Practicum
Purpose of the Practicum
The practicum is a core requirement of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, designed to give students a short-term, field-based opportunity to apply their public health skills in a real-world setting. Under the guidance of a professional mentor and host organization, students gain hands-on experience and build practical skills essential for their careers.
Most students complete 100–200 hours (or 3 units) at community-based organizations or public health agencies at the local, state, federal, or international level. Clinical or patient-specific work alone does not meet the practicum requirement.
Students are expected to demonstrate key competencies outlined by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), including communication, data analysis, cultural humility, leadership, and ethical decision-making, while producing a minimum of two deliverables that reflect their applied learning.
Key Highlights:
- 100–200 hour internship with a public or population-based health organization
- Professional mentorship and feedback from a site mentor
- Application of CEPH and concentration competencies in a real-world setting
- Students develop and implement a minimum of two deliverable work products with a public health focus required
Pictured above: Student presenters at the 2019 Practicum Poster Session
Past Practicum Examples
Students have the option to secure their practicum placement either with a public health professional outside the university or with a UC San Diego faculty member leading a practice-focused project. We encourage students to leverage their personal, professional, and academic connections to discover practicum opportunities that fit their interests.
The examples below highlight some of the diverse and tailored practicum experiences students have completed, showcasing just a few of the many possibilities:
Project Title: Community-Rooted Care: Evaluating Health Outcomes Through Comunidad de Apoyo San Diego’s Patient-Centered Model
Practicum Site: Comunidad de Apoyo San Diego (CASD)
Work Products Created: This project included a comprehensive data report with translated and coded survey results, a bilingual impact Infographic highlighting patient improvements, and a PowerPoint presentation summarizing findings and strategic recommendations.
“This practicum has shown me how to apply my MPH training in a way that feels both strategic and deeply personal. Beyond technical skills, this practicum deepened my understanding of grassroots health interventions and how relational trust, not just access, shapes health outcomes. Through data storytelling, culturally mindful communication and systems-level thinking, I was able to support a mission that aligns with my values."
- Sarina Pakravan, MPH Student with a Concentration in Health Behavior, Spring 2025 Practicum
Project Title: Stress, Coping, and Mental Health Awareness
Practicum Site: Somali Family Services (SFS) Ihsan Center
Work Products Created: This project included a well-being presentation that educated refugee and immigrant communities on stress, mental health, and coping strategies, and a bilingual brochure simplifying mental health knowledge, debunking myths, and outlining available services.
“My time at Ihsan Center provided the opportunity to learn more about how a community organization works. This definitely impacted not only my learning but also influenced my future career goals. As I aim to become a clinical psychologist, I aim to come back to health organizations such as SFS and contribute to the health of diverse communities. SFS aims to continue the mental health workshop format and host space every month for community members to learn about mindfulness and mental health, as well as have a space to share their challenges and be heard."
- Raghad Aljenabi, MPH Student with a Concentration in Public Mental Health, Spring 2025 Practicum
Project Title: Health and Physical Activity Policy Evaluations
Practicum Site: World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen
Work Products Created: This project analyzed physical activity policy evaluations in a literature review, presented key findings and recommendations to WHO focal points researchers, and helped organize the Health Enhancing Physical Activity Conference, including writing the meeting report.
“Being able to get involved in policy evaluations along with health promotion initiatives improved my awareness of issues affecting society, particularly physical activity promotion because I was not that aware of the issues that exist. Interacting with individuals in the industry expanded my awareness on the varied obstacles encountered across Europe, stressing the power of informed choices in promoting community health."
- Dagmawit Assaye, MPH Student with a Concentration in Epidemiology, Summer 2025 Practicum
Current MPH Students
Practicum Materials
Current students can access all practicum materials, resources and our opportunities database on the MPH Practicum Canvas Website.
Become a Practicum Mentor
Practicum site mentors are experienced professionals engaged in public health or population-focused work, who guide and evaluate students during their practicum. They support students by providing mentorship and fostering meaningful collaboration with the public health organization.
