MPH Applied Practice Experience

University of Georgia

As a Master of Public Health (MPH) student, you will be required to complete an Applied Practice Experience (APE), most commonly referred to as an internship. The office of the Practice Coordinator at the College of Public Health has agreements with many exciting sites. These sites reflect the current public health job market and include agencies such as the Georgia Department of Public Health and District Health offices, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the American Red Cross, as well as local hospitals and non-profits. New agreements can be coordinated upon request.

MPH APE Information Sessions are held each Fall and Spring Semester. Enrolled MPH students are required to attend at least one prior to their practice term. See the College’s website event calendar for upcoming dates.

Students are required to meet with their faculty academic advisor and CPH Practice Coordinator, the semester before entering their Applied Practice Experience and will attend both a field information and briefing session. During this time, the student will complete the APE proposal (examples found here – Applied Practice Track or Applied Research Track.) which is due by the midterm date of the semester before they enter their Applied Practice Experience. During their APE, they will be evaluated by their site supervisor or research mentor through a Midterm and Final Evaluation. The students will also be required to complete specific APE deliverables, which can be found in eLC in the CPH-Grad Course, which all MPH students will be required to have access to.

Deadlines to consider:

Two Semesters prior to Field or Applied Research	Registration for PBHL 7460 Occurs the semester prior to the last year in the MPH. Similarly, registration for PBHL 7560 2-credits occurs the semester prior to the last year. Both courses begin the semester before the field experience.
Semester Prior	Students must identify their placement or publication by the midpoint of the semester, during their PBHL 7560 2-credit advisement course. Students must finalize the APE Proposal by the end of the term.
Semester During	During the APE term, students and preceptors will be required to submit midterm evaluations. During the APE term, students will draft their Comprehensive Site Profile or manuscript.
PBHL 7560 Required Products	To successfully pass all courses, students submit a resume, Comprehensive Site Profile or manuscript, ePortfolio, ePoster, time log, all evaluations, and the APE products. To pass all courses, students must attend the MPH ePoster Showcase at the end of the term.

For more detailed information on the APE Process, please refer to the MPH Applied Practice Experience Manual (which you can download from the link below or access in the “CPH-Grad Course” portal located in eLC) or contact the CPH Practice Coordinator at [email protected].

Download the MPH APE Manual

ATTENTION: Students who enrolled prior to Fall 2020, visit this page for information on the MPH Capstone.