Knox County Tennessee

Academic Health Department

Academic Health Department (AHD) partnerships are collaborations between academic institutions and governmental health agencies, like the Knox County Health Department (KCHD). These partnerships aim to strengthen the current public health workforce and the next generation of public health professionals.

One of the goals of KCHD’s AHD is to provide students with purposeful, meaningful and quality public health experiences in the following subject areas:

  • Child and family studies
  • Communications
  • Dentistry
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Policy
  • Kinesiology
  • Medicine
  • Nursing
  • Nutrition
  • Other majors
  • Pre-med
  • Public health

The AHD serves as the public health equivalent of a teaching hospital, enabling students to apply public health education, knowledge and research in a practical setting.

Are you seeking an internship to delve deeper into the world of public health? We extend a warm welcome to any student interested in public health. Complete an application to tell our team what you hope to learn during your time at KCHD, why you are interested in public health and how an internship at KCHD will prepare you for a career in public health. Internships are based on KCHD team members’ capacity and can be tailored to fit your needs and align with your interests.


Current Applications

Summer 2025 Application Timeline:

Early Acceptance - Apply by March 1, 2025, for early placement for Summer 2025.

  • Ideal for students seeking internship experiences to satisfy course requirements or for course credit.

Applications after March 1, 2025, will be considered based on department capacity and availability.

If you have any questions about the internship application process or if your internship needs do not align with our timeline, please email KCHD.AHD@knoxcounty.org. You can apply here: KCHD AHD Application.



Have Questions?
Call: 865-215-5555
Email: health@knoxcounty.org


On the first Wednesday of each month (excluding August), KCHD will open at 11 a.m. due to monthly in-service.