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Arnold School of Public Health

Student Opportunities

There are a wide variety of practice, research, and employment opportunities made available to USC students involved in the field of nutrition.

Practice Opportunities

Practicum opportunities are available in the field of nutrition. Visit MySPH for more information on current available opportunities. Check out the table below for examples of previous practicum sites and a more comprehensive list here.

Organization Organization Type Mission Keywords
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Alliance for a Healthier Generation Non-profit We work with schools, youth-serving organizations, and businesses to build healthier communities that support healthy kids tag 1, tag2
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System Hospital To extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved.  
Columbia Free Medical Clinic Non-profit To provide quality health care, at no cost, to residents of the community who cannot pay for such services and who have no health insurance.  
Community Medical Clinic of Kershaw County Non-profit To provide medical care and connect resources to achieve a healthier Kershaw County.  
Prisma Health Diabetes Prevention Program

Hospital

Our program is available to help adults with a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is twice as common among African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asian-Americans. Our program encourages individuals to achieve a healthy lifestyles by eating healthier, increasing physical activity, and losing a modest amount of weight in order to reduce the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.

 

 
Eat Smart, Move More SC Coalition Non-profit Eat Smart Move More South Carolina works to reduce obesity by helping communities create healthy eating and active living options where we live, learn, work, pray, and play.  
Epworth Children’s Home Non-profit The mission of Epworth Children’s Home is to serve children, youth and families through a caring, accepting and safe Christian community, where hurts are healed; hope is nurtured; and faith in God self and others is developed  
Feed the City Non-profit Feed The City is more than an annual weekend of culinary events we host. It's a mantra for our business. We're in the business of feeding people and right now there are a lot of people in our city who need to be fed.  
Faculty and Staff Wellness and Prevention University Entity We offer programs and education to help students, faculty and staff live healthy lifestyles, specializing in disease prevention, exercise, nutrition, sexual health and stress management.  
Fetter Health Care Network Federally Qualified Health Center We provide comprehensive services for insured, uninsured and underserved residents in Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton and Dorchester Counties.  
Healthy Carolina University Entity We support and encourage healthy choices in the Carolina Community as a way of life, encompassing all dimensions of wellness.  
Food Policy Committee City of Columbia Government This committee shall gather and address problems found within food production, consumption, processing, distribution, and waste disposal with the primary focus on finding solutions to problems that promote sustainability, economic development, and social justice in the food system of the Columbia and surrounding areas by educating government officials about issues of the food system, making policy recommendations, research, fostering of cooperation among private, public, and non-profit interests.  
HopeHealth Inc. Federally-Qualified Health Center HopeHealth provides integrated health services for more than 41,000 patients in areas surrounding Aiken, Clarendon, Florence, Orangeburg, and Williamsburg counties  
LiveWell Greenville Non-profit Greenville County has one of the highest obesity rates in the nation with 66% of adults and 41% of youth being overweight or obese. It is difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle when the surrounding environment does not promote healthy habits. Without providing adequate access to healthy eating and active living, the overall health of our community will continue to decline.  
March of Dimes South Carolina Chapter Non-profit March of Dimes fights for the health of all moms and babies. We're advocating for policies to protect them. We're working to radically improve the health care they receive. We're pioneering research to find solutions. We're empowering families with the knowledge and tools to have healthier pregnancies. By uniting communities, we're building a brighter future for us all.  
OneWorld Health Non-profit OneWorld Health is a 501(c)(3) organization that fills the gaps left by governmental, temporary, and narrowly focused healthcare efforts. We’ve created a smarter, sustainable, permanent approach that puts the power to heal back into the community’s hands. We build healthcare facilities that provide a full scope of medical services and are designed to be affordable and accessible.  
Prevention Research Center (PRC) University Entity Committed to the health of South Carolinians, the Prevention Research Center (PRC) promotes physical activity and healthy eating by sponsoring projects that encourage and support people of all ages to become more physically active and to eat healthier, because healthy people make healthy communities.  
Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) Non-profit As the political advocacy arm of Save the Children, we are building bipartisan support to make sure every child has a strong start in life. We’re doing this by advocating for high-quality early learning, ending child hunger in the U.S. and educating and protecting kids around the world.  
SC Department of Agriculture Government The South Carolina Department of Agriculture is made up of three main Divisions: Agency Operations, Consumer Protection, and External Affairs & Economic Development. Within these three areas are additional departments such as Grading & Inspection, Food Safety Compliance, and Agribusiness Economic Development  
SC Thrive Non-profit SC Thrive’s mission is to lead South Carolinians from crisis to self-sustainability by providing innovative and efficient access to quality of life resources. These resources include food security, healthcare resources, and financial wellness through work supports.  

