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.  

Practicum Description

PUBH 6637 - Practicum: Field Experience in Public Health (5 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 in an approved public health setting, which they align to their academic and professional goals. Supervision by an on-site preceptor is a critical component of the practicum. The on-site supervisor and the course Instructor monitor and evaluate students’ performance throughout the entire practicum experience. Students are required to complete a minimum 120 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.

Participation Requirements

Students must have completed or be in their final quarter of coursework to begin the practicum. Prerequisites include all numerically preceding MPH didactic courses, excluding PUBH 6213 - Public Health Grant Writing. Students cannot take more than one additional course with PUBH 6637. 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 PUBH 6637 – 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.  

If students are unable to finish their required hours in PUBH 6637 as planned, a grade of Unsatisfactory will be given and students will be required to register for an additional quarter of PUBH 6637. 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 6637 in accordance with the information provided in the course syllabi. Students earn 5 credits and receive a grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory for the 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.  

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.

Practicum Course Descriptions  

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.  

Participation Requirements

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.  

The following activities are required for practicum hours:  

• Activities that are directly related to the completion of the practicum experience and weekly learning objectives, including the assignments and products listed in the signed Learning Agreement.   
• Preparation of all materials directly related to completion of the practicum, including time sheets, tasks requested by the preceptor, and public health education materials.  

The following activities are permitted for practicum hours:  

• Preceptor shadowing  
• Attendance at meetings related to practicum – remote as approved by practicum director  
• Any literature searches and reviews, data analysis, or community resource research related to the completion of the practicum.   

The following activities will not count toward completion of the required practicum hours:   

• Travel time.  
• Communication (e.g., e-mails, phone calls), unless directly related to the practicum experience or required activities.  
• Practicum course assignments

While conducting their practicum, students are required to work with a population in a community setting or public health agency (e.g., their local health department or government agency). Students must be able to engage in existing or new public health activities under the supervision of their preceptor and the guidance of their practicum faculty member.   

Depending on the specific needs of the chosen site, students’ activities should reflect the 10 Essential Public Health Services, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):  

1. Assess and monitor population health status, factors that influence health, and community needs and assets.  
2. Investigate, diagnose, and address health problems and hazards affecting the population.  
3. Communicate effectively to inform and educate people about health, factors that influence it, and how to improve it.  
4. Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships to improve health.  
5. Create, champion, and implement policies, plans, and laws that impact health.  
6. Utilize legal and regulatory actions designed to improve and protect the public’s health.  
7. Assure an effective system that enables equitable access to the individual services and care needed to be healthy.  
8. Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce.  
9. Improve and innovate public health functions through ongoing evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement.  
10. Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health.  

 The essential services provide a working definition of public health and a guiding framework for the responsibilities of local public health systems. Additional information can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/public-health-gateway/php/about/.  

Registration for the practicum course(s) is performed by the field experience coordinator and is based on whether students meet course prerequisites and have an approved practicum application on file. Students who do not meet the requirements are not registered for the practicum course(s).   

If students believe they have met all the requirements for starting practicum and do not see the course registration on their myWalden page, they should contact the field experience coordinator at mphfield@mail.waldenu.edu.  

The Learning Agreement defines the expectations for students undertaking a field experience in public health. This document outlines the details of the practicum experience and should be completed jointly by students and preceptors. Students must meet with their preceptor before the start of their practicum course to draft the Learning Agreement, which identifies five competencies (i.e., CEPH foundation and/or concentration) as well as the assignments and products that students will create during the practicum.   

Students will receive the Learning Agreement form from the field experience coordinator upon approval of their practicum application. Students should send the completed Learning Agreement to the field experience coordinator before the course begins. The Learning Agreement will be reviewed and approved by the practicum director. The field experience coordinator will notify the student of the approval and/or feedback from the practicum director.  

Learning Agreement Addendum  

If the content of the Learning Agreement must change over the course of the practicum, students need to submit a Learning Agreement Addendum no later than week 4 of the second practicum course for students taking PUBH 6638 and 6639. Students need to submit a Learning Agreement Addendum no later than week 4, or no more than 60 hours completed, for students taking PUBH 6637. The Learning Agreement Addendum form can be found in Doc Sharing of the practicum courses. Students should send the completed Learning Agreement Addendum to the field experience coordinator. The addendum will be reviewed and approved by the Associate Dean, Applied Practice & Continuing Education. The field experience coordinator will notify the student of the approval and/or feedback from the Associate Dean, Applied Practice and Continuing Education.  

