Practicum Information and Forms

Introduction

All MPH students in accredited schools of public health throughout the United States must complete “a planned, supervised and evaluated practice experience (as part of their) public health professional degree program.” (Graduate Schools of Public Health, Council on Education for Public Health amended June 2005, pg. 13)  For the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, the length of time for this practice experience, or practicum, is required to be equivalent to one full term semester. Within the Department of Sociomedical Sciences (SMS), this means an MPH student must devote a minimum of 280 hours to her/his practicum.  For students who are working full-time in the field of public health, in an area related to their program track, the practicum time requirement is decreased to 140 hours. 

The practicum should provide the student the opportunity to apply the concepts and methods of social science and public health learned in the classroom to actual public health problems.  During the practicum, a student works under the guidance of a supervisor (Practicum Preceptor) who agrees to orient, supervise, and evaluate the work of the student.  In general, stipends or pay for work done during the student practicum are unusual.  However, the Department of SMS encourages students to seek sources of funding through work-study, grants, and other venues.

The settings of student practica vary by track.  The content of the practica within each track is flexible to meet each student's interests, educational needs, professional objectives, and career goals. However, in all cases the practicum experience must be consistent with the academic goals and objectives of the Department of SMS in general and the academic program for each track in particular.  Lourdes Hernández-Cordero, DrPH. (ljh19@columbia.edu) is the Practicum Director.

List of Past Practica Sites (Excel format)

Practicum Agreement 2007-2008 (Word)

Practicum Agreement 2007-2008 (PDF)

To set up a meeting to discuss the Practicum, please contact the Practicum Director.