When do I take the APE course?
The formal Applied Practice Experience (PHC 6941) is traditionally taken in your final semester. Depending on a student’s plan of study, that can be Spring, Summer, or Fall.
How soon can I start my internship?
Students may start an internship if all 3 criteria below are met:
- Successfully completed the 5 public health foundation courses:
- PHC 6001 Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health
- PHC 6313 Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health
- HSA 6114 U.S. Health Care System
- PHC 6410 Psychological, Behavioral, and Social Issues in Public Health
- PHC 6050 Statistical Methods for Health Sciences or PHC 6052 Introduction to Biostatistical Methods
- Submitted a signed internship proposal packet to the APE Coordinator, which includes the proposal form, work plan, and the preceptor’s resume/CV. Please see below for preceptor requirements.
- Have a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Will the MPH program help me find an internship?
The APE Coordinator will be available for consultations regarding internship opportunities. However, it is the student’s responsibility to contact, interview with, and solidify the proposed internship plan.
Can I do my internship at my current place of employment?
To ensure the development of competencies in a variety of public health settings, this is not recommended. The MPH program may approve an internship in settings in which students are employed, provided certain safeguards can be established to preserve the educational quality of the learning experience. Students must:
- Have been employed by the organization with satisfactory performance.
- Be assigned duties different from those regularly performed as an employee.
- Have assignments that apply to the public health core and concentration areas.
- Have projects that offer opportunities for new experiences and learning.
- Be able to work on and develop two work products.
- Be assigned to a different department or program or to a supervisor other than their employment supervisor to oversee the internship.
Can I get paid for my internship?
Paid internships may be available in your community, but this will depend on whether the agency you are working with permits payment of interns and if it has funds available for an intern, such as travel reimbursement.
How long is my internship?
The MPH program requires that students take a 3-credit APE course, which is comprised of 50 hours of internship work per credit hour. A 3-credit internship equates to 150 internship hours. Students can add more credits of internship if requested and approved by their MPH academic advisor. If a student would like to replace one of their elective courses, they can choose to take an additional 3 credits of APE for a total of 6 APE credits throughout the program. Please meet with your academic advisor to make a change in your plan of study.
Do I need to complete all internship credit hours in one semester?
The MPH program permits internship credits to be divided into more than one semester. Again, this must be approved by your MPH academic advisor to change your plan of study.
What is an internship preceptor?
An internship preceptor will be a working professional who is employed at the internship site and will be overseeing your work. Preceptors for our MPH students must have sufficient, relevant experience to mentor the student and provide a meaningful learning experience that supports the competencies and learning objectives. At a minimum, preceptors must have:
- A working knowledge and practical experience in the project areas assigned to the student.
- A graduate degree and at least three years of full-time professional experience in public health OR a terminal degree (e.g., PhD, MD) and current professional experience in public health OR a BA/BS with 5+ years of public health experience.
- An interest in and commitment to helping a graduate student.
- Time to commit to mentoring a student.