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Bureau of Community Nutrition Services

Government The Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention (DNPAO) aims to improve access to healthier foods and opportunities for daily physical activity through policy, systems, and environmental approaches reaching South Carolinians where they live, learn, work, and play.  
South Carolina National Guard Health & Wellness Program Military The program focuses on helping the Guard family maintain a healthy physical presence.  The H&W Coaches provide unit, group, and individual fitness programs, nutrition education, and weight loss resources. They also develop & implement enduring, integrated & regionally-accessible health & wellness programs to decrease high risk behaviors & promote healthy lifestyle choices.  
Student Health Services University Entity We provide comprehensive physical and mental health care services right on campus. Our professional and compassionate providers are committed to evidence-based, patient-centered care to help contribute to your success and overall well-being  
Ezekial Ministries Non-profit Ezekiel’s two main programs are an after-school program and a mentoring program for under-resourced children in Downtown Columbia, SC. Our long-term goals are to strengthen the family structure and help families break the cycle of generational poverty. We focus on academics, character development, spiritual wellness, and teamwork.  
YMCA Columbia Non-profit To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.  

Capstone opportunities are also available in the field of nutrition. Some previous opportunities have included work with Harvest Hope Food Bank, Gamecock CommUnity Shop, and the South Carolina Farmers Market.

  

Research Opportunities

Interested in working with an Affiliated Scholar of the Nutrition Consortium? Fill out the following form and we will notify you of next steps to take. 

*Required fields

What best describes the type of research experience you are looking for? (select up to 2) *
What type of research skills are you looking to develop? *
Which of the following types of positions are you open to? (select all that apply) *
How much time can you devote to this research experience? *

Be as specific as possible in your description so that we can better match you with a research experience (ex.: specific behaviors, outcomes, approaches/methods, populations).

Which nutrition related topics are of most interest to you? (select up to 3) *

You can find a list of Nutrition Consortium Affiliate Scholars on our "Meet Us" page. You may list up to 5.

Have you been in touch about engaging in research with any of these faculty members? *

Your thesis can also be devoted to nutrition research. You can contact an Affiliated Scholar to serve as your thesis director. For more information, you can check out the Thesis Guide.

 

Employment Opportunities

  • Kitchen Assistants are needed for a nutrition intervention study at UofSC. You can read more about it at www.DG3D.org. They are looking for students to assist in the Discovery teaching kitchen on Monday and/or Tuesday evenings. Monday would be from 3-8:30pm and Tuesday would be from 3-7pm. Hours and times are flexible based on the student's schedule. Tasks include chopping and preparing ingredients for cooking demonstrations and helping to set up the class and clean up afterwards. Opportunities to continue into the fall.
  • Arnold Childhood Obesity Initiative has an application for undergraduate students interested in doing research for credit hours. Apply here.
  • A volunteer research assistant position is available at the Drexel Center for Weight Eating and Lifestyle Science Center (WELL Center) at Drexel University in the laboratory of Evan Forman, PhD. Dr. Forman’s research focuses on designing, refining, implementing and evaluating innovative behavioral and technology-based treatments for obesity and related eating problems. The position represents an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on research experience in clinical psychology, public health, and related fields, especially in preparation for graduate study in these areas. The position is entirely remote. Hours are negotiable and could range from 5 hours per week to 15 hours per week, if involvement in additional laboratory projects is desired. If you are interested, please complete the application here.
  • The Arnold Healthy Kids Initiative at the University of South Carolina is hiring a full-time project coordinator for a new, 5-year NIH study. This project aims to increase access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables for families with low-income. This study is a partnership with pediatric clinics in Columbia, SC and FoodShare. The ideal candidate would have project management and community engagement experience. For more information, check out the job posting here
  • The Arnold Childhood Obesity Initiative is hiring 2 postdoctoral research fellows. See more information here. 
  •  Postgraduate opportunities in nutrition can be found on different organization pages, like USC Jobs, APHA, and ASN

 


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