First Year Practicum Fieldwork
The purpose of the Practicum during the first year of the COPHP program is to provide students an opportunity to practice the application of their classroom learning within a local health department. Field experience is considered to be service learning, and therefore, students are expected to make a substantive contribution to the work of the health agency within the limits of their responsibility and authority. The result is a service learning experience that should be of mutual benefit to the health agency, the student, the university - and, most importantly, to the community served by the health agency.
During the first year, the Practicum (HSERV 595) consists of two modules:
- An Autumn Quarter seminar that is designed to provide the student with skills that will contribute to a successful field experience and an enhanced knowledge base about our local public health department;
- In the Winter and Spring Quarters students will be assigned to a project or program with supervision from an agency employee. Faculty advisers from the COPHP faculty will collaborate with the site supervisors to provide supervision, consultation and expert assistance to the students as appropriate.
