Spring 2027 Internship Opportunity - MDH Office of Governmental Affairs

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is seeking a Public Health student to join its Office of Governmental Affairs (OGA) as a Policy and Governmental Affairs Intern. This internship provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in public health communication, technical writing, and stakeholder communication, while also gaining more knowledge of Maryland’s public health efforts and infrastructure. 

The Policy and Governmental Affairs Intern would be part of our Office of Governmental Affairs team (OGA), and support the preparation for the 2027 Legislative Session (Jan-April 2027). The intern will assist with preparing legislative updates including one-pagers, track the submission of mandated reports, and support OGA’s response to legislative inquiries. Explicit duties can be found below.

Policy and Governmental Affairs Intern Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support tracking requirements following the 2026 Legislative Session and preparation for the 2027 Legislative Session.

• Assist with reviewing reports required by the Maryland General Assembly and the Joint Chairmen’s Committee.

• Receive, log, and track legislative inquiries using OGA’s internal systems.

• Communicate findings by creating visual dashboards, summarizing key data trends, such as the most common inquiry types or bottlenecks in the process. 

• Process improvement analysis for legislative reports: Create a prototype workflow, including a visual process map and a short “standard operating procedure” (SOP) draft to be presented to OGA leadership for potential adoption.

• Attend and participate in interagency meetings.

Internship Eligibility Requirements

• Be a Public Health (PBHL) major.

• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.

• Have completed PBHL 300 with a grade of C or better.

• Have earned at least 90 credits.

Policy and Governmental Affairs Position Requirements: 

• Strong writing, organizational, and communication skills.

• Strong analytical and research skills, with comfort working with data and identifying patterns. 

• Interest or experience in health systems, public affairs, or policy analysis.

• Proficiency with Google Suite and Microsoft Office.

How to Apply

Interested students should email the following application materials to Professor Katie Birger at cbirge1@umbc.edu by November 20th:

• Current resume

• Cover letter

• Anticipated semester of graduation

• Confirmation that you meet all eligibility requirements (2.5 GPA, PBHL major, C or better in PBHL 300, and at least 90 credits)

Include Email Subject Line: Application for MDH Office of Governmental Affairs

This is an excellent opportunity for Public Health students interested in gaining practical experience in legislative affairs, policy development, and government operations.