Course Overview: The MPH Applied Practice Experience (APE) provides an opportunity for students to work in a public health setting. APE encompasses an internship. Students in internship work with preceptor supervision to apply public health concepts and theories and competencies acquired in the classroom to public health practice through experiential activities. The student is required to complete 100 practicum hours with a minimum of 80 hours of on-site time.

Every MPH student must complete a practicum experience as a requirement for degree completion. The APE is an essential part of the Master of Public Health curriculum and is intended to provide hands-on experience in the field of public health. The APE must be conducted in partnership with an agency or organization, which functions to provide a public health service. The APE is overseen by the course faculty, who ensures that all requirements of the APE are met. The student is expected to produce standard practicum deliverables.

The APE can be done either domestically or internationally. A student’s previous/usual professional activities do not suffice to fulfil the APE requirement. Activities completed before matriculation to the MPH program do not count towards the practicum.

Relation to MPH Program Outcomes: CEPH 2021 Accreditation Criteria – D5. MPH Applied Practice Experiences:“MPH students demonstrate competency attainment through applied practice experiences.”

Competency attainment is assessed, in part, through a portfolio approach, which the student develops at least two practical, non-academic work products that were produced for the site’s use and benefit. Review of the work products must validate that the work products demonstrate the student’s attainment of the designated competencies.

There is no standard approach to identifying a suitable practicum topic and/or a practicum site/agency. Many students locate projects and agencies by learning of agencies where prior students have completed their practicum, via conversations with faculty members, peers, or through internship/job postings. A list of Potential Organizations is available. It is never too early to begin to seek out and develop professional relationships with public health professionals working at public health agencies that may serve as optimal practicum sites in the future.

Ultimately, the topic and scope of a student’s practicum should coincide with their educational and career goals. Each student is encouraged to work with their faculty advisor from the start of their program to discuss their public health interests and goals and how those can lead them to potential practicum sites/projects.

The preceptor must be an employee of the site organization. Students completing a Practicum must identify, select, and secure a preceptor that:

1. Has demonstrated experience and/or expertise related to the student’s learning objectives. This will be evidenced by the student preceptor’s justification statement and/or preceptor’s CV/resume (if available).

2. Is not an immediate/first-degree relative and/or does not have a conflict of interest that prevents them from objectively providing feedback on student performance.

3. Is not a current Ensign Global MPH student. In addition to the preceptor benefiting from the activities of the student, they will also:

– Be highlighted on the Ensign website.

– Receive a letter of appreciation from Ensign Global College.

– Receive keepsake from Ensign Global College.

– Participate in an orientation program.

Portfolio Work Product Proposal Forms will outline the two (or more) products that the student will be completing. In addition to identifying the products, the student will also outline what competencies are being met, how the product supports the competencies and the tasks or activities that will be completed while working on the product. These forms must be signed off on by your faculty advisor prior to being submitted to the portal. Forms will be reviewed by the Internship Coordinator to ensure that they are complete. The form will be part of the Unique Google Form.

All students must submit a minimum of two products produced in the practicum setting for the practicum organization that demonstrate the attainment of five MPH Competencies. Site products are tangible outputs from the student’s practicum experience, supervised by a Site Supervisor with expertise in the practicum project area. The products can be:

1. Resources or tools for the use of the organization.

2. Conference abstract, presentation, poster.

3. Oral presentation(s) to organization.

4. Research paper suitable for publication.

5. Memo, position paper or report for the organization.

The following are practicum site products that EGC students completed in recent years.

1. Facilitated the implementation of health promotion program.

2. Designed a cervical cancer awareness flyer.

3. Designed and implemented an IT literacy program for the site organization.

4. Designed voice jingles in the local language for health education.

5. Drafted a publishable manuscript.

6. Contributed to the implementation of child welfare clinics.

7. Survey design.

8. Public health program design and evaluation.

All practicum applications are to be completed online. Students will be notified by email when they can start the application process.Once students submit their applications further changes cannot be made. Students are urged to look over their applications carefully before submitting them.