SPH 5850 Practice Experience in Public Health Intent to Register
Form
SPH 5850 Practicum Manual
SPH 5855
Public Health Practice Experience Intent to Register Form
SPH 5855
Practicum Manual
Public Health National Internship Programs and Sponsors
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a practice experience?
Public health
practice experience is the term UNTHSC-SPH uses for an internship or practicum.
All Schools of Public Health accredited by the Council on Education for Public
Health (CEPH) are required to have an applied practice experience. The purpose
of the public health practice experience is to apply your skills and knowledge
learned in your graduate studies in a professional public health work
environment. The practice experience can be an opportunity to observe and
network with public health professionals while practicing graduate skills.
The practice experience is to be an applied-project related work experience in a public health site such as a public health department, non-profit public health agency, hospital administration where you can advance your skills.
Students should refer to their approved degree plan to determine which is the correct practice experience.
There are no exemptions for the public health practice
experience.
Is the SPH 5850/5855 just for MPH
students?
These courses are MPH level courses and may not be
taken by DrPH students.
Where do I find out the requirements
for the practice experience?
Links to the Student Manuals are
above. You should download the manual for the course that matches your
degree plan. Please read the Manual. The Manual
should answer all your questions plus list your responsibilities for the course,
the site supervisor's responsibilities, poster session information, evaluation
criteria and other helpful information. If you have additional questions, please
contact Dr Coggin (ccoggin@hsc.unt.edu).
When do I do a practice experience?
Once you
have completed 21 course credit hours (15 hours of MPH Core courses; and 6 hours
of departmental required courses) you can then begin the practice experience.
The 6 hours of departmental core courses does not include
the required MPH core course. It is expected that students have basic public
health knowledge when they go to the site.
The only
exception to the 21 hour rule is if you have completed 18 hours and receive a
state or federally supported semester long internship. These are often
summer, fall and spring semesters. The Association of Schools of Public Health
web site (asph.org) advertises fellowships and internships. You must contact
your academic advisor to begin the process to apply for this exception.
Do I have to pay for the practice experience just like any
course?
Yes, you will pay for SPH 5850 or SPH 5855 just like
any other course in the curriculum.
How many hours is a practice experience?
For SPH 5850 Pubic Health Practice Experience 135 contact
hours at the site are required. That means you will spend 135 hours at the site
or doing related work assigned by the site supervisor. The hours you spend
preparing the poster are NOT counted in the 135 hours nor is the time used to
travel to and from the work site.
For SPH 5855 Public Health Practice Experience 200 contact hours at the site are required. That means you will spend 200 hours at the site or doing related work assigned by the site supervisor. The hours you spend preparing the poster are NOT counted in the 200 hours nor is the time used to travel to and from the work site.
Do I get a grade for the practice experience?
Yes. A letter
grade following the SPH grading policy will be assigned.
How will I be evaluated and how is the grade determined?
Your grade is determined by a combination of input from your
academic advisor, your practice site supervisor, and Dr Coggin. The grade is the
average of the grades from Dr Coggin, your academic advisor, and the site
supervisor. See SPH 5850/5855 manual for a detailed evaluation criteria.
What is the role of the departmental academic advisor?
Your academic advisor is the content expert for your practice
experience. That professor will advise you regarding questions you may have
about the actual content of your experience. They will also review your notebook
and poster and give you a grade. You must also include them in the email
practice experience updates you send Dr Coggin during the semester.
Can I use my job as my practice experience?
No.
Our accrediting body, CEPH, does not permit us to give credit for job or life
experience.
Can I do my practice experience at my work
site?
You may do the practice experience at you work site, but
the duties MUST BE OUTSIDE of your usual work duties and expectations. You also
must have someone at your work site who is willing to serve as site supervisor.
Is the practice experience paid?
The practice
experience may be paid or it may unpaid. Most of the sites do not pay due to
budget constraints, but this varies from site to site. Pay makes no difference
to the value of the experience.
