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Applying for the Health Care Ethics Internship

Applying for the Health Care Ethics Internship Program

Thank you for your interest in the 2026-27 Markkula Center For Applied Ethics Health Care Ethics Internship.

Designed for students interested in health care, health policy, biotechnology, bioengineering, health law, and health care administration, the Health Care Ethics Internship (HEIC) provides Santa Clara University undergraduates with hands-on experiences shadowing health care professionals in clinical settings.

Through a year-long seminar, students learn foundational ethical frameworks, engage with health care practitioners and leaders serving as guest speakers, and explore real-world ethical challenges in health care. Students also conduct independent research on a health care ethics topic of their choosing, write an article for the Markkula Center’s Ethics in Health Care Blog, and present their findings at the annual year-end symposium. The program integrates academic learning, clinical observation, and research to prepare students to become thoughtful and ethical leaders in health care.

Past topics include: health disparities, emerging medical technologies, health policy, public health, healthcare leadership, and clinical ethics.

 

2026 Health Care Ethics Internship Informational Webinar

Learn more about the Health Care Ethics Internship from Director of Bioethics, Guadalupe Hayes-Mota and current-year students, and get details about the program's requirements to apply to the 2026-27 cohort. Applications are open from March 4 through April 6, 2026

Apply to the 2026-2027 Health Care Ethics Internship

Details
  1. The Internship meets all three quarters and fulfills the Experiential Learning for Social Justice (ELSJ) requirement. Students register for the Internship (ELSJ 198) during the spring quarter. The Internship is a 5-credit, upper division, pass/no pass course. 
  2. The Internship is associated with the Applied Ethics Pathway. Students who declare a Pathway in this area may use a representative piece of work from this course in their Pathway Portfolio which is completed during their senior year.
  3. The internship consists of community-based experiences as well as a weekly meeting for reflections and discussions. The weekly meeting is on Monday, 5:15 PM - 7:15 PM on the Santa Clara University Campus (or by Zoom, to accommodate our guest speakers). There will be required reading for each session. 
  4. Because of the time commitment, Interns can not study abroad during the year of their internship.
  5. The Markkula Center is committed to offering as many opportunities as possible to students across the university. Consistent with that commitment, the Markkula Center will prioritize applications for fellowships and internships from students who have not previously held a fellowship or internship at the Markkula Center.

Requirements
  1. Admission is open to students who will be Juniors or Seniors in the Fall Quarter of 2026 (current Sophomores and Juniors).
  2. Applicants must have taken and passed an ethics class at Santa Clara University or an ethics course from another university, prior to the start of the internship in September 2026. Here is a list of some approved courses that would fulfill the ethics pre-requisite. 
  3. Applicants must undergo a health screening process prior to starting their community-based experience. The Markkula Center will provide instructions. Interns are responsible for completing the health screening and can not be allowed to start their experiences until all requirements are met. 
  4. Completed application, including student application, Statement of Purpose, university transcript(s), and two (2) Letters of Reference are due via this Google Form on or before 5:00 p.m. PST Monday, April 6, 2026. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

How to Apply:
  1. Complete an Application Form.
  2. Write a Personal Statement. This can be uploaded into the Application Form.
  3. Submit two (2) Letters of Reference via this Google Form, one of which is from a SCU faculty or staff member.  
  4. Submit current copies of all of your college and university transcripts, beginning with your first year. These can be uploaded into the Application Form.
  5. Completed application form, which includes the student application, Statement of Purpose, university transcript(s), and two (2) Letters of Reference via this Google Form are due at 5:00 p.m. PST Monday, April 6, 2026 at the latest. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

 

Selection process
  1. Application packages will be reviewed by members of the Health Care Ethics Internship Admissions Committee. 
  2. Selected students will be invited to interview with committee members. Unfortunately, we are not able to interview all the applicants. 
  3. Admission decisions will be based on academic achievement, dedication to social justice, quality of Personal Statement and Letters of Reference, potential for enriching the Internship, and interviews.
  4. Internship admission offers will be announced in May via email. Students are asked to confirm their plan to be part of the internship no more than one week after being offered admission. 
Apply for the 2026-27 Health Care Ethics Internship