Johns Hopkins UniversityEST. 1876

America’s First Research University

Applied Experience

Applied Experience Requirement

Public Health Majors are required to complete an approved 80-hour public health Applied Experience as part of their undergraduate degree.  

This requirement involves supervised, hands-on work with public health professionals across the world. The intent is to engage students in activities that align with their areas of interest. Students can fulfill this requirement with local community-based organizations, government agencies or research units. Through the Applied Experience, we aim to afford each student the opportunity to participate in population-level change in a meaningful way.     

Some examples of places our students have worked: 

  • AID Healthcare Foundation Clinic, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • West Bengal State Health Department, West Bengal, India
  • Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Bloomberg Philanthropies, New York, New York
  • Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, Maryland
  • National Fragile X Foundation, McLean Virginia
  • Metropolitan’s Health Center 21, Bangkok, Thailand
  • California Department of Public Health Environmental Management Branch, Huntington Beach, California

For more information about the Applied Experience, contact the course instructor Keri Frisch.

Declared majors, access your PHS Community page on Canvas. 

Anika Kale

Class Of 2027
Working with the foundation showed me that sustainable public health impact requires more than just clinical interventions – it demands entrepreneurship, community trust-building, and addressing root causes like distance, cost, and infrastructure gaps.

Briana Johnson

Class Of 2026
My AE deepened my understanding of how food insecurity, cultural identity, and community engagement intersect as public health issues. I saw how culturally relevant food access programs can build trust and improve health outcomes in immigrant and refugee communities.

Victor You

Class of 2026
Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, MD 
My experience at BCHD taught me how effective programs and interventions could be developed and managed. I was exposed to a variety of strategies to reach prioritized communities. Critically, I learned the importance of robust and accountable public-private partnerships in any given public health initiative. I realized that through precise...