When should I begin searching for a practice
experience?
You should begin searching at least the one
semester before you are going to sign up for the course. For example, if you are
going to register for the practice experience in Fall 2008 you should start
searching in Spring 2008.
Where can I go to search for an opportunity for the practice experience?
- Search the list of previous sites where students have worked on this web site.
- Search the web if you are interested in out of town or state or international sites.
- Talk with other students.
- Attend the Public Health Practice Experience Poster Session and Reception sponsored by the Public Health Student Association and Center for Public Health Practice. Talk with the students about their experiences and how they found their placement.
- Respond to announcements from the Office of Student Services and other sources.
- Talk with Dr Coggin early in the semester to get her input.
Can several experiences be combined to meet the
practicum requirements?
The usual Public Health Practice
Experience is with one site. Only with VERY unusual circumstances can
several sites be used.
You will meet with your site supervisor to agree on the goals and objectives for your practice experience. Once you have registered for the course and submitted your IRB Training Certificate and HIPAA Training Certificate to the Public Health Practice Coordinator, you may begin accumulating your practice hours. Often students want to start during the break time between semesters and that is permitted with permission of your site supervisor.
Can I use an experience that I completed previous to enrolling in
the course?
No, you may not use experience you have had prior
to enrolling in SPH 5850/5855. No credit will be give for previous experiences.
You can only count the public health activities and experiences in which you
participate during the time you are registered for the course.
Can I do the practice at a site one semester and then sign up for
the course credit in another semester?
No. You must sign up
for SPH 5850/5855 and begin the practice experience in the same semester.
What if I am not able to finish the hours and then have to take a
leave of absence from school?
If you have to withdraw from
school for any reason, you will have register for SPH 5850/5855 and fulfill the
requirements as if you had not started the class before.
Is there someone I can contact for
assistance/advice/suggestions?
You can contact Dr Coggin,
Director of the Center for Public Health Practice or your departmental academic
advisor
Once I have found the site, what is the next step?
Complete the Intent to Register and Application for Public
Health Practice Experience SPH 5850 or 5855 form online at the Center for Public
Health Practice web site and submit it along with your current résumé to Dr.
Coggin. Download the SPH 5850 or
SPH 5855 Public Health Practice Experience Manual.
Can the experience site be international?
Yes,
the experience can be international as long as you are able to find a site
supervisor. Currently the School does not have a formal international internship
program. You may check other schools' sites to look for those types of programs
also. Dr Coggin will assist in the search whenever possible.
Can the experience be outside of Fort Worth or Texas
?
Yes, the experience can be anywhere in the US as long as you
are able to find a site supervisor.
Does the school provide
transportation?
Transport is the student's responsibility. You
may use your personal vehicle or public transportation.
You must finish the hours and turn in the notebook by the date of the poster session. You may extend the practice experience into the next semester and a PR (in progress) will appear on your transcript for one semester only. When you complete the practice experience hours, turn in the notebook, and participate in the poster session then a grade change form will be completed for you.
You may certainly continue to volunteer at the site as long as you and your site supervisor wish, but no further credit will be awarded.
What is a poster session?
Once you complete the
practice experience it is required that you present your work at the Public
Health Practice Experience Poster Session and Reception sponsored by the Public
Health Student Association and Center for Public Health Practice. At the poster session reception, each student is expected to be present with
their poster and be able to provide
a brief (3-5 minute) overview of their experience to Dr. Coggin, your academic
advisor, students, faculty, staff, site supervisors and other guests. You can bring any brochures, pamphlets,
etc. related to the experience to distribute to guests. You are encouraged to invite your site
supervisor to the poster session. The instructions for preparing for the
poster session are available in the manual.
Are there sample posters and notebooks I can view?
The Center for Public Health Practice has sample posters and
notebooks you may view. Please contact Dr. Coggin.
Revised
11/21/07
This page last updated Nov 28, 2007
