Master of Public Health Practicum Manual:

Section 2. MPH Practicum 

In 1978, the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) defined the mission of public health as “enhancing health in human populations, through organized community effort.” Walden’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program is guided by this definition as well as by the university’s mission of promoting positive social change.   

 The practicum is designed to provide students who have finished their coursework with the opportunity to (1) synthesize knowledge, (2) develop competence in professional practice in the foundational areas identified by CEPH, (3) apply knowledge to the solution of public health problems, (4) reinforce the program learning outcomes and MPH competencies, and (5) develop a respect for and commitment to the continued pursuit of professional knowledge. The field instruction experience that students receive through the practicum is a critical educational component of the MPH program.  

Walden’s goal is to assist every student in identifying and securing a practicum experience that meets the requirements for their degree programs, while giving students flexibility to conduct their field experiences in locations and with preceptors that best meet their needs. Walden commits significant human and technology resources to this effort.  

The practicum experience assists students as they transition from the role of learner to scholar practitioner. To achieve this transition, students engage in a relationship with an approved preceptor, focusing on roles and role functions, the achievement of CEPH foundational or concentration competencies, and the completion of products that they and their preceptors have conceptualized and had approved by the Associate Dean, Applied Practice and Continuing Education. The practicum provides students with a hands-on opportunity for applying and integrating, in a public health setting, the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program of study and for further developing MPH core competencies.   

The practicum experience aligns with students’ academic and professional goals and proceeds under the supervision of faculty members. Supervision by an on-site or remote preceptor is a critical component of the practicum. Students begin the practicum, participate in an accompanying online seminar course, and begin development of a professional portfolio based on the practicum. Preceptors and course faculty members provide ongoing monitoring and evaluation.  

Students may not begin their practicum until they submit the required documents, have received approval of their application, and are participating in the accompanying practicum course. The practicum director approves the practicum, but students receive the official communication from the field experience coordinator.  

The practicum occurs in conjunction with consecutive registration in PUBH 6638 and 6639. *  

Table 2. MPH Practicum Courses  

*Note: Practicum courses cannot be taken concurrently.

PUBH 6638 - Practicum I: Field Experience in Public Health   

(3 cr.) Students in the practicum are provided with the opportunity to apply and integrate the knowledge and skills acquired throughout their program of study and to further develop key professional competencies. Students engage in a field experience at an approved public health setting, which they align to their academic and professional goals. Supervision by an on-site or remote preceptor is a critical component of the practicum. The preceptor and the course instructor monitor and evaluate students’ performance throughout the entire practicum experience. In this first course of the two-part practicum, students are encouraged to complete a minimum 100 of the total 200 required hours of practicum work. Students also participate in the accompanying online course and begin to develop a Portfolio based on assigned professional development activities. (Prerequisite or co-requisite: PUBH 6245.)  

PUBH 6639 - Practicum II: Field Experience and Applied Project in Public Health   

(3 cr.) This course is the continuation and extension of PUBH 6638 - Practicum I: Field Experience in Public Health. Students complete the remainder of their required 200 hours of practicum work, participate in the accompanying online course, and complete the Portfolio of their field experience. Students also develop their applied public health project (see PUBH 6245 course description for further explanation of the project). (Prerequisite: PUBH 6640.) 

Note: Time spent on developing the project is expected to be above and beyond the 200 hours devoted to actual practicum work.  

Students must have completed or be in their final two quarters of coursework to begin the practicum. Prerequisites include all numerically preceding MPH didactic courses, excluding PUBH 6245. Students cannot take more than one additional course with PUBH 6638 and one additional course with PUBH 6639. Additionally, students must be in good academic standing (3.0 GPA or higher) to apply for and begin practicum. Students who fail to meet the minimum 3.0 GPA requirement when their practicum is scheduled to begin will not be permitted to start their practicum and their application will be canceled. Students will be required to reapply for practicum upon achieving good academic standing.  

Practicum hours must occur only during registration in the above courses – and only after they receive an approval notice from the field office. Practicum hours may not go beyond the end date of the quarter. Students are required to begin their hours within 2 weeks of the start date. They may not log any practicum hours outside of the practicum registration, including the off week between PUBH 6638 and 6639. Students are allowed to finish all practicum hours while enrolled in PUBH 6638; however, enrollment in PUBH 6639 the following quarter is required.  

If students are unable to finish their required hours in two quarters as planned, a grade of Unsatisfactory will be given in PUBH 6639 and students will be required to register for an additional quarter of PUBH 6639. To be registered for an additional quarter, students should contact the field experience coordinator. If students complete the required hours but not the required coursework, they may be eligible for a grade of Incomplete.   

Students must satisfactorily complete all the requirements of PUBH 6638 and 6639 in accordance with the information provided in the course syllabi. Students earn 3 credits for each course and receive a grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory for each course.   

Students dismissed from their field placement at the recommendation of their preceptor for poor performance may be subject to cancellation of all/part of previous hours completed, skill remediation or other professional development requirement as Walden University deems necessary for successful completion of the field experience.  

Note: Students must assure that their professional liability insurance covers the full duration of the practicum.