Note: Students must use the template for the time sheets that is provided in the practicum course’s Course Info area.  

Students must maintain a truthful and accurate time sheet for every week of the practicum courses until all required hours are completed. Even if students are not logging hours for a given week, they must complete the time sheet. In the time sheet, students record a summary of their hours and the practicum activities associated with those hours. Directly supervised practicum hours must be indicated on all time sheets, as required by the Affiliation Agreement.   

Students must submit time sheets to the practicum faculty member that include the following:  

• Dates.   
• Times (start and finish).  
• Total hours for the week.  
• A brief description of what students did or observed during each time interval.  
• The competencies that relate to each time interval.   
• All directly supervised hours.  
• Appropriate signatures from students and preceptors.  

Concerns regarding truthfulness or accuracy of time logs will result in a Code of Conduct inquiry. Students who are found to have falsified their time logs may result in disciplinary action, including course failure and permanent dismissal from the university. For more information about the Code of Conduct, please refer to student handbook, Section 3: Student Conduct and Responsibilities.  

At least once during the practicum, a conference call is scheduled with students, their preceptor, co-preceptor if applicable, and their practicum faculty member. The practicum faculty member informs students of the requirements and procedures for setting up this call. The call is designed to be supportive of students and to monitor the fit of the site for meeting training goals and needs. It also offers students and their practicum faculty member the opportunity to collaborate with the preceptor; answer any outstanding questions; and, when needed, identify, address, and resolve any difficulties students may be experiencing at the practicum site.  

The MPH portfolio is an electronic copy of all products that students had a hand in creating, singly or jointly, throughout the practicum experience. The portfolio may be used to demonstrate the students’ professional expertise and skills in public health and is a major component of a successful practicum. It is strongly recommended that students keep a copy of all the products they submit to the electronic portfolio, so they have their documents for personal use. The electronic copy will become the property of Walden University.   

Students create their portfolio using the SkillsFirst portfolio system based in the Career Services Center of Walden University. Items to include in the portfolio are listed below. Once the portfolio is completed, students send their portfolio link to their preceptor for review. The preceptor completes the Portfolio Sign-Off sheet with a handwritten signature and returns it to the student. Students then provide the portfolio link to their instructor for grading.    

Items to include in the portfolio:  

1. Title page with the student’s name, field site name, preceptor name, and the date completed (may use the end date of the quarter).  
2. Student checklist with a handwritten signature.  
3. Table of contents listing all items included in the portfolio.  
4. Electronic copies of all products that were agreed upon in the Learning Agreement – The student may not pass their practicum course unless all agreed upon products are present in clearly identifiable fashion. The portfolio may include additional products beyond those agreed upon in the Learning Agreement.   
5. Product descriptions – Each product must begin with an introductory page written by the student with a summary and explanation of the product. The summary must include the student’s reflection, analysis, and self-assessment of learning.   
6. Supplemental items – Items that were not created singly or jointly by the student must be so noted, to clearly delineate the student’s own work. Students must include a written explanation of the purpose for including each supplemental item in the portfolio.  
7. Mapping competencies worksheet.  
8. Social change statement – The portfolio must include a description of how the practicum experience impacted positive social change within the field site’s service delivery area.  
9. Electronic copies of all signed time sheets.  
10. Learning Agreement and all approved addenda to the Learning Agreement (if applicable).  
11. References – Students should provide appropriate scholarly references for any products they have developed or contributed to the development of with their preceptor. This can include but not be limited to any scholarly research that the student reviewed prior to creating specific products (e.g., PowerPoint presentations, brochures).  
12. Portfolio sign-off sheet with preceptor’s handwritten signature.  

Note: After grading, portfolios may be reviewed by the Associate Dean, Applied Practice and Continuing Education for adherence to the above quality parameters. Portfolios that do not meet these criteria may result in a change of the student’s grade from Satisfactory to Unsatisfactory.  

See Code of Conduct and specific information on academic integrity and plagiarism.