MPH Practicum
The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) requires that a Master of Public Health Program (MPH) “…… must develop skills in basic public health concepts and demonstrate the application of these concepts through a practice experience that is relevant to the students’ area of specialization (CEPH Accreditation Criteria Public Health Programs, 2008: p12).
“Practical knowledge and skills are essential to successful practice. A planned, supervised and evaluated practice experience is an essential component of a public health professional degree program. These opportunities can take place in a variety of agencies and organizations, but should include especially local and state public health agencies to the extent possible and appropriate. An essential component of the practice experience is supervision by a qualified preceptor who is a public health professional. Programs must have well-defined learning objectives, procedures, and criteria for evaluation of the practice experience.” (CEPH Accreditation Criteria Public Health Programs, 2008: p12).
In order to meet the CEPH requirement, The University of Texas (UTEP) at El Paso Master of Public Health (MPH) Program curriculum requires that all students must satisfactorily complete a field training practice experience or practicum before graduation. The practicum is designed to provide an opportunity for you to synthesize, integrate, and apply practical skills, knowledge, and training learned through courses, to gain professional experience in a public health work environment, and to work on a public health practice project or program that is of special interest to you. UTEP’s unique location provides you with diverse learning experiences at a variety of practicum sites on both sides of the border. Other U.S. and international field training experiences are also available.