Current MPH Practicum Opportunities Database Submission Form

To satisfy degree requirements, a Gillings MPH practicum must:

  • Be an applied practice experience whose purpose is to contribute to improvements in public health by informing, assessing, developing, implementing, evaluating, and/or leading policies, programs, and/or interventions at the population rather than individual level. Academic research or teaching, observation and/or treatment of patients, shadowing, and activities conducted solely under faculty supervision (e.g., case study or preparing a manuscript for publication) are not appropriate practicum activities. Students can only do a practicum with their regular place of employment if their practicum work will differ substantially from their current role and they have a preceptor who is not their regular supervisor.
  • Take place in partnership with a governmental, non-governmental, non-profit, industrial, for-profit, or appropriate university-affiliated organization. University-affiliated (refers to units engaged in academic endeavors) organizations must be primarily focused on community engagement, typically with external partners. University health promotion or wellness centers may also be appropriate. Faculty-supervised lab settings are not appropriate for the practicum.
  • Allow for the application of graduate-level public health skills.
  • Yield at least two student-generated, practical work products (e.g., project plans, grant proposals, training manuals or lesson plans, surveys, memos, videos, podcasts, presentations, spreadsheets, websites, photos with accompanying explanatory text, or other digital artifacts of learning), produced for the practicum site’s use and benefit, that demonstrate attainment of five CEPH MPH Foundational Competencies. Unacceptable products are reflection papers, contact hour logs, scholarly papers prepared to allow faculty to assess the experience, academic poster presentations, and other documents required for academic purposes.
  • Be mentored by a supervisor (preceptor) with public health expertise and experience to guide the practicum work who can carry out the Gillings MPH practicum preceptor responsibilities.
  • Take place in a location approved for student travel (UNC Travel Policy), and the student must complete UNC Gillings International Pre-Departure Travel Requirements prior to travel if applicable.
  • Comprise a minimum of 200 hours (equivalent to five weeks of full-time work).

Please fill out the form below to have your practicum opportunity considered to be added to our practicum opportunities database.

* indicates required field.

Please include the name of your agency or organization.

Please include your full URL including "http://" or "https://" as appropriate.

Please include your first name.
Please include your last name.

We understand that people come to public health from a range of backgrounds. Please select the qualifications that the preceptor for this experience would have (select all that apply):

For conflict-of-interest reasons and to expand mentorship opportunities, a student’s regular supervisor cannot serve as their preceptor. To gain exposure to public health work outside of an academic setting and for accreditation reasons, students are generally discouraged from completing a practicum with a faculty member. However, faculty may serve as a preceptor if the practicum products are produced in direct partnership with, and benefit, a non-academic community or organization.

If there is any uncertainty whether someone is qualified to serve as a preceptor, please contact mphpracticum@unc.edu.

Please indicate the option that best reflects the preceptor's qualifications.

Please provide a one-sentence position summary:

Please select up to 3 areas that best describe the project:

A product is a tangible output from the student’s practicum work. Students must produce a minimum of two student-generated, non-proprietary, practical work products, produced for the practicum site’s use and benefit, that demonstrate attainment of five CEPH MPH Foundational Competencies. The preceptor and student determine the number and types of products a student completes based on the practicum organization’s needs, time constraints, and student interests and capabilities. Multiple students can work on the same practicum project; however, each student must produce at least two products that demonstrate individual competency attainment.

The list below provides examples of practicum products. Unacceptable products are presentations (poster or oral) about the student’s practicum experience, IRB applications, reflection papers, contact hour logs, scholarly papers prepared to allow faculty to assess the experience, academic poster presentations, and other documents required for academic purposes.

Please select at least two, and up to five, practicum products the student could potentially work on:

A key part of our mission at the Gillings School is to eliminate health inequities in North Carolina and globally. Using Dr. Camara Jones’ definition of health equity, please indicate whether this practicum opportunity will:

Please indicate the option that best reflects the opportunity.
Please indicate the option that best reflects the opportunity.
Please indicate the option that best reflects the opportunity.
Please indicate the option that best reflects the practicum's geographic focus.
Please indicate the option that best reflects the opportunity.
Please select a remote work option.

The practicum must be at least 200 hours.

Please indicate the estimated number of hours.

We encourage practicum organizations to provide compensation to practicum students when possible. In accordance with the University standard, the recommended hourly rate for MPH students is $28.

Please indicate the student compensation.

Provide either a link to the practicum position posting, or, if the practicum opportunity is not available via a website, please upload a PDF document. The Link or PDF provided must include the position description, major activities that the student will complete, application instructions, and any other relevant information not captured in this form.
For an example template, click here.

Please include your full URL including "http://" or "https://" as appropriate.