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Unpaid Internships at MU Health Care
MU Health Care welcomes unpaid internship and practicum experiences that provide students with meaningful opportunities to learn, explore career interests, and gain practical exposure in a health care setting. These experiences are designed to support educational development by allowing students to observe, participate in projects, and work alongside experienced professionals in an environment that emphasizes learning and mentorship.
Because unpaid internships must be educational in nature, each request is carefully reviewed to ensure the experience is structured primarily for the benefit of the student. Internships should provide hands-on learning opportunities, close supervision, and experiences that complement academic or career goals rather than functioning as regular employment.
Eligibility
Students seeking academic, professional, or career-related experience may be considered for an unpaid internship at MU Health Care. Many internship requests are connected to a college or university program and are completed for academic credit. Individuals who are not receiving academic credit may still be considered if they can demonstrate how the experience supports their educational or professional development.
Note that an unpaid internship is not appropriate for students seeking clinical experience. Please visit the Student Vetting article for more information on clinical opportunities.
Current MU Health Care Employees
Current MU Health Care employees may request an unpaid internship; however, additional review is required. To be considered, the internship must be clearly distinct from the employee's regular position and job responsibilities. Internship activities should provide a separate educational experience and cannot overlap with duties the employee already performs as part of their paid role. For these reasons, we generally do not allow unpaid internships in the same department in which someone is currently employed.
Request & Review Process
Students interested in an unpaid internship should first identify an MU Health Care department and mentor willing to sponsor the experience. The student and sponsoring supervisor then collaborate to complete the required internship request documentation, including information about educational goals, internship activities, supervision plans, and expected learning outcomes.
Human Resources reviews each request to determine whether the proposed experience meets the requirements for an unpaid internship. During the review, HR evaluates factors such as the educational nature of the experience, its connection to the student's academic or career development, the supervision plan, the duration of the internship, and whether the internship avoids displacing paid employees.
If additional information is needed, the request may be returned to the student or supervisor for clarification. Once all requirements are satisfied, the internship may be approved and appropriate onboarding documentation will be provided. Requests that do not meet the criteria for an unpaid internship may be denied, and individuals may be encouraged to explore paid opportunities through the MU Health Care careers process.
Getting Started
Students interested in pursuing an unpaid internship should work with a prospective MU Health Care mentor or department to discuss learning objectives, potential projects, and supervision arrangements before submitting a request.
The Unpaid Internship Request form is available here.