The supervised field experience is designed to extend the student's learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom setting. The primary goal is for students to gain hands-on professional experience in Public Health work environments where graduate-level academic knowledge can be applied and career interests explored. The program is structured to benefit both the student as well as the sponsoring agency.

The field placement should provide the student with a broad overview of the organization as well as the opportunity to engage in projects and activities at a professional level. The focus of the field placement is for the student to develop new knowledge and skills in addition to being able to relate the field experience to the knowledge that he or she has gained through graduate-level classroom instruction. Students should leave the field experience with a new set of skills or improvements in their current skill set.

It is important that the Site Supervisor provide adequate opportunities for the student to ask questions and receive guidance on assigned projects since feedback is a critical part of the learning process for the student.

1. A supervised field experience outside the College is a requirement for the MPH, MHA and MSPH in Industrial Hygiene. The student's Faculty Advisor determines the number of credit hours (1-12) needed in the domestic field experience after carefully reviewing the student's experience and department expectations.  The International Field Experience (IFE) requires a minimum 8 weeks placement which is determined by the field site’s criteria and students must register for minimum of six credit hours.  For each credit hour the student is expected to spend a minimum of 45 contact hours in field experience during the semester in which the student is enrolled for the credit hours.
2. Field Experiences are to take place outside of the student's current place of employment. Certain exceptions may be granted if a suitable experience can be found in a different area not supervised by the student's immediate supervisor.
3. The Faculty Advisor and the student have joint responsibility for identifying potential field placements. The Field Placement Coordinator can share info on former field placement sites if desired.
4. For students serving a field placement in which a formal affiliation agreement between the College and the field agency is necessary, the affiliation agreement must be on file with the Field Placement Coordinator and the Office of Academic and Student Affairs within two weeks of the beginning of the semester during which the field experience takes place.
5. The Field Experience Packet contains all documents relating to the Field Experience, including guidelines for reports and evaluations. The most important of the documents, the Supervised Field Experience Application, Agreements and Plan , serves as an agreement between the student, Faculty Advisor, Site Supervisor and Field Placement Coordinator.

The completed and signed agreement packet must be submitted to the Field Placement Coordinator prior to the first week of classes of the semester in which the field experience is to occur. Additionally, the student must submit a plan for field experience along with the application packet. The plan should specify the goals, objectives and activities of the field experience and be written in consultation with the Faculty Advisor and Site Supervisor.

6. Supervision of the student during the field experience is a joint responsibility of the Site Supervisor and the student's Faculty Advisor or the advisor's designee.
7. Evaluation of the student's experience is a joint responsibility of the Site Supervisor and the Faculty Advisor. Students will not be assigned a grade (S/U) for field experience until all forms and assignments have been completed, submitted, and approved by the Faculty Advisor.
8. The Field Placement Coordinator is responsible for the following:
   • Orientation
   • Ongoing identification and recruitment of appropriate sites
   • Collaboration and communication with faculty advisors related to student needs and progress
   • Monitoring students during field experience as needed
   • Conducting site visits to monitor student progress and suitability of the site
   • Advising students as required for a successful field experience
   • Notifying faculty advisors of any placement concerns with regard to their student advisee
9. Each department must have written guidelines for the student field experience. The guidelines must be approved by the Graduate Curriculum and Programs Committee and clearly address the following:
   • A statement of the competencies to be developed by the field experience
   • The preferred time(s) in the student's program for serving a field experience (early, middle, late)
   • The method and criteria to determine the credit hours of the field experience that will be required for a student
   • The specific responsibilities of the student and Academic Advisor in identifying suitable field placements
   • The process and procedures to be followed in designing a satisfactory field experience
   • The methods and standards for evaluating the field experience and for documenting the performance of the Agency Supervisor and the student
   • The criteria for waiving the field experience requirement for students with extensive work experience relevant to the student's area of concentration and the means of documenting the waiver
   • Other information as deemed necessary