For students attending the course Applied Global Health Project course code 4GB010

What you will develop

This course is built around a set of professional competencies that are essential for a career in global health:

• Integration of theory into practice - applying academic frameworks to real-world challenges
• Professional maturity and independent responsibility - taking ownership of your role in an organisation
• Critical and reflective thinking
• Navigating complexity and uncertainty - adapting when things don’t go as planned
• Effective communication - engaging across sectors, disciplines, and audiences
• Interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork - working with people from different professional backgrounds
• Ethical awareness and responsible engagement - recognising and responding to ethical tensions in global health practice

Beyond the classroom

This course is built on the belief that some of the most important learning happens outside lecture halls. The two mandatory introduction days are designed to give you an introduction to professional soft skills, from navigating workplace dynamics to communicating across sectors. We expect students to be fully present and engaged during these days, as they set the foundation for everything that follows.

You will hear directly from health professionals who have built careers in diverse and sometimes unexpected settings, from international organisations to innovation offices to the arts. Their stories are meant to broaden your sense of what a career after a Master’s degree can look like.

We will also take you to places you might not expect, to spark new ways of thinking about your field and your future role in it.

Finding an internship placement

Looking for inspiration on where to do your internship? The Master´s programme in Public Health Sciences maintains a list of organisations that might potentielly accept internship students, including international bodies such as WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, ILO, and the European Commission. Yor can browse these as a starting point:

Traineeships & Minor Field Studies – Master’s Programme in Public Health Sciences[MG1] 

Please note that KI is not responsible for any external placements, and most internships are unpaid.

Criteria for host organisations

Your internship host must meet the following requirements:

• The organisation must be active in a field relevant to global health: this includes public health agencies, NGOs, international organisations, research institutions, hospitals, government bodies, health-focused companies, or social enterprises.
• The placement must offer meaningful work that allows you to apply and develop your global health competencies. It cannot be purely observational.
• The organisation must be able to assign a supervisor who will be responsible for your day-to-day guidance throughout the internship.
• The organisation must be willing to sign the KI Learning Agreement, which formalises the internship between you, the host, and KI.
• The placement must be approved by the course leader before you begin, no later than 20 October.

Supervisor requirements

Every student must have both an external supervisor at the host organisation and an academic mentor at KI.

External supervisor (host organisation)

• Must be employed by the host organisation
• Must have relevant professional expertise in the area of your internship project
• Is responsible for guiding your day-to-day work, providing feedback, and completing the end-of-internship evaluation questionnaire

Academic mentor (KI)

• The course director will serve as your academic mentor at KI throughout the course
• Conducts the mid-internship check-in
• Is available for guidance on the ethical reflection, the learning agreement, and the final examination

Course structure & Pass criteria 

To pass the course, you must complete all of the following mandatory components:

1. Before the course starts

Secure a placement and an internship supervisor by October 20th 2026.

2. During the course

• Attend the mandatory introductory days (9-10 November 2026)
• Participate in the mid-internship check-in with your KI mentor
• Have your internship supervisor complete the evaluation questionnaire
• Present at the final examination (14th Jan 2027)

3. Final examination: End-of-Course Ethical Reflection Session

The final examination takes the form of an oral ethical reflection on your internship experience, conducted in dialogue with your peers. You will be assessed on your capacity to reflect critically on what you encountered and learned.

You are asked to bring one image or object, e.g. a photograph, illustration, or anything that captures something meaningful from your internship. In conversation with peers and faculty, you will be invited to explore: Why did you choose this? What surprised you? What was harder than expected? What would you do differently? What knowledge did you put into practice?

This format is deliberate. Internships foster a kind of professional growth that grades alone struggle to capture, and this session is designed with that in mind. It will close with the recognition of standout qualities through a set of reflective awards, among them Best Systems Thinker, Bridge Builder, and Future Global Health Diplomat.

A core part of this course is professional self-organisation. You are responsible for:

• Securing your own internship placement (deadline: 20 October)
• Ask the supervisor to sign the KI learning agreement prior the course start.
• Arranging any necessary permits, e.g. if the internship placement is abroad (KI can provide a reference letter)
• Applying for relevant funding or scholarships, if applicable
• Booking your calendar for the mandatory introduction days and final examination

This self-driven approach is intentional since it is part of your professional development.

Schedule

Will be published 2 weeks before course starts.

Course evaluation and course analysis

Course evaluation and course analysis will be published one month after the end of course.

Contact information