Center for Public Health Sciences. MPH and Public Health Certificate Program ACADEMIC HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 Center for Public Health Sciences MPH and Public Health Certificate Program ACADEMIC HANDBOOK June

2 Table of Contents Section Pages Public Health Certificate Program...1 MPH Curriculum and Degree Requirements.2-3 MPH Program Full Time and Part Time Curriculum Plans 4 MPH Electives....5 Public Health Course Descriptions 6-11 Using ANGEL. 12 Citation Guidelines Advisement MPH Student Portfolio Guidelines Overview of the MPH Practicum Citation Guidelines..18

3 The University reserves the right to change tuition, fees, course offerings, regulations, and admission and graduation requirements at any time without prior notice. Changes are effective immediately, unless explicitly specified to the contrary. Regulations in the current online catalogs and handbooks supersede those in all previous catalogs and are binding on all students.

4 Public Health Certificate Program Overview The 11-credit Public Health Certificate program offers an introduction to basic concepts and methods in public health. The program is completed over a summer and a fall semester. The Public Health Certificate program includes courses in foundations of public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral sciences, and global health. All courses are taken with MPH students. Eligible students who successfully complete the Certificate program can apply the credits toward the Master of Public Health program within two years of graduation. Public Health Certificate Courses & Schedule: Summer: PUB 7000 Globalization and Health (note: students may take either PUB 7000 Globalization and Health in the summer OR PUB 6300 Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Health in the fall) PUB 6000 Foundations of Public Health (2 credits) PUB 6100 Fundamentals of Epidemiology ) Fall: PUB 6300 Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Health I (note: students may take either PUB 7000 Globalization and Health in the summer OR PUB 6300 Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Health in the fall) PUB 6200 Fundamentals of Biostatistics Advisement: Each student in the Certificate Program is assigned a faculty advisor to provide general public health career advice. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor once or twice while enrolled in the program. 1

5 MPH Program Curriculum and Degree Requirements Overview The 42-credit MPH curriculum offers a strong foundation in public health approaches to examining and addressing contemporary health challenges. Students take several courses focusing on social and behavioral determinants of health, including global health perspectives. Research methods training is combined with community-based research practice to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to conduct applied community-engaged health research. The curriculum includes an innovative service learning approach to the public health practice experience (practicum), involving a partnership between the student, a community organization, and designated faculty and research team members. Students work on community-generated research projects under the guidance of a community preceptor and a faculty advisor, culminating in a capstone project. This approach enables students to develop specific competencies while contributing to the community organization's research needs. A capstone seminar supports students in the process of integrating classroom knowledge and practice-based experience and in developing the professional skills needed to pursue careers in community-based public health research. Students also develop a reflection portfolio to synthesize and assess their learning experience. The MPH program is designed to accommodate full-time and part-time students. Full time students can obtain their degrees over a 13-month period. Part-time students can complete the program in a minimum of two years. Please see Appendix A for sample course plans for completing the MPH program. 2

6 MPH Degree Requirements Total of 42 Credits Core Courses: PUB 6100 Fundamentals of Epidemiology PUB 6200 Fundamentals of Biostatistics PUB 6300 Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Health I PUB 6400 Health Policy and Management PUB 6500 Principles of Environmental Health Sciences Required Courses in Community-based Research: PUB 6000 Foundations of Public Health (2 credits) PUB 7000 Globalization and Health PUB 7110 Study Design for Applied Public Health Research PUB 7120 Field Methods for Applied Public Health Research PUB 7200 Biostatistical Analysis for Applied Public Health Research PUB 7300 Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Health II PUB 7600 Community-Based Research PUB 7700 Public Health Ethics (2 credits) Elective Course Practicum: 240 hours of supervised community-based public health research internship Capstone Experience: Capstone Seminar (PUB 9100 & 9200, 1 credit each): 2-semester interactive forum to discuss public health research practice; synthesis of coursework and practicum research; development of capstone projects Capstone Project: Written product based on practicum; with faculty mentor Oral Presentation of capstone project Student Portfolio: Compendium of documents demonstrating accomplishments and self-assessment of educational experience 3

