MPH Practicum Instructions

When you have identified a potential practicum site and are ready to start the approval process, please notify the MPH Academic Advisor and they will add you to the practicum course in Canvas so you can access all the necessary forms. Students can begin practicum work after four of the six pre-requisites (6100, 6300, 6400, 6500, 6550, 6600, 6700) have been completed. One of the four courses must be 6550 and one must be 6100 or 6300.

According to CEPH guidelines, the practicum must include at least two products that benefit the community partner. Examples include needs assessments, white papers, completed tests, videos, digital artifacts, presentations, PSAs, educational materials, brochures, draft of policy, evaluation reports, etc.

1. Submit Pre-Practicum Forms

    • Practicum Objectives Form
    • Mentor Credentials Form-must be submitted with mentor’s resume or CV
    • Scope of Work Form

*You cannot start counting hours until these forms have been approved by the Practicum Director

2. Register for Practicum Hours

When you are ready to register for the practicum credit hours, contact the Practicum Coordinator for a permission code for PBHLT 6960. A total of 6 credits must be completed, but the 6 credits can be split up into multiple semesters as needed.

3. Submit Monthly Time Sheets

At least 270 contact hours must be committed in order to successfully complete the practicum requirements. Please total your hours on your time record each month.

4. Complete Your Practicum by submitting:

    • 3 page single-spaced paper summarizing your work (Instructions below)
    • Two products as outlined in Objectives Form and Scope of Work
    • Student Evaluation Forms 1 & 2
    • Mentor Evaluation Form

If needed: Objectives Addendum

Should major changes in your project, objectives, mentor, or practicum site occur, please submit an Objectives Addendum to the Practicum Coordinator.

Receiving Credit for Your Practicum

Note that PBHLT 6960 – Public Health Practicum is a Credit/No Credit course. If all paperwork is completed and submitted to the Division of Public Health by the last day of class, a CR/NC grade will be assigned and submitted to the registrar's office for that semester. If paperwork is not received until after this deadline, the student will receive a T (In Progress) grade. Therefore, if the student wishes to graduate on a given semester, they must make sure all paperwork is submitted by the last day of class for that semester.

Instructions for the Final Paper

Upon completion of the practicum experience, the student is required to complete a 3 page summary paper outlining their practicum experience. This paper should be in the following format:

  • Abstract: Briefly describe the practicum in relation to the impact it has on public health. Also, provide a brief overview of the proposal including the primary goal(s) and methods used. This should be no longer than half-page.
  • Introduction: State the focus of the practicum: identify the problem or need, including a description of how the focus is relevant to the student's public health study; and,
  • State the objectives that address both the student’s and the mentor goals and expectations.
  • Background: Provide information as it relates to the project, e.g. population/community affected and the agency/place in which the project was based.
  • Methods: Describe the key responsibilities and activities of the student as it relates to the objectives of the practicum.
  • List and describe the Public Health Competencies: List and explain any public health competencies that have been addressed during the completion of the practicum.
  • Results: Outline the results of the practicum, such as contributions made to public health and suggestions for additional activities.
  • Recommendations and Conclusions: A course of action emanating from the student's experience with the project and rationale used in the decision-making process. Evaluate and explain the project utilizing specific public health core competencies.
  • References and Appendices: Use properly formatted references (any style) wherever necessary. Any finished product resulting from the practicum should also be included in appendices.

A credit/no credit grade will be assigned for the practicum by the practicum director based on the student’s evaluations, mentor’s evaluation of the student’s performance, 3-page report, and two products as outlined in Objectives Form.

Practicum Office Hours
When: By appointment only
Where: Virtual or Dr. Singh's office