Pathways Paid Summer Internships

About 20 people pose for a photo on the steps of the Legislative Building.
Pathway interns and Washington State Department of Health staff attend an optional in-person gathering at the Legislative Building in Olympia.

The Workforce Pathways (WFP) Program has offered summer internships since 2024. The program will offer 15 additional internships in summer 2026.

According to the 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), 69% of surveyed public health employees do not have a public health degree. For students, this means you do not need to study public health to do public health work or work in a public health agency!

All interested students who meet the requirements below should apply. We especially encourage applications from individuals who are a part of a community that has historically faced barriers to access and opportunities in public health or government work.

When possible, your work will be matched to the experiences, education, interests, and skills highlighted in your application.

Download the Pathways Paid Summer Internship (PDF) flyer.

Information Sessions

Interested in learning more about the upcoming WFP Intern opportunity? Register for an information session.

  • 4-5 p.m. Thursday, December 18
  • 12-1 p.m. Tuesday, December 30
  • 4-5 p.m. Monday, January 12
  • 10-11 a.m. Saturday, January 24

Who Can Apply?

Students who are both:

  • Enrolled in a college in Washington at the time of internship
  • Working to complete an associate, undergraduate, or graduate degree

Students must be 18 years or older. Students graduating before or during the internship, or those enrolled in out-of-state schools, are not eligible.

Key Internship Details

  • About 10 weeks long (June - August).
  • Up to 35 hours a week.
  • Hourly wage of around $20 per hour based on experience and skills.
  • Flexible schedules.
  • Virtual/remote work available. Live anywhere in the state!
  • Work is matched to students’ experience, education, interest, and skills. Work may include public health or other areas.

Benefits

  • Become familiar with a professional work environment, public health, and state government.
  • Gain and apply skills in areas of interest.
  • Participate in a shared learning environment with other interns. This includes career panels and professional development activities to learn about public health and governmental public health systems.
  • Pursue personal learning and training goals.
  • Make career connections.

Interns are not employees. They are not eligible for employment benefits like health care, paid time off, or retirement benefits.

Apply

Applications may open as early as February 2026. Watch careers.wa.gov and search for "Workforce Pathways" internships.

To apply:

  1. Follow the directions in the posting.
  2. Complete the application form, including questions about work history and references.
  3. Attach a resume, cover letter, and unofficial transcript.
  4. Apply before the deadline.

After the application deadline, here’s what you can expect:

  • Early February: Internship application instructions posted on careers.wa.gov. Search for “Workforce Pathways” internship.
  • Mid-February: Deadline to send internship application.
  • March: Applications reviewed. Some applicants chosen for interviews.
  • April: Interviews continue. Some applicants offered internships.
  • June to August: 10-week paid summer internship.

Please note: The timeline may change.

Intern Projects

Our interns bring a wide range of academic backgrounds and knowledge, including:

  • Public health
  • Global health
  • Epidemiology
  • Law
  • Psychology
  • Political science
  • Biology
  • Environmental public health
  • Chemistry
  • Sociology
  • Creative writing
  • Nutrition
  • Computer science
  • Public administration
  • Social work

Our interns have also worked in project areas that include:

  • Updating respiratory virus communication materials
  • Research on AI chatbots posing as mental health therapists
  • Shellfish biotoxins testing in the environmental lab
  • Developing Teen Health Hub content for social media
  • Creating laboratory safety materials for public health laboratories
  • Identifying anti-racism frameworks for environmental health
  • Literature reviews for the Environmental Justice Council
  • Assessing branding, accessibility, and audience engagement in communication materials
  • Researching and developing questionnaires for Disaster Epidemiology
  • Program evaluation of opioid response efforts

Read the profiles from former Summer Pathways Interns to learn about other projects.

Resources

We offer other internship and fellowship opportunities at the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). Visit our DOH Student Engagement page to learn more.

For other public health resources for students, please visit the Washington Public Health Academic Learning Collaborative.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about the Pathways Paid Summer Internships, please contact us at workforcepathwaysprogram@doh.wa.gov.

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