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Kansas State University

Field Experience in Public Health:

Guidelines for Students:

  1. Introduction & Policy

  2. Requirements
  3. Approval Procedures
  4. Agency Field Experience Sites

Agencies and Preceptors Hosting an MPH Student:

  1. Frequently asked questions
  2. 10 reasons to host an mph student
  3. Portable Document Format Field Experience Student Request Form (PDF File)

 

Introduction:

All Master of Public Health (MPH) degree candidates at Kansas State University are required to complete 6 credit hours of applied research or a combination of a report and a field experience or a fulltime field experience as the capstone of the degree program. Candidates who choose a field experience must follow these approved guidelines. The purpose of a field experience is to provide a bridge between professional academic preparation and public health practice. Knowledge, attitudes, and skills learned in the core public health courses and the area of emphasis courses are applied in an agency setting under the supervision and guidance of a mentor-preceptor. Faculty advisors, area of emphasis coordinators, or the MPH program director may assist the student in locating a position. At the completion of the field experience, the student will provide a final product and an oral presentation to document the experience.

The MPH field experience is structured to provide students with “hands on” public health experience and as such is not appropriate for the conduct of basic, independent research. The MPH is a professional degree intended to prepare graduate students to work as practitioners in the field of public health. The degree program is not intended as primary preparation for a career in basic research. Results of applied research projects, however, may be part of the product used to document the field experience. Students who are interested in public health research should register for thesis credits through their major advisor. Students should note that any research effort, even as part of the field experience, must receive Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval prior to its initiation.

Given the nature and scope of public health activities today, it is possible that students will find themselves collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and disseminating data. If there is any question as to whether a person’s field experience will require IRB approval, the student and faculty advisor must submit an IRB application to the University Research Compliance Office in Fairchild Hall. Students should be advised that the IRB approval process is sometimes quite lengthy and may significantly extend the time needed to prepare for the field experience. It is essential that students discuss the scope of their field experience activities with their advisor and site preceptor so that no IRB violations occur.