Fellowships, Internships & Awards

The Post-Graduate Fellowship

An administrative fellowship is a period of training following a formal, graduate academic education that typically lasts 12-24 months. The objective is to provide students with an opportunity to learn about the field through direct exposure and hands-on experiences.

In the late 1970’s, post-graduate fellowships initiated in several academic centers, but were not formally required for a Health Administration degree. For the next ten years, the number of programs who began requiring a fellowship experience as a graduation requirement steadily increased, prompting the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) to develop guidelines for post-graduate fellowships.  Since this time, fellowships have played a significant role in educating students in preparation for their post-academic experiences.  While the fellowship remains an important aspect of student development, both students and program directors alike perceive that the supply of fellowships does not meet the student demand in today’s market.  Currently, the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) and ACHE provide resources for students seeking a post-graduate fellowship experience, and have dedicated website space to these important materials.

Why Pursue a Fellowship?

A post-graduate administrative fellowship is an important step in early careerist development; one that aids in the smooth transition from academic studies to experiential learning.  These opportunities expose recent graduates to senior leaders and strategic decision making, assist in skill development by providing practical experience, and ultimately contribute to leadership skill growth and career progression.  Through fellowships, employers play a significant role in educating future healthcare leaders, but also use the experience as an opportunity to discover potential. Students value these experiences, as they are ones that can have an immediate, positive impact on their careers.


Internship & Residency Resources

American College of Healthcare Executives: Diversity Internship


The three-month internship program will provide an opportunity for an intern to rotate through all major ACHE divisions, including Communications and Marketing, Executive Office, Finance and Administration, Health Administration Press, Management Information Systems, Member Services, Professional Development, Regional Services. The internship program’s content will be developed around the intern’s special interests as well as in response to organizational needs.

ACHE: Richard J. Stull Student Essay Competition in Healthcare Management

The American College of Healthcare Executives is pleased to sponsor the annual Richard J. Stull Student Essay Competition in Healthcare Management. The purpose of the competition is to stimulate and demonstrate the ability of future healthcare executives to identify and describe important issues and developments in their chosen profession. Top winners in the graduate and undergraduate categories will receive monetary awards.

Health Administration Case Competition

The case competition will provide graduate students from CAHME-Accredited programs an opportunity to put what they have learned into practice with a real-life, real-time case.  It is designed to be a capstone experience for the graduate school experience.  Student teams from around the country will come to Birmingham, Alabama to present their recommendations before a national team of judges.

The Institute for Diversity: Summer Enrichment Program

The Institute for Diversity's Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) is an internship open to ethnically under-represented first and second year health management graduate students and recently graduated health administration students. This 10-week paid internship program takes place in metropolitan areas, around the country and provides participants with an introduction to working in the health care management field. Under the guidance of mentors, students tackle management issues facing healthcare executives and participate in supplementary educational programming. Since 1994, more than 700 interns successfully completed the program.

IFD joined forces with the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) to offer first and second year health administration students this opportunity. The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) and the Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives are also partners with the IFD Summer Enrichment Program.

MGMA/ACMPE: Internship-Residency Program

By participating in an internship-residency experience, students gain hands-on, real-world experience in medical practice management. Typically the experience follows the university program’s didactic course work and offers students exposure to organizational operations, decision-making and the opportunity to participate in meaningful projects.

MGMA/ACMPE: Professional Development for Early Careerists and Students

Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) has a new site for potential students and early careerists.  Find information on scholarships, residency positions, finding a job, and a variety of other information.