Applied Practice and Integrative Learning Experience for Quantitative Methods

ID 945A Subject & Catalog Number

Description

All students completing a Master of Public Health degree must complete an Applied Practice Experience (“Practicum”) and an Integrative Learning Experience (ILE). This required course is designed to meet both these degree requirements. QM Master of Public Health students develop a practicum project, many with collaborators from their home institutions, under the supervision of a local mentor or preceptor, and if required a member of the faculty at Harvard Chan. This practicum should include aspects of epidemiology, biostatistics, decision sciences, or other quantitative aspects of public health. Students should apply the competencies learned in core courses to an actual investigation. During Fall 1 and 2 semesters, students must attend class sessions during which the various components of the practicum and culminating experience will be described and opportunities for practicum projects will be discussed. Prior to the end of Fall 2, students must submit a written proposal for the practicum along with the approval signature of the qualified individual indicating an agreement to act as the local mentor or preceptor for the practicum project. This proposal is reviewed by the Harvard Chan course instructors. During Spring 1, students must give a brief oral presentation to the class describing their practicum activities progress. Students must also submit three written interim progress reports (Review of the Literature, Detailed Study Outline, Field Study or Expert Interview Report) during Spring 1 and one written interim progress report (Data Management/Statistical Analysis Report) during Spring 2 according to the schedule outlined in the course syllabus. As part of their required MPH “culminating experience”, during Spring 2 students must submit a structured abstract which will be published in the annual MPH QM Abstract book and give a poster presentation during the scheduled MPH QM Annual Poster Day Sessions They also must attend all Poster Day Sessions when they are not presenting and submit at least six written reviews critiquing the practicum project posters of their fellow students. Finally, all students must submit their practicum project as a final written report which would be considered suitable for publication.
Course Note: Students must attend the scheduled Fall 1, Fall 2, Spring 1 and Spring 2 classes and presentations as noted in the course syllabus.
Grade Note: ID 945 is a yearlong class comprised of two parts: Part A in the Fall and Part B in the Spring. Students only receive a grade in ID 945 after they have completed both Part A and Part B.
At the end of the Fall term, students will receive an “IP” (“in progress”) grade in ID 945A. This is a non-credit-bearing placeholder grade that will remain on the student’s transcript until they receive a final grade at the end of the Spring term. This means the 1.25 credits from ID 945A will not be reflected in the student's transcript when the "IP" grade is present. When the Spring grades are posted, the student’s final grade will replace the “IP” grade on the transcript, and the transcript will reflect the full 2.5 credits the student earned from ID 945.