriough the other options may still be eligible to undertake senior honors thesis research.  Please see HSSP Senior Thesis Guidelines for more details.