Columbia University Summer Public Health Scholars Program

The Office of Diversity is pleased to inform you about the Columbia University Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP). Funding for this summer program was made possible through the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention through the Office of Minority Health & Health Equity .

The SPHSP is a collaboration between the Colleges of Public Health, Physicians & Surgeons, Dental Medicine, & Nursing. This is a bachelor's-level initiative targeting underrepresented students to learn about public health, specifically minority health disparities. This is a unique program because it is geared towards high-potential students who may or may not have any prior knowledge of public health. During the program, students are introduced to the field of public health by taking courses in several disciplines. Students are also placed in an internship, which may focus on health policy, environmental health, behavioral health, epidemiology, or another public health field. The common thread between all these internships is the issue of health disparities. The program includes a week-long trip to Atlanta to visit the Centers for Disease Control.

Eligible students will be US citizens or permanent residents; be enrolled in an accredited college or university or be recent graduates (within one year); and have an overall GPA of 2.5 or above. African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, people with disabilities, and economically-disadvantaged individuals are encouraged to apply.

The deadline for submitting completed applications is February 14, 2012.

For more information about SPHSP, please visit http://www.oda-ps.cumc.columbia.edu/programs/about_sphsp.html. The application is available on this website.