Examples of Potential Practicum Projects:
Experience Type
Individual Practicum Experience
Intensive Winter Break Experience
Course-Based Practicum*
Precepting Organization
National Association of County and City
Health Officials (NACCHO)
Johns Hopkins Center for
Communication Programs
Estimated length
4 months (Oct-Jan), 8 hrs/week
Winter break, 20-30 hrs/week
Maryland Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene (DHMH)
6 months (terms 2-4), 4 hrs/week as part
of the PHASE course
Completed a course in Tuberculosis
Control and Research at Hopkins, and
then spent 2 weeks over winter break
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia collaborating
with various stakeholders to learn
about practical TB diagnosis in Ethiopia
and epidemiology of disease in the
country. Developed a final report and
presented the findings to the JHUTechnical Support for the Ethiopian HIV
AIDS Initiative (JHU-TSEHAI) lab groups.
Worked with the DHMH public health
laboratory to assess the importance of
continued laboratory surveillance of tickborne diseases in Maryland. The results
and summaries were prepared as
manuscripts and presented at a national
meeting. The findings from these studies
led to recommendations that the Code of
Maryland Regulations (COMAR) for tickborne disease surveillance should be
sustained.
Two weeks on-site; course completed
in Baltimore
Independent search: Student paid for
own expenses – this was not awarded
MPH Field Experience Funds**
On-Site at DHMH; weekly
Project description accessed through
Practicum Opportunity Site; Link to PHASE
application on PHASE website***
Practicum work location
Explored how text messaging can be
used as an effective tool during
influenza pandemics and reviewed
relevant data and research to identify
perceived gaps and barriers in the
currently existing mobile texting system
program. Developed an action plan in
collaboration with NACCHO workgroups
to recommend solutions to reduce the
barriers and gaps identified.
Work completed remotely with a few
in-person meetings at the
beginning/middle and end of the
project
Opportunity Identified
via:
Practicum Opportunity Site
Project Description
*Courses vary in how the practicum is completed. Course length can range from 1 to 3 terms. If taking a multi-term practicum course, you must complete all terms in
order to apply the course towards the practicum requirement. Some courses heavily emphasize direct work in the community, while others involve a mix of in-class and
out-of-class work. For some courses, the work is completed in class but preceptors from outside organizations will come onsite to work with the students. For more
details on available practicum courses see http://www.jhsph.edu/offices-and-services/practice-and-training/practicum/for-students/practicum-courses.html.
**The MPH Program sponsors a limited number of MPH Field Experience Fund Awards (on a competitive basis) that can be used to obtain hands-on international or
domestic experiences in population health. These funds can be used to support travel and other expenses related to work with various health organizations. The field
experiences typically take place during winter break in January, and can be used as the basis for developing an MPH capstone project. Application required.
Applications generally due in October, with award decisions made in November. For more information: http://www.jhsph.edu/academics/degree-programs/masterof-public-health/curriculum/mph-field-experience-fund-awards.html
***PHASE website: http://www.jhsph.edu/offices-and-services/practice-and-training/awards-grants-training/phase/faqs-students.html
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Examples of Potential Practicum Projects:
Experience Type
Practicum Experience linked with
Other Academic Req. (e.g.
Capstone)
Group Project – Connection
Community Consultants
Precepting Organization
Local nonprofit
Baltimore Urban Debate League (BUDL)
Estimated length
Practicum portion: 3 months (Nov-Jan),
6-8 hrs/week, Capstone portion xxx xxx
4 students each working 6 weeks, 3
hrs/week (Mar-Apr)*
Practicum: Assisted a non-profit
organization to write an Operations
Manual. The student collected
information through phone and inperson key leadership interviews.
The SOURCE Connection Community
Consultants team worked with the
BUDL's staff, alumni, and adolescent
health experts from JHSPH to develop
an evaluation plan to measure BUDL’s
success. The final deliverable comprised
of a pre- and post-survey for middle
school BUDL participants, an
implementation plan, and
recommendations about additional
indicators to measure success.
Project Description
Practicum work location
Capstone: The student built on the
practicum experience for her Capstone
paper through a comprehensive
literature review about the importance
of knowledge management in the nonprofit sector, a description of a
theoretical framework to implement a
knowledge management system, and
an explanation of the real-world
application of the theoretical
framework, including lessons learned
and suggestions for the future
implementation.
Work completed remotely
Work completed both remotely and onsite, with in-person meetings at the
beginning/middle and end of the project
Combination of Experiences
Bea Gaddy's Women and Children's
Center; Institute for Public Health
Innovation (IPHI)
Project 1: 4 weeks, 3-5 hrs/week (Oct)
Project 2: 2 months, 6-10 hrs/week (JanMar)
The student completed two projects to
meet the 100-hour requirement. For one
project, the student completed a
Consultant project with a local
transitional housing organization to
develop and disseminate a healthy eating
and nutrition educational brochure. For
the second project, the student worked
with IPHI to conduct a cost-effectiveness
analysis of an existing health information
system in use by the organization. The
student then presented his findings to
the organization's leadership team.
Work for both projects completed both
remotely and on-site
Opportunity Identified
via:
Independent Search/Faculty
Project 1: SOURCE /
Recommendation
SOURCE
Project 2: Practicum Opportunity Site
*NOTE: This project did not fully meet the 100 hour practicum requirement; the students who conducted this project combined it with another project or course to
completely meet the requirement.
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