PHP 667: Graduate Practicum in Public Health Student Handbook

Chapter 1: Introduction

Overview

The APE, or Applied Practice Experience (PHP 667),  is a required 200 hour, 4-credit practicum course in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at Syracuse University. The purpose of this experience is for students to

The major components of this course include:

• Completion of 200 field hours with a public health or related agency.
• Submission of a portfolio, which includes at least two (2) deliverables showcasing competency in at least five (5) MPH competencies, of which at least three (3) must be foundational competencies.
• Four (4) online, asynchronous seminars
• Weekly journals
• Product/deliverable drafts for feedback.
• Meetings with PHP 667 instructor and APE committee.

APE Eligibility is contingent on:

• Eighteen (18) credits of applicable MPH coursework completed.

Completion of the APE milestone prior to enrollment in PHP 667.

PHP 667 Instructor/APE Coordinator Contact:
Susan Coots
Email: secoots@syr.edu 

Chapter 2: Responsibilities

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for:

1. Completing the Applied Practice Preparation Milestone.
2. Completion of PHP 667 assignments.
3. Completing at least 200 hours of direct field experience; hours of which should be spent working towards attaining proficiency in core public health competencies.
4. Engaging with the public health workforce and stakeholders according to professional and ethical guidelines.
5. Actively engaging with site supervisor and PHP 667 instructor to discuss any issues or concerns with practicum placement.
6. Actively seeking feedback from APE committee to receive guidance on APE deliverables through-out the semester. 

PHP 667 Instructor Responsibilities

The PHP 667 instructor is responsible for:

1. Discussing readiness to complete the APE.
2. Advising students on practicum placements and necessary tasks that must be completed prior to placement.
3. Advising and mentoring students prior to, during, and after the placement.
4. Serves as chair to the APE Committee.
5. Consulting with site supervisor, as needed.
6. Assessing required student work.

Applied Practice Experience Committee

The Applied Practice Experience Committee is responsible for:

1. Reviewing the applied practice proposal submitted for the milestone and meeting with the student to suggest revisions or alternate practice activities and products if needed.
2. Reviewing drafts of deliverables as outlines in the APE proposal and providing guidance and revision suggestions prior to portfolio submission
3. Reviewing PHP 667 portfolio, meeting with the student to discuss revisions if needed, and completing the evaluation rubric.

Field Site Supervisor Responsibilities

The field site supervisor is responsible for:

1. Working with the student and PHP 667 instructor to establish a placement plan; to include tasks/responsibilities for student during placement.
2. Providing mentorship and guidance as student engages in public health practice; providing appropriate public health activities and tasks to complete during experience on day-to-day basis. 
3. Completing mid and final evaluations on the student performance during the field placement.
4. Meeting with the student regularly during the field placement and providing adequate public health opportunities for the student to engage in.
5. Consulting with the PHP 667 instructor, as needed.

Chapter 3: Timelines and Procedures

APE Milestone Steps

The APE is a pre-planned experience. Students must complete the APE Milestone preparation activities prior to enrollment in PHP 667 (APE).

Prior to APE Milestone (1st Semester of Study)

• All students enroll in PHP 675, a 0-credit course which allows access to pre-planning tasks.

Step 1: Attend APE Information Session

• An information session is held every September. The information session provides an overview of the APE Milestone, as well as the APE guidelines and expectations.
• Additional information about the APE Milestone, as well as the APE guidelines and expectations can be found on the "APE Milestone" Blackboard organization of which all MPH students have access to.

Step 2: Complete APE Application and Submit Resume via Tevera

• The APE application and upload for students resume can be found on "Tevera," Falk's website for planning and oversite of internships/practicums. Students can access "Tevera" by visiting the PHP 675 Pre-planning Course Blackboard and clicking the "Tevera" link of the main page.

Step 3: Meet with APE Coordinator

• Schedule a meeting with the APE Coordinator to discuss placement opportunities, planning, expectations, etc.

Step 4: Placement Search and Approval

Chapter 4: Field Placements

Placements

The placement process is a collaborative process between the PHP 667 Instructor, the student, and potential placement agencies.

Placement agencies must provide sufficient public health practice opportunities and supervisors that can appropriately oversee graduate level public health practice activities. Students may work with a variety of non-profit or for-profit agencies but should avoid academic institutions and research-based organizations.

Students discuss placement interests and receive final placement approval from the PHP 667 instructor.

Contracts

The university must have a valid contract with any agency a student is placed. The contract process can take up to 3-4 months to complete. Students wanting a placement at an agency with which the University does not have a contract should speak with the PHP 667 Instructor during the Fall semester prior to PHP 667 enrollment.
*A contract is not needed if a student is accepted into an existing internship program within an agency or the placement is a paid experience.

Employment based

If a student wishes to request a placement in an agency they will be simultaneously employed, the following minimal conditions must be met:

1. The organization possesses an interest in an opportunity for public health practice.
2. An individual must be available as site supervisor, subject to the approval of the Department of Public Health. The site supervisor may not be the same individual who supervises the student in the work setting or has supervised the student in the past.
3. The proposed placement activities must different significantly from previous or current employment responsibilities in the agency.
4. The proposed placement must meet PHP 667 requirements.

Students wishing to secure an employed placement meet with the PHP 667 Instructor to discuss if the placement fulfills the minimum requirements above. The constraints of an employed placement are reviewed, other options are discussed, and a decision on the appropriateness of the placement is made.

