Information for Sites
Dean's Message to Site Supervisors
On behalf of our School, I'd like to thank you for supporting our MPH program by supervising students in a field training experience. You play a key role in assisting, advising, training and evaluating students during field training. We know that supervising a student is a commitment in time and effort, and we appreciate your willingness to share your expertise and knowledge to help train future public health leaders. This opportunity is transformative for so many students who view field training as a crucial element of their training, and we’ve heard from many supervisors that students make significant contributions to their work. We're confident that you'll find value in the contributions our students make towards your goals.
We aim to make field training meaningful for you, your organization and our students and look forward to strengthening our partnership. Again, thank you. With your guidance, the future public heatlh workforce will gain invaluable knowledge, skills and practice experience they can take with them in their careers.
Sincerely,
Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD
Dean and SUNY Distinguished Professor
University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions
MPH Field Training Overview
A cornerstone of the MPH, field training provides students with diverse guided practice experiences vital to their training and professional growth. They work with your team to produce deliverables that help you advance your goals and objectives, integrating essential public health concepts and principles into the work and demonstrating public health skills throughout the experience.
Field Training Hours
Students complete 120 hours with your organization over one semester (4-5 months), but can complete up to 240 hours over one or two semesters (up to a year) based on your needs. Students complete hours following a schedule mutually set with you. For example, using a typical schedule, students might complete 8-12 hours weekly for 12 to 15 weeks, though this can be adapted to meet your and your student's needs.
Interested in an MPH student intern?
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There are many benefits to you and your organization.
- Gain support to meet your goals and complete priority projects from students with specialized training
- Stay current with newest knowledge and skill resources in the field
- Give back to your profession and impart your knowledge and skills to the next generation of leaders
- Expand your agency's network for potential future employees, colleagues and partners
- Network with University at Buffalo faculty and the UB community
- Access our many webinars, lectures, and continuing education programs for your professional development
Site Supervisor Qualifications & Responsibilities
Through field training, students practice with guidance from a public health professional, working on projects, products/deliverables and activities important to your organizstion. Supervisors should have at least one year of relevant public health or related experience and/or training. We ask supervisors to:
- Share your organization's non-discrimination statement with your student
- Mentor students, guiding and supervising them as they apply public health knowledge and skills
- Give students opportunities to create two public health products or deliverables useful to your organization, allowing them to demonstrate public health competencies
- Students meet product & competency requirements with direction from their course instructor; site supervisors are not expected to manage these field training components
- Evaluate students' performance at the end of the experience
Expectations of MPH Students
MPH students typically complete one or two semesters of foundational coursework before they qualify for field training, as well as in-depth professional skill-building activities to prepare them for work in a practice environment. You can expect your student to:
- Be able to apply basic foundational public health knowledge and skills
- Demonstrate professional and respectful communication with all
- Be flexible and adapt to changes of their project, activities, products/deliverable or site
- Work effectively on teams
Students should have opportunities to develop at least two products, or deliverables, useful to your organization or project. Products allow students to demonstrate competencies they learn in their courses and are important for their development.
Products can take many forms including, but not limited to:
- Part of a program proposal / plan, or evaluation proposal / plan
- Portion of a report of any kind
- Questions for surveys, focus groups, interviews, town halls, listening sessions, etc.
- Research or data management tables, guidelines or procedures
- Tables, graphs, charts, or other visual display of findings from data collected
- Messages or content for health education or promotion purposes
- Content for brochures, flyers, social media posts, webinars, slides, websites, etc.
- Content or materials (including agendas) for trainings, workshops, conferences, or meetings
- Project goals, objectives, metrics, guidelines, or procedures
- Content for needs assessments, gap analyses, or health assessments
- Part of a work plan, budget, staff plan, logic model, SWOT analysis, or other program management tool
- Evidence that supports research, interventions, programs, or policies
- Other products might be:
- Section of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Consent forms for research
- Videos with public messaging
- Communication plan
- Root cause analysis
Products can change any time based on site or project needs. Contact us to learn more about student field training products.
Students demonstrate at least 5 MPH competencies through products they help create.
- They select competencies with guidance from the field training course instructor who provides them with many resources, including one-on-one advising, throughout the student's experience
- Competencies students demonstrate can change any time based on project needs or activities
Site supervisors are not asked to help students identify competencies or connect student products to competencies. Students should seek guidance for competencies from the field training course instructor.
Contact us to learn more about field training student competencies.
- Share an overview of your site such as an organizational chart, program goals or objectives, surveillance or data collection methods; populations served, or copies of regular reports
- Explain work rules and procedures, make resources available, assist in establishing access to data systems your student might use
- Identify specific projects and/or activities for your student to complete
- Provide confidentiality training to your student as needed for their activities
- Regularly meet with your student for constructive feedback and other guidance
- Introduce your student to agency leadership, staff, and partners when possible
- Provide your student with opportunities to collaborate with other stakeholders
- Include your student in internal and external meetings as appropriate