7 MPH Program Full Time and Part Time Curriculum Plans FULL TIME PROGRAM 2-YEAR PART TIME PROGRAM 2 ½ YEAR PART TIME PROGRAM Summer 1 YEAR 1 YEAR 1 PUB 6000 Foundations of Public Summer Summer Health PUB 6000 Foundations of PUB 6000 Foundations of Public PUB 6100 Fundamentals of Public Health Health Epidemiology PUB 6100 Fundamentals of PUB 6100 Fundamentals of PUB 7000 Globalization and Epidemiology Epidemiology Health PUB 7000 Globalization and PUB 7000 Globalization and Fall 1 Health Health PUB 6200 Fundamentals of Fall Fall Biostatistics PUB 6200 Fundamentals of PUB 6200 Fundamentals of PUB 6300 Social and Behavioral Biostatistics Biostatistics Dimensions of Health I PUB 7110 Study Design for PUB 7110 Study Design for PUB 7110 Study Design for Applied Public Health Applied Public Health Research Applied Public Health Research Research Spring PUB 7600 Community-based Research PUB 6300 Social and Behavioral Dimensions of PUB 7120 Field Methods for Applied Public Health Research Elective Health I PUB 7200 Biostatistical Analysis PUB 9100 Capstone Seminar Spring for Applied Public Health Practicum PUB 7200 Biostatistical Research Spring 1 Analysis for Applied Public YEAR 2 PUB 7200 Biostatistical Analysis Health Research Summer for Applied Public Health Research PUB 7120 Field Methods for Applied Public Health PUB 6400 Health Policy & Management PUB 7300 Social and Behavioral Research PUB 6500 Environmental Health Dimensions of Health II Practicum Sciences PUB 7120 Field Methods for YEAR 2 Fall Applied Public Health Research Summer PUB 6300 Social and Behavioral PUB 7700 Public Health Ethics PUB 6400 Health Policy & Dimensions of Health I PUB 9200 Capstone Seminar Management PUB 7600 Community-based Practicum PUB 6500 Environmental Research Work on capstone project Health Sciences Practicum Summer 2 Practicum Spring PUB 6500 Environmental Health Fall PUB 7300 Social and Behavioral Sciences PUB 7600 Community-based Dimensions of Health II PUB 6400 Health Policy & Research PUB 7700 Public Health Ethics Management Elective PUB 9100 Capstone Seminar Finish capstone projects PUB 9100 Capstone Seminar Practicum Capstone presentation Start capstone project YEAR 3 Practicum Summer Spring Practicum PUB 7300 Social and Work on capstone projects Behavioral Dimensions of Fall Health II Elective PUB 7700 Public Health Ethics PUB 9200 Capstone Seminar PUB 9200 Capstone Seminar Finish capstone projects Finish capstone project Capstone presentation Capstone presentation 4

8 MPH Electives Students are requried to take 3 credits of elective courses. The following are approved electives. With special permission, students may take a graduate-level elective elsewhere in the University. CPHS MPH Program Electives: PUB 8210 Qualitative Research Methods Electives Offered by Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology (Note:all require permission of instructor) PSC 6181 Multicultural Issues & Diversity - Fall PSA 6938 Physiological Health Psychology - Fall PSA 6289 Introduction to Qualitative Research - Spring PSA 6321 Test Construction - Spring Einstein Clinical Research Training Program Elective (starting Spring 2012): CLR 7010 Research Design for Comparative Effectiveness Research (prereq: PUB 7110 and permission of instructor) Spring New CPHS Global Health Certificate Program Courses (starting in June 2012): Health Policy in Diverse Contexts (1 credit) -Summer Global Health Ethics (1 credit) - Summer 5

