Professional Development

Professional development—including training, fellowships, and more—strengthens the public health workforce by helping professionals learn new skills and advance their careers.

Public Health Associate Program

PHAP Logo The Public Health Associate Program (PHAP), managed by CDC’s Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, is an opportunity for entry-level public health professionals to gain hands-on, frontline experience in the day-to-day operation of public health programs. PHAP is geared toward recent graduates with a bachelor’s or master’s degree who are beginning a career in public health.

Training, Learning & Continuing Education

CDC Learning Connection
A portal to training opportunities, continuing education offerings, and educational tools developed by CDC and its partners

CDC TRAIN (TrainingFinder Real-time Affiliate Integrated Network)
A national learning network to access public health learning products

National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health
An applied leadership training program that enables multi-sector jurisdictional teams to address public health problems within their communities through community health improvement projects

Public Health 101
A series of courses about the fundamentals of public health: epidemiology, informatics, surveillance, health economics, laboratory science, and more

Fellowship, Internships & Externships

Fellowships, Internships, and Learning Opportunities
A comprehensive list of fellowship, internship, training, and volunteer opportunities offered by CDC

Internships and Externships with CDC’s Public Health Law Program
Three internship and externship tracks that offer entry-level experience for students interested in exploring careers in public health law; learn more about eligibility requirements and application deadlines

Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals

Competencies for Applied Epidemiologists in Governmental Public Health Agencies
An introduction to the new standards of practice for epidemiologists working within the US public health system

Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
A resource for academic and practice organizations to understand, assess, and meet training and workforce needs

Public Health Emergency Law Competency Model
A set of competencies in public health emergency law to help public health professionals prepare for and respond effectively to emergencies

Public Health Informatics Competencies
Core competencies for practicing public health informaticians, developed by CDC in collaboration with the Association of Schools for Public Health and University of Washington Center for Public Health Informatics

Workforce Development

National Public Health Workforce Strategic Roadmap
A roadmap of goals and strategies to strengthen the public health workforce

Strategic Workforce Activities
A summary of initiatives by CDC’s Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development to support and strengthen the public health workforce