Internships
Please check this site regularly for any updates.
Internship Policy March 17, 2020 Update
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are taking emergency measures to alter our internship policy. We want to promote social distancing as much as possible while still maintaining our high academic standards. We will therefore utilize offsite opportunities (e.g., work from home) and online tools (e.g., Zoom, Facetime, Skype).
As of Tuesday, March 17, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology student interns will continue their internships completely offsite and are asked to not physically return to their internship sites. Please note that this update does not apply to students completing their Master of Science Nutrition, Healthspan and Longevity (MS NHL) practicum. For MSNHL practicum concerns, please contact Jeanne Wakamatsu at wakamats@usc.edu.
We are a community that supports one another through difficult circumstances and will get through these unusual times through mutual support, patience, and cooperation with our local public health agencies. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Anna Quyen Nguyen, MSG, OTD, OTR/L
Director, Internship Training
annaquyen.nguyen@usc.edu
Edward Zhenyu Xi, MSG, MPA
Program Specialist, Internship Training
zhenyuxi@usc.edu
How An Internship Works
We place USC Leonard Davis School students in private companies, non-profits, and government agencies related to aging in Los Angeles, around the country, and around the world.
There are two components: Supervised fieldwork and practicum discussions. Fieldwork often focuses on aspects of social services, policy, business, health services, advocacy, or administration. In practicum discussions, students collaboratively 
discuss timely issues relative to their studies with professors who weigh in with presentations.
“In conjunction with USC Leonard Davis community outreach efforts and our tightly-knit alumni network, internships provide students with both valuable learning experiences and great career opportunities.”
Anna Quyen Do Nguyen, MSG, OTD, OTR/L, Director of Internship Training
Internships For Undergraduates
- Takes place during senior year
- Requires a minimum of 120 hours of fieldwork and participation in the practicum discussion class
Internship For Graduate Students
- Entails a minimum of 240 hours of community work
Some of our internships include:
Locally
- Front Porch Center for Technology and Innovation
- The Be Group
- Navigate Boomer
- Wise and Healthy Aging
- Health Services Advisory Group
- Los Angeles County Forensic Center
- SCAN Health Foundation
- SCAN Health Plan
- Partners in Care Medical Foundation
- Motion Picture Television Fund
- Pacific Clinics
- Alzheimer’s Association
- Memory and Aging Research Center
- Skilled Healthcare Corporation
- Country Villa Health
- Huntington Hospital/Huntington Senior Care Network
- Altamed
- Angelus Plaza
- Silverado Senior Living
- California Council on Gerontology and Geriatrics
- Bet Tzedek
- Jewish Home for the Aged
- Kaiser Permanente
- Villa Esperanza
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Hospital
Nationally
- AARP (Washington, DC)
- Georgia Tech Aware Home (Atlanta, GA)
- American Bar Association (Washington, DC)
- Home and Community Based Service Strategies (Washington, DC)
- OnLok (San Francisco)
Gerontology students have been placed at the sites listed above in previous semesters. It is not a guarantee that they are able to host students during the current semester.