9 Public Health Course Descriptions PUB 6000 Foundations of Public Health (2 credits) This course provides students with an introduction to fundamental concepts and approaches underlying public health. Topics covered include population and prevention-based perspectives on health; the social context of health and health disparities; the history of public health in the U.S.; the current U.S. public health system; the role of community in public health; effective public health interventions; ethical issues in public health; and future directions in public health. Students will work in small groups to conduct health assessments of Bronx communities. PUB6100 Fundamentals of Epidemiology in Public Health Epidemiology is the study of patterns of disease and injury in human populations and the application of this study to the control of health problems. We will learn to apply this methodology to the identification, understanding, and mitigation of public health problems. Topics include measurement, sampling, rates and risk calculation, observational and experimental study design, inference, research ethics, and the application of epidemiologic research to public policy. Classes will include lectures based on the textbook, discussions based on original source readings, and a laboratory using public-access public health data. PUB 6200 Fundamentals of Biostatistics This course is an introduction to biostatistics. It aims to acquaint students with the fundamental concepts of biostatistics, applications of basic methods, and their interpretation. Topics covered includes data presentation, numerical summary measures, rates and standardization, introduction to probability, discrete and continuous probability models, sampling distributions, the central limit theorem, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing. Students will gain familiarity with the software package STATA. All students are expected to have a working knowledge of basic computers and college mathematics. Prerequisite: PUB 6100 PUB 6300 Social & Behavioral Dimensions of Public Health This course exposes students to aspects of the behavioral and social sciences relevant to public health. It is designed to makes students more sophisticated analysts of health problems by increasing their understanding of how individual and social behaviors interact with health in the larger community and influence public health. Major scientific theories and models of health behavior are presented early in the course. The remainder of the course focuses on important social factors and specific behaviors, with an emphasis on the science of primary and secondary prevention. 6

10 PUB 6400 Health Policy and Management Why does healthcare account for over 17% of all spending in the United States? The primary objective of this course is to allow for an introductory understanding of the overall structure and functioning of the American healthcare system. Students will learn how the system is organized and the roles of essential stakeholders including the government, purchasers, payers, regulators, providers, patients, and the public. The rapidly changing dynamics of healthcare financing and access will be reviewed in the context of the newly enacted healthcare reform legislation. Diverse and essential aspects of the healthcare system will be discussed including its workforce, efforts to improve care quality and lower costs, and the increasing roles of population care management and information technology. Cross-national comparisons will be explored. An emphasis will be placed on the practical aspects of managing healthcare organizations and the public s health. PUB 6500 Principles of Environmental Health Sciences This course provides an introduction to understanding the role of the physical environment in shaping population and community health. The course examines the relationship of natural and human-made hazards that affect health, including air, water, solid wastes, and hazards produced in occupational settings. Epidemiological approaches for measuring the relationship between environmental hazards and health outcomes are also introduced. The role of regulation and policy in assuring the quality of the physical environment is discussed. PUB 7000 Globalization and Health Globalization and health focuses on population health and on health issues that transcend national boundaries. This course will introduce students to the main principles and concepts in global health. It adopts a multidisciplinary approach to explore critical linkages between population health and socioeconomic development on the one hand and the interplay of these factors within a global context. Special themes in global health will be examined by laying emphasis on how health outcomes differ in various geographic settings. The course will also explore possible approaches to improve the health systems at national and global levels from inter-related perspectives. PUB 7110 Study Design for Applied Public Health Research This course aims to give students a grounding in how to generate the necessary evidence to inform policy and action by using a variety of research techniques. It aims to present the range and value of quantitative, qualitative and combined methodological approaches in researching public health issues. The course traces the philosophical traditions in health related research, including the theoretical and methodological elements. Emphasis is laid on appropriate research methodologies and research tools for each methodological approach. Topics to be dealt with include theory and concepts in public health 7