Appendix

Forms and Documents for APE can be found on the APE Milestone Blackboard Organization, of which all MPH students have access.

PHP 667: Graduate Practicum in Public Health (Graduate Course Syllabus)

Instructor:
Email:
Phone:
Office:
Office Hours:

Catalog Description:

Provide cross-cultural experience and understanding of public health policies and practices in the field.

Prerequisite/Co-requisite:  

Completion of the Applied Practice Preparation Milestone. By permission of instructor. 

Credits:

3

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, students will be able to

1. Demonstrate a minimum of 5 foundational and concentration public health competencies within a public health practice setting – CEPH Accreditation Criteria.
2. Participate as a member of a professional workplace team.
3. Reflect on public health practice experience as it pertains to personal, professional, and academic development.

Course Grading:

Students need to pass all P/F assessment items to pass the course.

All pass/fail requirements must earn a “Pass” to pass the course.

Evaluation:

1. Timesheets (P/F); Located on Blackboard.
   1. Students are required to complete a minimum of 200 hours of field experience with their practice site.
   2. During their placement, students are required to submit timesheets noting the number of hours completed at the site. Timesheets are to be completed by the student, signed by the site supervisor, and are due weekly to the internship coordinator. The timesheet can be found on blackboard.
   3. Note: Students are required to meet at least 80% (160 hours) of the required hours to pass the course. Students completing 80-89% of the required hours will receive a 20% grade deduction on the journals and portfolio assignment. Students completing 90-99% of the required hours will receive a 10% grade deduction on the journals and portfolio assignment.
2. Student Evaluations (P/F); See pages 4 and 5 of Syllabus.
   1. At the mid-point of the practicum placement and at the end of the practicum placement, the course instructor will consult with the site supervisor to complete a written evaluation of the student. The written evaluation will be used to determine if the following objectives are being/have been met, and if the student is:
      1. Making steady progress on the completion of the assigned site projects, including any requested reports and papers.
      2. Making steady progress towards the completion of required practicum hours.
      3. Making steady progress towards identified competencies.
      4. Engaging in the site activities as an active participant and contributor to the project or organizational goals.
      5. Communicating effectively, both orally and written.
      6. Interacting with individuals, groups, and/or communities across diverse setting competently.
      7. Respecting the rights of others and maintains confidentiality.
3. Bi-Weekly Check-Ins (P/F)
   1. Students are required to communicate with the course instructor at least once every two weeks. This check-in can be in the form of an email or zoom meeting and include: Description of how the practicum experience in progressing, a review of any issues or barriers the student is or believe they might experience, a progress report on the APE products as described in the APE portfolio.
4. Seminars (4 – P/F)
   1. Students are expected to attend 4 seminars (online synchronous) over the course of the semester; must attend at least 3 out of 4 to achieve a “Pass”.
   2. Seminar Schedule
      1. Seminar 1 – Topic: APE Requirement Review
      2. Seminar 2 - Topic: Career Services; Resume and Cover Letter Workshop
      3. Seminar 3 - Topic: Career Services; Networking; Searching for Jobs
      4. Seminar 4 - Topic: Public Health Careers Panel
5. Journals (30%)
   1. Students are required to keep track of their personal and professional learning experiences during their practicum by submitting a weekly electronic journal to the course instructor via blackboard.
   2. The weekly journal writing allows students to document their own responses to the work in their practicum site as well as their observations of the organization, its leadership and the strengths and weaknesses of public health practice at the site. The journal is meant to be a series of personal reflections that communicate the impact of the experience on the formulation of the student’s views of effective public health practice.
   3. Entries should be made at least once a week and include specific accounts of experiences, interactions, and observations. Each entry should be at least one page single-spaced or two pages double-spaced.
6. APE Portfolio (70%):
   The portfolio is reviewed by the APE committee for adequacy in demonstrating MPH competencies. Note: Actions and products produced for the portfolio must be grounded in public health and related theory, concepts, and principles. Elements of the portfolio may require citations; Quality of the products and adequacy in demonstrating MPH competencies will be reviewed. Additionally, students who do not provide an adequate portfolio will be required to edit the portfolio until the APE Committee approves the portfolio as sufficiently meeting the requirements. This could result in an INCOMPLETE for the course if additional time beyond the end of the enrolled semester is required to produce a sufficient portfolio.
   1. Cover Page
   2. Table of Contents
   3. Proposal Document (developed during the Internship Preparation Seminar, reviewed, and approved by the APE committee; switched to past tense for this purpose)
   4. APE Reflection
   5. Product #1, with short description of how the product exemplifies the mapped competencies.
   6. Product #2, with short description of how the product exemplifies the mapped competencies.
   7. Additional Products, as necessary.
   8. Appendix, as necessary.
   9. APA Format.
   10. Product Review Process
       1. During the semester, students should maintain contact with the practicum coordinator and share progress on their products for committee review as products are completed, as opposed to waiting for the final portfolio review.
   11. Portfolio Review Process
       1. Portfolio must be received at least 48 (business) hours in advance of APE Committee review meeting.
       2. Meeting Process
          1. Student provides overview of experience (description of overall aim of agency and program worked with, overall scope of their work, competencies demonstrated and associated products); highlights high points and low points of experience.
          2. Committee presents summary of review and rubric.
          3. Final approval is given, or student is asked to make edits.
          4. Repeat process as appropriate.