Field training should be scheduled after you have completed the majority of your required coursework—this is typically after your second semester. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for and coordinate your field training—at least three months before your anticipated start date is ideal.
Field training can be completed in the fall, winter, spring, or summer semesters.
MPH Training Coordinator
Ariana Martinez, MPH training coordinator, will work with you to help you select a field training site and provide guidance regarding your field training experience. Contact Ms. Martinez at am25@buffalo.edu.
Field Training Site Supervisor
The field training site supervisor provides onsite supervision and support throughout your field training experience.
Field Training Faculty Instructor
Your field training course faculty instructor will review and approve your required field training forms and PowerPoint slide set as well as assign your final grade for field training.
You are required to register for one 3-credit field training experience of 120 work hours (CHB/EEH/STA 544). Some students choose to do another field training experience (at the same or at a different site) and register for a 3-credit elective course (CHB/EEH/STA 547) and complete an additional 120 work hours.
You should register for field training before the start of your field training experience. Register for course number 544 associated with the appropriate department (CHB, EEH or STA). You need to register for the semester in which you will complete the training. For example, if you plan to conduct field training in the summer, then you must register for the summer semester session. You cannot register for field training credit in one semester and complete it in another semester.
An international student on an F-1 visa must obtain authorization through International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) to complete the field training component of the MPH Program. Ask your faculty advisor to submit a recommendation letter to ISSS to apply for this authorization immediately after your field training site has been finalized. View sample academic advisor recommendation letter. Please refer to Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for more information.
If you perform public health-related field training or practicums in another graduate program such as the DPT, JD, MBA, MD, MSW, PharmD or MUP, you must reach out to Ariana Martinez, MPH training coordinator, at am25@buffalo.edu if you would like to waive the MPH field training experience, or share credits from another program with the MPH field training experience. Waived or shared experiences must meet all MPH field training requirements to be considered.
Review the list of UB-affiliated organizations, and then schedule a meeting with Ariana Martinez, MPH training coordinator, at am25@buffalo.edu. She can provide information regarding the sites and make a recommendation based on your interests, background and experience.
As part of your field training experience, Ms. Martinez will contact the site to seek approval and facilitate an interview with you and representatives of the organization. The purpose of the interview will be for you to gain a better understanding of activities you will perform, identify a site supervisor and establish your field training schedule.
You can complete your field training at a location that is not affiliated with UB. All field training guidelines, procedures and paperwork still apply to a non-affiliated site.
You may complete your field training experience through the Office of Global Health Initiatives. The mission of the Office of Global Health Initiatives is to identify, engage in and advance innovative and sustainable solutions to significant global health problems.
You may complete your field training at your current place of employment, although the experience must extend beyond your regular work duties and provide an opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained in the academic portion of the MPH program.
If you complete your field training over two semesters, even if it’s with the same organization, you must complete and submit all required forms each semester (two internship forms as well as a field training PowerPoint slide set).
Based on meetings with you and your site mentor and field training documentation, including evaluations, your MPH field training course instructor will assign a grade of satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U).
If you register for field training credit and are unable to begin or complete the training, contact your MPH field training course instructor.
Field training plays a significant role in student development; therefore, waiving field training is discouraged. However, if you have significant prior experience in a public health setting or role, you may qualify for an MPH field training waiver.
To learn more about a possible field training waiver, please go to the Field Training section on the MPH Student Resources page in UB Learns. If your past experience qualifies for a waiver, please complete and submit the MPH Field Training Waiver Form. You will receive a response within 10 days.
Please note: if you waive your 3-credit MPH field training experience, you should talk with your faculty advisor about taking another 3-credit course to make up those credits for your MPH program.
To be eligible for a waiver, your prior experience must have been:
You will complete electronic field training forms and a field training PowerPoint slide set, which serve as a summary of your field training experience.
In your UB Learns MPH field training course (CHB/EEH/STA 544) you will be able to access the form links and directions for completing and submitting your PowerPoint slide set.
Links include a Site Assignment form which establishes your placement, and a Student Evaluation of Site form which you complete at the conclusion of the experience. This form includes a link to upload your completed PowerPoint slide set. Once completed, a Supervisor Evaluation form will be automatically sent to your site supervisor who will evaluate your work at the site.
Your grade in the MPH field training course will be based on completion of required forms and your PowerPoint field training slide set.
You will create a PowerPoint slide set that includes slides addressing your agency, public health competencies you addressed during your experience and interprofessional teamwork experiences. You will submit your PowerPoint slide set into your Student Evaluation of Site form, after completion of your field training experience. You should also provide a copy of the field training slide set to your site supervisor.
The MPH field training faculty advisor reviews the completed slide set and assigns the grade.
Access the slides, and learn more about the field training report in the MPH Student Resources Portal.
The UB MPH Program staff may search the web for students’ LinkedIn profiles during the process of finding and securing a field placement opportunity, which may assist in matching students to a field training site. LinkedIn profiles represent professional profiles. Organizations where students complete their field training experiences may also view students’ LinkedIn profiles, and we ask that students please keep their profiles professional. If you would like assistance setting up or maintaining a professional LinkedIn profile, please contact UB’s Career Services.
