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Online Master of Public Health

Practicum

As part of the Online MPH program, you're required to complete a four-credit practicum. To complete the practicum, the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) requires students to participate in 160 hours of fieldwork at an organization or agency that provides planning or services related to public health.

The practicum allows you to apply what you have learned in the classroom to a public health setting, while you enhance your skills in areas such as leadership, communication and teamwork. The practicum is also an excellent way to gain practical experience in your particular area of interest in public health.

Practicum Sites

Students often do their practicum in their home community, either at a local organization or agency or, if appropriate, their workplace. If conducted at your workplace, the practicum must be in a different department than you already work in and needs to be supervised by someone other than your current supervisor. Past practicum sites have included local health departments, hospitals, community clinics and research centers. Explore the UW School of Public Health's global network of partnership organizations and projects.

Practicum Examples

  • Assessment of implications of a lung cancer screening program on thoracic surgical care and workforce within the Veterans Administration
  • Development of a hand-washing campaign at the Puyallup Fair and a hand-washing policy for the local school district
  • Study of alert sources used by young adults
  • Survey to compare the experiences of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking parents in a pediatric emergency department
  • Sustainable business plan for a mobile produce truck in Pierce County in order to increase access to healthy foods in disadvantaged neighborhoods
  • Tobacco Policy Summit (with take-home toolkit) in order to raise tobacco risk awareness among native people
  • Addressing clinic check-in issues and screening efficiency and improving health care by strengthening identification of preventative health care needs
  • Collaborating and using HealthLinks at the University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center

For more information about the practicum project, visit the School of Public Health practicum page.

Questions? Contact Genya Shimkin, our practicum advisor.