11 research, synthesizing the literature, formulating research questions, research designs (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods), ethical issues in public health research and how to report, present and disseminate research findings among others. Prerequisites: PUB 6100, PUB 6200 PUB 7120 Field Methods for Applied Public Health Research This course aims to give students appropriate skills for generating the necessary evidence to inform public health policy and action. It focuses on the tools and techniques of quantitative, qualitative and combined methodological approaches and follows up on Research Methods I, which dealt with theoretical, methodological, conceptual and design issues in conducting public health relevant research. The emphasis is on appropriate research strategies, tools and techniques for obtaining both quantitative and qualitative data as well as practical issues in conducting field work. Topics to be dealt with include sampling strategies, surveys, questionnaire design and administration, individual and group interviews, observations, participatory methods and documentary research among others. Prerequisite: PUB 7110 PUB 7200 Biostatistical Analysis for Applied Public Health Research This course will provide students with a foundation in analyzing data based on the most important biostatistical methods used in public health research and practice. The course will emphasize methods to address longitudinal follow-up, confounding, and interactions, focusing on the use of regression models for continuous, count, binary, and time to event data. Proper interpretation of model results will be stressed. Prerequisite: PUB 6200; pre or co-requisite PUB 7120 PUB 7300 Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Health II This advanced seminar course will enhance understanding of the interplay of social and behavioral factors in determining public health and how they may drive interventions. The course will focus on a single global public health issue OBESITY and explore the interaction among ecological, intrapersonal, interpersonal factors using the Social-Ecological model as a guiding principle. The course will also explore the importance of systems in influencing health, health behavior, and behavior change. Discussion will include health department initiatives to reduce obesity and other organizational and systemic initiatives to reduce obesity including school-based, faith-based, and family-based interventions. Didactic seminars will be combined with discussion group and mini-working group activities will generate a dialogue between students, instructors, and expert guest lecturers who will be invited throughout the course. Each student will develop a behavioral theory paper that addresses an obesity problem from a local, regional, national or international public health perspective. Prerequisite: PUB

12 PUB 7600 Community-based Research This course is an introduction to the goals, strategies, values and challenges of CBPR. We will describe its history, review definitions, analyze its principles, and identify methods typically used in CBPR. In addition to readings, the course will use a case history approach. CBPR exemplars will be studied and dissected and researchers engaged in CBPR in New York will present their projects. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor PUB 7700 Public Health Ethics (2 credits) The purpose of this course is to demonstrate the many respects in which public health actions and policies have ethical dimensions. The course will address topics in both public health practice and public health research. Topics in public health practice include an exploration of governmental paternalism and when is justified, such as laws mandating the use of seatbelts and motorcycle helmets; justifications for limiting individual liberty that arise in infectious disease practices like isolation, quarantine, and directly observed therapy; ethical problems in allocating limited resources in outbreaks or epidemics. Topics in public health research include circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain informed consent and when it is not; ethical issues in conducting research in disasters and emergencies; when privacy and confidentiality may be breached in the interest of public health. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor PUB 8210 Qualitative Research Methods Qualitative research in the health sciences has been enjoying a renaissance in recent years as clinical practitioners and researchers have begun to appreciate how qualitative methods can address research questions of importance to patients, health care providers, and other stakeholders. Used properly, qualitative methods can bring considerable explanatory power to addressing gaps in knowledge that impact patient health and health care. Unfortunately, weaknesses and limitations in much published qualitative research in the clinical literature, especially its sole reliance on interview data and thematic analysis, has reinforced the incorrect view that qualitative research is inherently descriptive rather than explanatory. The present course reframes the qualitative and mixed methods as a pragmatic research enterprise that can generate powerful explanations of phenomena. The goals of the course are to help students understand the benefits and drawback of empiricist-oriented qualitative research, gain familiarity with the variety of approaches, and develop a research proposal for a qualitative or mixed methods study. The course will teach how to design and carry out qualitative research through practical, hands-on experience. As a final paper for the course, students will prepare a qualitative or mixed methods research proposal. PUB 9100 Capstone Seminar (1 credit) The Capstone Seminar is a two semester course. Students enroll in PUB 9100 after they have started working on their practicum. The Capstone Seminar helps students reflect on and analyze the practicum experience. The Seminar provides a supportive setting for helping students develop ideas for their 9

