MPH Practicum Criteria

 

 

· Departmental Staff Adviser is a department or program staff who signs off on student’s prerequisite form before the learning contract can be approved, collaborates with the Manager of Experiential Learning on student advising, and submits official credits for practicum.

· Practicum Faculty Adviser is a UWSPH faculty adviser who reviews and approves the learning contract, advises student on selecting a balanced set of practice-oriented, competency-based activities, and evaluates student’s overall practicum experience.

· Site Supervisor is a public health practitioner affiliated with a public health organization who supervises the student’s work on a day-to-day basis and evaluates the student in the practice setting throughout their practicum

· MPH Program Director is a UWSPH faculty member who provides curricular oversight and upholds the standards of practicum within their respective departments or programs.

· Manager of Experiential Learning administers the practicum at the school level, supports the school-wide Practicum Committee consisting of MPH Program Directors, and coordinates and advises all practicum participants to ensure a cohesive and engaging experience that meets practicum guidelines and complies with the SPH accreditation requirements.

Practicum can be pursued in a variety of organizations, including local and state public health agencies, community-based organizations, private companies, and international non-governmental agencies and organizations. We invite public health professionals from a wide range of backgrounds to serve as practicum Site Supervisors.

A qualified practicum organization must:

  • Have a current affiliation agreement with the UWSPH for practicum placements and be an established organization with at least one full-time staff member and a physical office location.
  • Have a focus on community engagement, typically with external partners, if it is a UW-based organization.
  • Do work in public health practice.

A qualified Site Supervisor must:

  • hold a position in public health or population health organization.
  • have extensive experience working in the practicum project area.
  • be willing to develop a plan, supervise and evaluate the student in the practice setting during and at the end of the practicum.

     

  • Practicum activities must be completed at an approved site and require an approved site supervisor.
  • The student is required to complete a final product that is of value to the site.
  • While the practicum-related work can be a part of a larger organizational initiative, the student should have responsibility for production of their final product.
  • Students can be paid by a site to perform their practicum, but it is not required.
  • C/NC credit will be awarded when all final products and necessary paperwork have been received.
  • If a student transfers from one SPH MPH program to another while in the process of completing a practicum, the director (or other designated person) of the receiving MPH program must assess the student's practicum to ensure that it meets the new program's criteria. If it does not, the student may need to modify the experience or complete a different practicum that is appropriate to the receiving program's criteria.
  • The SPH does not grant waivers for credits required to complete the practicum.
  • Practicum project hours completed by a student prior to the finalization of a learning contract will not be counted towards the degree requirement. Credit for retroactive projects will not be accepted.

 

  • Students must be covered by UW liability insurance to complete work at a practicum site. Students are covered:

    o during all quarters of enrollment

    o between or immediately preceding or following a quarter of formal enrollment

    o In cases where there is a quarter lapse of enrollment, the work should be finished before the beginning of the next quarter. If the work extends into the next quarter, the student would need to enroll to maintain coverage. For example, if a student does not enroll for Summer quarter, they must be enrolled the previous Spring quarter and following Fall quarter to maintain coverage. In short, students cannot have a non-enrolled status for two consecutive quarters or more while they are completing a practicum. Students who do not follow these guidelines will not be able to count their practicum hours during periods in which they are not covered by UW liability insurance.

     

  • While there is flexibility in the planning of the practicum, students are expected to meet the various deadlines outlined in their learning contract. If the details of the project change, a modified learning contract should be implemented. If a student consistently fails to meet the deadlines of their practicum, the student will be asked to meet with their faculty adviser to develop a plan for completing the required credits either through their original project or a new one. Students will not receive practicum credits or graduate until the work is complete.