Practicum Placement

The 400-hour practicum placement is a central feature of the Queen's MPH and many students find it to be one of the most rewarding parts of the program.

Through the practicum, students put their learning from courses to work in a public health setting, deepening their knowledge, skills and experience in an area of interest.

Please find more information about the practicum placement, including the MPH IPAC Specialization practicum, below.

Information for prospective students

All Master of Public Health students complete a 400-hour practicum placement (EPID 887).

The placement is usually completed in the spring and summer terms of year one, between April and August.

Students work with the MPH Professional Development Officer to clarify their professional interests, learning goals and needs. The MPH program establishes a set of placements in the Kingston area, developed specifically for Queen's MPH students and not advertised outside the program. Students may also apply to publically advertised placements or create their own. All placements must be approved by the Professional Development Officer.

Students secure placements anytime between December and April, with the majority of students finalizing placements in March.

All students are required to pay tuition during the practicum placement.

Examples of previous host organizations

Here is a list of some of the previous practicum sites that have hosted Queen’s Master of Public Health students.

Information for prospective host organizations

The Master of Public Health (MPH) at Queen’s University is a professional course-based degree in the Department of Public Health Sciences. The MPH includes a mandatory 400-hour practicum.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are MPH students prepared for the practicum?

What are the benefits of hosting an MPH student?

What types of organizations are eligible to host MPH practicum students?

What are the responsibilities of a host organization?

What are the responsibilities of a practicum preceptor?

What are some examples of practicum activities and deliverables?

What are the steps to hosting a practicum student?

What needs to be completed during the practicum?

Do host organizations have any responsibilities after the placement?

What’s next if my organization is interested?

How are MPH students prepared for the practicum?

MPH students begin their practicum after completion of two terms of coursework. The core courses in these first two terms provide students with a foundation in epidemiology, biostatistics, program planning and evaluation, public health theory, and health systems and health policy in Canada. Students may also have completed up to three elective courses of their choice.

What are the benefits of hosting an MPH student?

Host organizations can harness the knowledge and skills of MPH students to advance organizational projects, strengthen collaboration and foster networks, and meet and train potential new employees.

What types of organizations are eligible to host MPH practicum students?

Host organizations provide practice environments that foster the application of the student’s public health knowledge and skills. These include public health units and agencies, community-based organizations, governments, non-governmental organizations, hospitals and academic institutions.

What are the responsibilities of a host organization?

An experiential learning agreement is a legal contract between the host organization and Queen’s University that defines the roles and responsibilities in providing practice education. A current agreement must be in place before the MPH student starts their placement with the host organization. Please note, a considerable amount of time is needed to establish a new agreement is required; it is strongly advised that the experiential learning agreement process is started as soon as a practicum opportunity is identified.

Financial compensation is not required but it is encouraged if budgets permit. In recent years, roughly half of the placements offered payment in the form of a stipend or hourly wage. If payment is involved, the MPH Program is not involved in arranging or disbursing any form of payment to the student.

Students must complete 400 hours of work at a host organization. Generally, the student’s weekly hours will be aligned with the host organization’s work week, e.g. 35 hours per week. There is some flexibility to arrange an alternate schedule (e.g. Monday to Thursdays), subject to the mutual agreement of the host organization and the student. Start and finish dates and work hours of the practicum are negotiated and arranged between the preceptor/host organization and the student. Students are not to continue their practicum placement after August 31.

What are the responsibilities of a practicum preceptor?

A primary preceptor must be designated to guide the student through the placement. Organizations are encouraged to identify a secondary preceptor. Preceptors must have expertise in the placement topic area, as well as time and interest in supervising and mentoring an MPH student. Preceptors provide guidance, feedback, evaluate the student's performance and are committed to providing a positive learning experience for the MPH student at the host organization. Preceptors are required to meet with the student for at least one hour per week during the placement.

What are some examples of practicum activities and deliverables?

The hope is that the student experience will complement work or activities that have been planned or anticipated within your program needs assessment, strategic or annual plan. Practicum deliverables are varied and depend on the host organization’s identified needs.

Typically, the practicum placement is oriented towards one or more of the following public health functions: disease surveillance and population health assessment, health promotion/prevention, health protection, health management and services, and evaluation.

Previous students have completed the following deliverables:

o Briefing note

o Infographics

o Surveillance dashboard

o Survey plan

o Logic model

o Aggregate report

o Health status report

o Evaluation plan/framework

o Environmental scan

o Communication outreach program

o Advocacy toolkit

o Research report

o Annual report

o Knowledge exchange plan

o Summary report of recommendations

o Literature review

o Evidence brief

What are the steps to hosting a practicum student?

1: Develop a practicum opportunity

Once you have decided to serve as a preceptor and that your organization can provide the appropriate learning environment for a student, the next step is to develop a placement opportunity. Consider the needs or objectives of your organization and how an MPH student can support these. A practicum must have realistic expectations for the 400 hours that student is at the practicum placement. A placement must be aligned with three or more of the Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada (http://www.phac- aspc.gc.ca/php-psp/ccph-cesp/pdfs/cc-manual-eng090407.pdf).

