MPH Practicum Overview for Preceptors

All professional Masters (MPH) students at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health are required to complete a practicum project as part of their degree program.

Practicum projects for MPH-45 students must be a minimum of 120 hours; practicum projects for MPH-65 students must be a minimum of 200 hours. 

Practicum projects are approved by practice course faculty in a student’s field of study and completed under the supervision of a preceptor at the host organization.

The student should provide the host organization with a mutually agreed-upon deliverable at the conclusion of the project. Students must also submit two Applied Practice Experience (APE) “products” to their practice course faculty to document proficiency in five competencies; this is a requirement for all students in accredited schools and programs of public health. At the completion of the project, students are required to give an oral presentation to classmates and submit a written report.

Individual or team projects are acceptable. Team projects should be designed for teams of no more than 3 students, or with the permission of course faculty and host organization. Like individual students, members of student teams must submit their own Applied Practice Experience products and be able to individually demonstrate proficiency in five competencies. A practicum project must meet the following criteria:

• Addresses a problem that has significance to your organization, and will result in a deliverable that helps to provide your organization with a solution to the problem
• Has a specific, well-defined project scope that can be accomplished successfully within the time and with the skills and knowledge of the student or student team
• Requires the student(s) to demonstrate and apply graduate level skills and competencies to the type of problem or issue that they are likely to encounter in public health practice
• Requires a significant amount of work from each student working on the project; the work schedule should be based on a discussion of your organization’s needs and student availability
• Will be supervised by a preceptor at your organization who agrees to the responsibilities outlined below, and is acceptable to the course instructor
• Will enhance the professional development of the student or student team

Visit this page to learn more about how to get started, posting a project, and other resources to connect with students for their practicum.