Graduate Study

MPH Practicum

MPH-Nutrition students complete a 6-credit (240 hour) practicum project. The practicum is a planned, supervised, and evaluated field-based experience under the guidance of a site supervisor within a public health organization. View past MPH-Nutrition practicum project posters.

Timeline

  • MPH-Nutrition students attend the annual Nutritional Sciences Practicum Session; they do not need to attend the SPH practicum orientation held by Janice North.
  • Students may begin the practicum after completing the first year of coursework.
  • A practicum can be completed during a single quarter or spread over multiple quarters; GCPD students complete the practicum during the practice experience (year 2 internship).
  • The NSP practicum adviser will meet with each MPH-Nutrition student to identify potential practicum sites the quarter before they plan to begin the practicum.
    • Students planning to start their practicum during the summer between years 1 & 2 should arrange this meeting during spring quarter.
    • MPH GCPD student meetings will be early autumn quarter of year 2.
  • Students must submit a signed Practicum Learning Contract and ensure an educational Affiliation Agreement is in place between the SPH and the site before starting the practicum.
  • Students who completed the practicum during the previous academic year will present at the NSP Practicum Session.
  • NSP students are encouraged, but not required, to participate in the spring SPH MPH Practicum Symposium and Reception.

Project Requirements

  • The NSP practicum adviser will assist MPH-Nutrition students in identifying potential practicum sites.
  • To streamline conversations with community partners, students are asked not to contact sites before meeting with the practicum adviser.
  • The practicum provides students an opportunity to see how nutrition concepts are applied in a public health setting and/or via public health policy.
  • Students are encouraged to select an assessment, policy development or assurance project (10 essential public health services). Appropriate projects aim to affect the outer rings of the social ecological model. Direct patient care is not allowed.
  • Per accreditation requirements, a practicum project must be designed to meet five of the 22 CEPH foundational competencies.
  • Students must outline their project and deliverables on the Practicum Learning Contract, which will be reviewed by their site supervisor and practicum adviser prior to collecting signatures.
  • The School of Public Health has additional practicum resources and documentation requirements, including the Practicum Prerequisite Form, Midpoint Review, and Site Supervisor Evaluation.
  • NSP students must submit a written assignment (practicum report), a visual assignment (poster), and at least two student-generated products for the site (report, dataset, executive summary, etc.).
  • Practicum materials must be submitted to the SPH – MPH Practicum Dropbox.

MPH-Nutrition Students (Degree-Only)

  • MPH-Nutrition (degree-only) students can begin the practicum at any point after completing the first year of coursework.
  • A practicum can be completed during a single quarter or spread over multiple quarters.
  • MPH-Nutrition (degree-only) students register for practicum credits via NUTR 595.
  • MPH-Nutrition (degree-only) students will submit their deliverables to the SPH – MPH Practicum Dropbox.

MPH-Nutrition+GCPD Students

  • MPH-Nutrition+GCPD students complete the practicum during the 8-month practice experience/internship (winter-summer quarter of year 2).
  • The practicum rotation meets the requirements of the Public Health Concentration rotation (MPH practicum = PH Concentration).
  • MPH-Nutrition+GCPD students complete practicum credits by registering for NUTR 561, not NUTR 595.
  • MPH-Nutrition+GCPD students will submit their deliverables to both the GCPD Canvas site and the SPH – MPH Practicum Dropbox.
  • MPH-Nutrition+GCPD students completing winter quarter practicum projects will submit their practicum posters for display at the state dietetic conference (WSAND).

International Students

 

Contacts

Nutritional Sciences Program MPH Practicum Faculty Adviser

Anne Lund, MPH, RDN, FAND
Director, Master of Public Health Program
Director, Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics

Nutritional Sciences Student and Academic Services

305 Raitt Hall
gradnutr@uw.edu

School of Public Health MPH Practicum Program

Janice North
Manager of Experiential Learning
206-685-9975
jlnorth@uw.edu
sphpractice@uw.edu