13 capstone project and for obtaining constructive feedback as they work on the project. The seminar also serves as a group forum for promoting the synthesis and integration of theoretical, applied, and practice-based knowledge learned in the program and for developing professional skills. PUB 9100 will focus on helping students develop a topic and outline for the capstone project. Prerequisite: Permission of Program Director PUB 9200 Capstone Seminar (1 credit) The Capstone Seminar is a two semester course. Students enroll in PUB 9200 after completing PUB The Capstone Seminar helps students reflect on and analyze the practicum experience. The Seminar provides a supportive setting for helping students develop ideas for their capstone project and for obtaining constructive feedback as they work on the project. The seminar also serves as a group forum for promoting the synthesis and integration of theoretical, applied, and practice-based knowledge learned in the program and for developing professional skills. PUB 9200 will focus on providing feedback to students as they write the capstone project. Prerequisite: PUB 9100 and permission of Program Director Courses offered by the Einstein Clinical Research Training Program CLR 7010 Comparative Effectiveness Research This elective has two overarching objectives: (1) To extend knowledge and understanding of research design options that are alternatives to, enhancements of, or extensions of RCT, cohort, and case control study designs. Most of these design alternatives-quasi-experimental design, fractional factorial designs, optimal design, adaptive designs, and cluster randomized designs- borrow from the experimental design literature. (2) To introduce standard select statistical techniques -such as risk adjustment- that help "explain" the effectiveness of interventions as well as newer statistical approaches -such as mediational analyses, propensity scores, and hierarchical linear models- that more completely probe why an intervention may or may not succeed. These two objectives are pursued through the reading of journal articles and hands on data analysis. Prerequisite: Students are expected to know how to conduct logistic regression and multivariate regression in STATA. Permission of MPH program director and instructor is required. Courses offered by Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology PSC6181 Multicultural Issues and Diversity The purpose of the course is to train culturally competent clinicians, giving them the skills to work with the many diverse populations they will encounter in their daily practice. The course will help students become aware of the role of cultural in the construction of social interaction and identity, and of their own cultural framework and identity. Issues of Connection, Power, and Autonomy will be examined in 10

14 connection with Latino Clients, African-American Clients, and LGBT clients. The course will also examine issues of immigration and multiple identities. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor PSA 6938 Physiological Health Psychology The structure and functions of cells are described, including their chemical composition, molecular mechanisms, metabolic processes, and means of communication. Physiological systems are discussed with emphasis on the nervous system. Topics include homeostasis, neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, biochemistry of behavior, sensory processes, motor mechanisms, states of arousal, endocrinology, respiratory mechanisms, and the cardiovascular system. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor PSC 6289 Introduction to Qualitative Research The purpose of the course is to train clinical researchers to do qualitative research, either for an academic dissertation or for other research projects. The course will take students through the process of designing, conducting, and writing up a qualitative research project. Topics covered in the course include: What is qualitative research, designing a qualitative research study, planning and conducting a qualitative research interview, coding qualitative data, writing up qualitative research for publication, and getting IRB approval for qualitative research. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor PSA 6321 Test Construction: Theories and Methods Introduction to basic concepts, theoretical models, and common procedure in the construction of tests, questionnaires, scales, and other formal measurement instruments for psychological research. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor Using Angel ANGEL is a web-based course management and collaboration portal that enables educators to manage course materials and to communicate with students. ANGEL can function both as a complement to traditional courses and as a site for distance learning. With ANGEL you can take surveys, quizzes, and tests; send and receive course mail; post messages to threaded discussions and chat rooms; upload assignments using online drop boxes; and more. You can check your progress and grades at any time during a course. You can also create groups and teams for project or committee work. 11

15 Please use the following link to access ANGEL: For additional information regarding ANGEL please visit: You can also review Student Quick Start Guide here: Student Quick Start Guide PLEASE NOTE: All user names and passwords are lower case. Once you log on you will be asked to change your password. Advisement Advisement is an important part of the MPH educational experience. Students receive advisement in several areas as they advance through the program: Academic Advisement Each MPH student is assigned an academic advisor who is a faculty member. The role of the academic advisor is to provide general guidance to the student in completing the program and career planning advice. Students are expected to meet with their academic advisor at least once each semester. These meetings provide an opportunity for students to get general program and career advice, select an appropriate elective course, and review and discuss the student s portfolio. Registration approval is handled by the MPH Program Director and CPHS Administrator. All students are expected to follow the established sequence of courses. Special permission by the MPH Program Director is needed to take courses out of sequence. Practicum Advisement The MPH Program Director advises all students on the practicum placement. Most students will be placed in existing practicum sites, with every effort made to match based on student interests. In some cases, students may find their own practicum situation. All practica must be pre-approved by the MPH Program Director. Students work with the MPH Director to identify an appropriate faculty practicum advisor, in addition to the agency-based preceptor. Capstone Project Advisement 12

