To begin the practicum, students must follow the steps described in this section.
Students must first read all the practicum documents so that they understand what they need to do to begin the practicum. Students then identify a possible site for the practicum and initiate contact with a potential preceptor who meets the qualifications and may be interested in working with them.
Identifying a Site
To finalize their education, students must have an opportunity to apply their acquired knowledge, concepts, and skills. Students should consider their career goals after graduation. They should try to identify a potential practicum setting and the nomination of their preceptor to their goals.
The practicum director Associate Dean, Applied Practice and Continuing Education and field experience coordinator work with any student facing challenges with securing a field placement. We offer 1-on-1 support, and recommend students contact the Department of Career Planning and Development at Career Services.
It is highly recommended that students begin by contacting and arranging an interview with the local city, county, or state health department or a federal agency, such as the CDC, FDA, or EPA, if one is nearby.
Walden University maintains a list of field sites where previous Walden University MPH students have completed practicum. Directions for accessing information about past sites can be found by visiting the Master of Public Health Practicum website under Search Meditrek for. The presence of a site on the list does not guarantee that the site will have availability for a practicum student and provides no guarantee that Walden will enter into an affiliation agreement with the site.
Important: Students should start their search for a site and preceptor early in the program.
Practicum at Place of Employment
Students may complete the practicum where they work (e.g., health department or other health organization); however, the learning experience must be:
- In a different department or unit from where they currently work or have previously worked.
- Significantly different than current or previous activities they have performed at the site.
- Completed outside of their normal working hours.
- Under the direction of a preceptor who is not their immediate supervisor in their usual work.
Students and their preceptors are responsible for outlining the role of the student as a practicum student as it differs from their role as an employee of the site.
Choosing a Preceptor
Students identify a potential preceptor and determine if the individual is interested in working with them and if he or she meets the qualifications to serve as the preceptor in the community.
The preceptor nominee is not the student’s relative, family member, fiancé, roommate, significant other, personal friend, or primary care provider, is not the student’s direct or immediate supervisor, does not report directly to the student, and does not have any other relationship that would create an actual or perceived conflict of interest.
The preceptor nominee must not be a current student in a Walden MPH Program. If it is found that a student’s preceptor is a supervisor, direct report, relative, family member, fiancé, roommate, significant other, personal friend or primary care provider of the student, the practicum hours will be rejected and not counted toward the practicum hour requirement. If a student utilizes a preceptor inappropriately as noted above, this may lead to an academic integrity violation. Students are responsible for nominating preceptors that fully meet all requirements for preceptors.
Students are not allowed to pay preceptors or sites.
Preceptor Requirements
- Is employed by the field site.
- Holds an advanced degree – master’s degree or higher (MPH preferred but not required).
- Has at least 2 years of related experience.
- Works currently in public health in the student’s area of interest.
- Has the time and desire to guide and support the practicum.
Walden encourages students to research several sites, obtain the names and educational background of potential preceptors, and conduct interviews in which they ask about the types of tasks that may be offered during the practicum. Here is a list of questions students may wish to ask during the interview:
- Does the site preceptor have an advanced degree with at least 2 years of relevant experience?
- Can the site provide a public health-related practicum experience that clearly fulfills one or more of the public health practice skills outlined above?
- Will the tasks outlined by the site provide the student with one or more in-depth projects for a professional portfolio? • Will the potential preceptor agree to provide at least 1 hour of direct supervision for every 15 hours the student works?
- Will the site commit to having the student on-site for a total of 200 hours over the two quarters?
- Will the site agree to work with the student to complete and return all required practicum documents before the deadlines?
Be aware that a positive “can do” attitude makes a good impression on the site and may avoid a perception of the paperwork and practicum process as a burden. The practicum should be promoted as a rewarding interaction that benefits both the student and the site.
Students should contact the field experience coordinator early to obtain feedback to ensure that they have found an acceptable field site and preceptor.