2: Complete and submit a Host Organization Posting Form

After expressing your interest in hosting a student to MPHpracticum@queensu.ca, you will be invited to submit a host organization posting form. This is an online form that will ask you for the following details about the potential placement:

Host organization details
Preceptor details
A brief description of the practicum project(s) and deliverables
The public health competencies that the student will be able to develop during the practicum
Additional activities and opportunities beyond the practicum project(s)
Details on how interested students should apply, e.g. cover letter and resume by deadline date.

Submit the online form by January 30. Once submitted, the opportunity will be reviewed to determine if it meets the practicum criteria. If the proposed project does not meet the practicum criteria, you will be contacted with feedback and possible revisions to meet the MPH requirements. All approved practicum opportunities will be posted on the course website for all MPH students to apply to.

3: Candidate screening and selection

After the selected application deadline (typically three weeks after the posting date), review received applications and organize further screening processes e.g. interviews with selected candidates.

Once the preferred candidate is selected, please email MPHpracticum@queensu.ca to confirm that position has been filled.

What needs to be completed during the practicum?

When the student begins the placement, preceptors must orient the student to the organization (e.g., meet the team, review the organization’s history, place within the public health system, mission, goals, vision, work on a day to day basis). It is critical to discuss logistics including contact information and preferred form of communication, work hours and tracking hours, procedures for reporting absences, safety training, parking, ID, computer use, confidentiality.

The next step is to complete the Practicum Agreement and Learning Plan which will be given to the preceptor by the student. The Practicum Agreement and Learning Plan provides an opportunity to define the project scope, activities and deliverables as well as outline the expectations of the preceptor and the student. Students must submit this form before the end of the second week of their placement.

The preceptor plays an active role in evaluating the student’s performance by completing the Midpoint Performance Review and Final Performance Review. These forms are provided by the student, completed by the preceptor and reviewed in a meeting with the student. Both parties sign the document before the student submits them to the MPH Program.

Do host organizations have any responsibilities after the placement?

After the practicum, preceptors will be invited to complete a brief post-practicum survey to provide feedback to the MPH Program about the practicum experience.

What’s next if my organization is interested?

Please contact MPHpracticum@queensu.ca to express your interest or ask questions. Hosts will complete an information form with project details and an Experiential Learning Agreement with Queen’s University before the student is placed.

MPH IPAC Specialization Practicum

Background

Queen’s University, in alliance with IPAC Canada, offers an Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Specialization within the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program. A main component of the Program is a 400-hour practicum, where students apply course-based public health knowledge and skills into an authentic context with mentorship by an IPAC practitioner certified in Infection Control (CIC®). The practicum takes place with a host organization between May 1 and August 31.

What types of organizations host MPH IPAC practicum students?

Practicums take place in a variety of organizations with teams responsible for IPAC throughout the public health system, including local public health agencies and hospitals. Students must participate in on-site IPAC activities for a minimum of 40% of their weekly hours.

What are the benefits of hosting an MPH IPAC student?

Host organizations can harness the knowledge and skills of MPH students to advance organizational projects, strengthen collaboration and foster networks, and meet and train potential new employees. Preceptors also earn IPU credits that can be used toward CIC recertification.

How are MPH students prepared for the practicum?

Before the practicum, full-time MPH IPAC students complete two terms of graduate coursework, developing competencies in public health sciences, assessment and analysis, policy and program planning and evaluation, communication, diversity and inclusiveness, microbiology, routine IPAC practices and precautions, outbreaks and infectious disease threats, reprocessing practices and more. Courses include:

Foundations of Public Health
Introduction to Epidemiology
Essentials of Biostatistics
Health Systems in Canada and Health Policy in Canada
Applied Research Methods for Program Planning and Evaluation
Medically Relevant Microbiology in IPAC
Foundations of Infection Prevention and Control and Environments of Care
Healthcare Quality, Safety and Risk*

*completed online during practicum

What are the responsibilities of the host organization and preceptors?

Host organizations designate an IPAC practitioner certified in Infection Control (CIC®) as preceptor to provide close mentorship of the student. IPAC practicums must provide on-site, in person, experiential learning opportunities at least 40% of weekly hours. The preceptor works with students to create a competency-based learning plan, as well as complete a midpoint and final performance review of students.

What opportunities for IPAC competency development does a host organization provide?

The host organization exposes the student to various aspects of IPAC team roles to enhance the organization’s needs and the student’s development of IPAC Canada’s Core Competencies, such as:

Interpreting and communicating lab results
Implementing and communicating strategies for IPAC in collaboration with key stakeholders
Assessing risk and managing additional precautions
Conducting surveillance

What’s next if my organization is interested?

Please contact MPHpracticum@queensu.ca to express your interest or ask questions. Hosts will complete an information form with project details and an Experiential Learning Agreement with Queen’s University before the student is placed.

Information for prospective students

Examples of previous host organizations

In Kingston or within commuting distance

Provincial/Regional

National

International

Information for prospective host organizations

Frequently Asked Questions

How are MPH students prepared for the practicum?

What are the benefits of hosting an MPH student?

What types of organizations are eligible to host MPH practicum students?

What are the responsibilities of a host organization?

What are the responsibilities of a practicum preceptor?

What are some examples of practicum activities and deliverables?

What are the steps to hosting a practicum student?

What needs to be completed during the practicum?

Do host organizations have any responsibilities after the placement?

What’s next if my organization is interested?

MPH IPAC Specialization Practicum

Interested in the MPH?

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