16 Each student has a capstone project advisor who is an Einstein or Ferkauf faculty member. The student selects the advisor with approval of the MPH Program Director. The capstone project advisor can be the practicum advisor, academic advisor, or another faculty member. The role of the capstone project advisor is to work closely with the student in developing and writing the capstone project. Meetings between the student and capstone advisor are scheduled as needed and it is expected that there will be regular communication. The capstone advisor grades the project (honors/pass/fail). All capstone projects must be pre-approved by the MPH Program Director, as part of the Capstone Seminar. MPH Student Portfolio Guidelines Overview Every MPH student is required to maintain a portfolio. The portfolio serves a number of purposes: Critical reflection on your educational and professional goals A means of synthesizing what you have learned in the program A self-assessment tool to document mastery of program competencies A compendium of documents that demonstrate your accomplishments and skills learned The portfolio is used as a tool to help you examine your progress in the program, to be discussed periodically with your academic advisor. The portfolio also serves as a professional tool, enabling you to compile documents and information that can be showcased with potential employers. Work on the portfolio should commence as soon as you begin the program. You are encouraged to keep a running journal to help in the self-assessment process and to record notes useful for the reflection elements of the portfolio. Elements Curriculum vitae Statement of educational and professional goals Writing samples from courses Capstone project summary and PowerPoint presentation Self-assessment of MPH competencies Reflection paper Other documents and materials students would like to have available for potential employers. Format The portfolio should be prepared in printable electronic format. The following outline should be used: I. Cover page 13

17 a. Student name b. address c. Name of academic advisor d. Date of preparation II. Table of contents III. Statement of educational and professional goals and reflection on the goals, e.g., how the goals have changed from the time you entered the program; the extent to which you have achieved your goals; future actions you might take to achieve your goals. IV. Curriculum vitae V. Competencies self-assessment a. Competencies matrix (to be provided) b. A brief statement of how each competency was achieved and how you have demonstrated mastery of the competency VI. 3-5 page reflection paper describing what you have learned from the program (courses, the practicum, other experiences) VII. Selected writing samples from courses, with a brief introduction explaining what the sample demonstrates VIII. 1-page summary of capstone project IX. Power point presentation of capstone project X. Other (optional) 14

18 Overview of the MPH Practicum Purpose of the Practicum A supervised internship (practicum) is a required core component of the MPH curriculum. The practicum provides the opportunity to apply knowledge and methods learned in the classroom to real world settings and to develop professional skills. In order to provide students with a meaningful communitybased research experience, the CPHS practicum incorporates a service learning approach involving a partnership between the student, community organization, and designated faculty and research team members. The goals of the practicum are to: Enable students to synthesize and integrate an area of substantive expertise. Help the student develop specific competencies. Apply this learning to distinct practicum projects that focus on student interests and practicum agency needs. Provide sponsor agencies with valuable materials, services, analyses, and/or research that relate directly to the ongoing activities and mission of the agency, and that meet the public health needs of the surrounding community. Organization of the Practicum Practicum opportunities will be developed by community organizations in consultation with MPH faculty and other Einstein research faculty/staff. In most cases, the organizations involved will have an existing relationship with specific faculty members. Students will be placed in the community organizations based on student interests and the needs of the sponsoring organization. Students will have a community preceptor at the agency and a faculty advisor to provide technical guidance. In order to promote continuity of academic partner support and commitment to the community organization, every effort will be made to develop ongoing practicum relationships with specific agencies. Types of Practicum Projects A wide variety of projects are appropriate but all must have a public health orientation and include an applied research component. To maximize the educational experience, student work should involve something that has a clear beginning and end, either as a self-contained project or a component of a larger project, e.g., a needs assessment, a grant proposal, a program evaluation. While the work can involve such activities as helping develop a logic model, conducting a literature review, or collecting data, the practicum should not be limited to such a narrow scope. In addition, students should be exposed to a wide range of activities related to community-based research and community workplace settings, e.g., attending staff meetings, helping conduct community meetings, communicating with stakeholders. 15