Mentors help students understand the practicum setting, set clear goals, and provide ongoing guidance. They offer resources, share career advice, and evaluate student progress to ensure their success.
With your support, students develop skills, contribute to important projects, and gain valuable insight into public health practice. Your mentorship helps them build confidence, grow professionally, and prepare for their careers.
Mentor Testimonial:
"It has been a joy to welcome students from UCSD into CHBRP's work of analyzing health insurance benefits related legislation. MPH candidates join as key members of the Public Health team and help produce the important Background and Public Health Impacts sections, which provide crucial information such as prevalence of relevant diseases or conditions, existing disparities, and interactions with social drivers of health. This work gives students an opportunity to put what they are learning in the classroom into practice in a supportive and fast-past policy research environment."
-Adara Citron, MPH, Associate Director of the California Health Benefits Review Program
Benefits of Practicum Mentorship
Why host an MPH Practicum Student?
Hosting an MPH student can help your organization by:
- Bringing in extra support to advance your public health work
- Accessing motivated students eager to learn and contribute
- Getting fresh ideas and perspectives on your projects
- Building a connection with UC San Diego that could lead to future collaborations
- Helping train the next generation of public health professionals
- Gaining assistance with data collection, analysis, outreach, or education efforts
What Makes a Good Mentor or Practicum Site?
Practicum students benefit from host organizations that:
- Work in public health or related fields
- Can offer clear and well-defined projects for a student to work on
- Have someone who can guide and support the student from practicum start to finish
Mentor Responsibilities
Key Mentor Responsibilities
The mentor role is central to the practicum experience. Mentors are not only supervisors, but also a guide who helps students navigate professional environments and apply their training in meaningful ways.
Key responsibilities include:
- Shaping the Learning Contract:
- Define the project scope, deliverables, and timeline together.
- Orienting the student:
- Introduce your organization’s mission and how their work fits in.
- Providing supervision:
- Meet regularly to review progress, answer questions, and give feedback.
- Offering resources:
- Connect students with staff, data, and tools they need.
- Supporting growth:
- Share career advice and help with networking opportunities.
- Evaluating performance:
- Complete final evaluations and hold an exit interview to provide feedback.
It is crucial that practicum mentors are willing and able to supervise and mentor the student throughout the entire duration of the practicum experience and to evaluate the students at the conclusion of the practicum.
Deliverable Work Products
Deliverable Work Products
Work products should be original (or significantly adapted), well-developed, and ethically sound. They should contribute to public health practice in a tangible way.
Students must demonstrate five competencies, with
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Project plans, such as a detailed plan outlining goals, activities, timelines, and resources for a community health initiative.
- Research reports or data analyses, such as analyzing local disease trends or evaluating program impact.
- Policy briefs or recommendations, or concise, evidence-based summaries advising on public health issues.
- Program plans or evaluations, such as designing a health campaign or assessing the effectiveness of an intervention.
- Educational or training materials, like brochures, fact sheets, slide decks, or online training modules tailored for specific audiences.
- Presentations, and summarizing findings for internal staff, community stakeholders, or conferences.
- Grant proposals, or drafting applications to secure funding for public health projects.
Submit a Practicum Internship Opportunity
Interested in becoming a practicum site?
We'd love to hear from you!
If you or your organization would like to host a student, please take a few minutes to complete the survey linked below. Your responses will help us connect students with meaningful practicum experiences that align with both their training goals and your organization’s needs.
Survey: MPH Practicum Opportunity Submission
*Please note: Completing the survey does not guarantee a student placement. Instead, your opportunity will be submitted to be considered for our secure practicum database, accessible only to MPH students and program staff. We will also share announcements about qualified opportunities with students throughout the academic year. Students are responsible for directly reaching out themselves to apply or inquire about your opportunity.
Contact
For questions, please email MPH and PhD Practicum Coordinator, Erin Warren, at hwsph-practicum@health.ucsd.edu.