Applied Practice Experience
Information for students who are following the Graduate Catalog for Academic Year (AY) 2024-2025 or earlier can be found on the Archived APE page.
The purpose of the “Applied Practice Experience” (APE) is to demonstrate competency through application of classroom knowledge into public health practice settings. The Applied Practice Experiences allow each student to demonstrate attainment of at least five CEPH competencies, of which at least three must be foundational competencies. The APE, or internship, is conducted in a community-based setting typically during the last semester of the program.
APE precepting agencies include public health departments, community-based organizations, skilled nursing facilities, and non-profit health agencies. University-based research is not an appropriate internship site, though a community engagement activity at a university or hospital would be appropriate. Precepting agencies must have an ECU University Affiliation Agreement (UAA) in place before the internship commences. Many UAAs are maintained between ECU and precepting agencies, since many public and for-profit agencies are common sites for an internship experience.
The APE is taught by instructors from each concentration. Below is a summary of the APE by Concentration.
Concentration-Specific Applied Practice Experience Courses with Contact Hours
| Concentration | Contact Hours | Course Number | Course Name | SH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHHB | 90-120 | MPH 6904 MPH 6906 | Introduction to Applied Practice Experience Introduction to Applied Practice Experience | 1 2 |
| EPI | 120 or more | MPH 6907 | Applied Practice Experience for EPI | 2 |
| HPAL | 160-180 | MPH 6904 MPH 6905 | Introduction to Applied Practice Experience Applied Practice Experience for HPAL | 1 2 |
SH = semester hours
For both CHHB and HPAL concentrations, MPH 6904 Introduction to Field Placement is a 1- credit hour course where students secure their internship site and preceptor. This includes preparing a scope of work that describes the two non-academic, practical work products. During the planning course, the internship location and preceptor are identified, and the UAA is established if one does not exist.
MPH 6905 (HPAL) and MPH 6906 (CHHB) are 2- credit hour courses that develop and produce the work products within the contact hours described. MPH 6904 is completed first.
For Epidemiology Concentration, identification of preceptor and developing a proposal for the internship begins outside of established coursework. The internship is implemented in MPH 6907 in at least 120 contact hours.
Examples of suitable work products include 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.
MPH 6903 Comprehensive Field Placement is a 3- credit hour course. This course is offered only to learners with extensive professional experience. For students in the MPH HPAL concentration focusing in long term care administration, MPH 6903 is taken and counted as an 3 credit hour elective in addition to completion of MPH 6904/6905.