19 The practicum is tailored to meet the interests and needs of individual students. The following are examples of the types of activities and projects that students may engage in as part of the practicum: Help develop and conduct a community health assessment Help develop an evidence-based community health promotion program Assist the agency with data collection Assist the agency with analysis of data Assist with the evaluation of a public health program Help organize community participation in a public health program Develop a grant proposal for a public health program Practicum Requirements There are three main components of the practical experience that fulfill MPH degree requirements: Completion of 240 hours of an approved supervised practicum. Completion of two semesters of a Capstone Seminar (PUB 9100 & 9200), which consists of reflecting on the educational and practicum experiences and developing a culminating capstone project. The capstone project is a major written project prepared by the student usually based on the practicum. Presentation of the capstone project as a demonstration of the student s ability to integrate competencies across the curriculum. The following are general guidelines for the practicum: 1. Each student must complete a total of 240 hours of fieldwork. 2. The practicum must have a public health orientation clinical activities or direct client services are not acceptable. 3. If a student wants to do the practicum at her/his workplace, the internship project cannot be part of the student s regular job responsibilities. 4. The practicum must be supervised by an onsite preceptor who must be a qualified professional with expertise/experience in public health and with expertise in the area of the student s specific practicum project. This requirement can be fulfilled with multiple preceptors if necessary. 5. Before the student begins the practicum, a written scope of work must be approved by the MPH program director and a memorandum of understanding signed by the student, preceptor, and faculty advisor should be submitted. 6. Full time students will complete the practicum over the fall and spring semesters. Part time students should plan on beginning their practicum in their first spring semester or second 16

20 fall semester; it will take about 3 semesters (including summer) to complete the practicum. See the MPH course plan for the recommended timing of the practicum, capstone seminar, and capstone projects. Please refer to the MPH Practicum and Capstone Handbook for detailed guidelines. Overview of the MPH Capstone Project & Seminar The capstone project is an essential element of all MPH programs. It represents students synthesis of and reflection on knowledge acquired in coursework, the practicum, and other learning experiences and the application of theory, principles, and methods to a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice. The capstone project is a written document, usually based on the student s practicum project. For example, it may be an integrated presentation of practicum deliverables and relevant background analyses (e.g., a full literature review and detailed methods section leading up to the development of a survey). Students can choose from the following formats for the capstone project. 1. Summary report written for the practicum agency 2. Public health practice reflection paper 3. Grant proposal 4. Original research project 5. Article ready for submission to a journal Students develop the capstone project under the guidance of a faculty advisor, who is usually the practicum advisor. Students work with their capstone advisor to develop a specific project that will provide a meaningful integrative learning experience. Students are responsible for finding an appropriate faculty advisor for the capstone project. Full time Einstein and Ferkauf faculty are eligible to serve as faculty advisors. The Capstone Seminar (PUB 9100 and PUB 9200) is a two semester course taken in the fall and spring semesters following completion of the practicum. The Capstone Seminar helps students reflect on and analyze the practicum experience. The seminar provides a supportive setting for helping students develop ideas for their capstone project and for obtaining constructive feedback as they work on the project. The seminar also serves as a group forum for promoting the synthesis and integration of theoretical, applied, and practice-based knowledge learned in the program and for developing professional skills. Please refer to the MPH Practicum and Capstone Handbook for detailed guidelines and further information about the capstone project and seminar. 17

21 Citation Guidelines The following links provide useful summaries of the guidelines for citations based on the two main styles used in public health publications: American Medical Association and American Psychological Association. Students can use either format but must be consistent within each paper. Individual faculty may state a preference for a particular format to be used in class assignments. AMA: 3C962CBAA3CD/0/AMAStyleGuide.pdf APA: 18