PUB HLTH 7079 - MPH Professional Practice Placement

External - Semester 1 - 2024

The MPH Professional Practice Placement provides students with the opportunity to gain valuable workplace experience, at a professional practitioner level, with an industry partner working in the public health and related sectors. Students undertake a population health project (or series of related activities) in a practice context. Through the project undertaken in the placement organisation, students apply public health concepts, skills and knowledge obtained through their studies as well as participating in activities that further develop their skill set, add new tools to their professional toolkit, and assist them to understand organisational cultures and the everyday challenges of public health practice

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Course Details

Course Code	PUB HLTH 7079
Course	MPH Professional Practice Placement
Coordinating Unit	Public Health
Term	Semester 1
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	External
Units	12
Contact	Placement up to 3 days per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Prerequisites	Student must have completed all core courses prior to commencing their placement
Incompatible	PUB HLTH 7094EX, PUB HLTH 7077
Restrictions	Available only to students undertaking the Public Health specialisation in the MPH
Assessment	Oral presentations, professional portfolio, supervisor report, project report

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Carmel Williams

Ms Carmel Williams
Phone: +61 8313 3591
Email: carmel.williams@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 4, Rundle Mall Plaza, North Terrace

Student & Program Support Services Hub
Email: askhealthsc@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8313 0273

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1	Describe and reflect on their experience in applying public health skills and evidence-based practice within the workplace setting
2	Communicate in formats (written and spoken) appropriate to the workplace
3	Work independently and cooperatively in a professional environment
4	Apply public health concepts, skills and knowledge to a practical population health problem
5	Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical and professional obligations of a public health practitioner
6	Use technology as appropriate to the workplace and project

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1 - 6
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	4
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	2, 3
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	1 - 6
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	5
Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.	N/A
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	6
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	1, 5

Learning Resources

Required Resources

There is no textbook for this course. All resources, including links to journal articles and reading lists, will be disseminated via MyUni.

Recommended Resources

N/A

Online Learning

MyUni will be used for delivery of online learning modules for the professional practice portfolio and all announcements and assessments will be provided Canvas.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course is offered in Dual mode - i.e. face to face or online (for International students)

All students must undertake the Professional Practice Portfolio and assignments are the same for both modes. Throughout the semester students will complete a professional practice portfolio where they record the professional practice activities that they have completed from a set of activities defined by the school including professional ethics, project management, communication skills, report writing and career development activities.

Face to face students will be placed in an approved workplace to undertake a project (or series of activities) negotiated between the workplace, the course coordinator and the student. Students will work in the workplace for the equivalent of up to 3 days per week over a full time semester, although this may be undertaken as a block or intensive depending on the project or the industry partner requirements.

Online students will undertake a university based project which is identified by a Public Health Agency and will consist of a task (or series of tasks) that the agency would like assistance with - e.g. literature review, evaluation plan, project plan etc

Students may work individually or, depending on the project, may be placed as a project team but will be assessed individually.

Face to face students will work under the supervision of a University supervisor and a placement supervisor

Online students will work mainly with the university supervisor with some contact throught the course with the agency requesting thei project/task

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

As a 12 unit course the workload is equivalent to 48 hours of study a week.

This includes up to three days per week over the semester in the professional practice placement or equivalent project, and around one day per week undertaking professional practice portfolio activities.

Weekly reading and preparation of assessment tasks make up the remainder of the expected workload.

Learning Activities Summary

See Teaching and Learning Modes

Specific Course Requirements

Students must complete the Work Experience and Community Placement Guide and have the relevant forms signed by the workplace supervisor and the Head of the School of Public Health prior to starting the placement and lodge their Learning Agreement
within two weeks of starting the placement.

Some workplaces may also have specific requirements to be met before the placement, for example a police check, a specific immunisation or OHS online course.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Professional Practice Portfolio	Summative	20%	1, 5
Oral Presentation	Summative	20%	2, 4, 5
Worklace Supervisor Report	Summative	20%	2 - 6
Project report	Summative	40%	2 - 6

Assessment Related Requirements

All written components (other than the supervisor’s report) are to be submitted via MyUni.

Assessment Detail

Professional Practice Portfolio (20%): In this portfolio, the student will record the professional practice activities
that they have completed, which they have negotiated with the Course Co-ordinator. These will be drawn from a set of activities defined by the school including topics such as professional ethics, project management, communication skills, cultural competency. Students should also include here details of their career development activities such as conference and/or workshop attendance.

Oral presentation (20%): Students will undertake 2 presentations worth 10% each. The first one will detail their project, the background of the issue and other details as negotiated with their supervisor. The second presentation will outline the results of the project. The presentations should be 15 minutes and can be undertaken either at the workplace or at the School of Public Health (by negotiation). The oral presentation should follow the format of a paper presented to a learned society and should use appropriate audiovisuals (eg Powerpoint, Prezi). There will be up to 10 minutes for questions from the audience.

Supervisor report (20%): A report from the workplace supervisor for face to face students (or the University supervisor for online students) which assesses the student against professional performance expectations such as attendance, participation, completion of assigned duties, teamwork and communication, writing skills, initiative, ability to apply public health concepts, openness to suggestions, skills and knowledge acquired, student feedback to the workplace staff/team, overall satisfaction with the student’s performance and project output.

Project report (40%): The project report in a format appropriate to the project and describes the methods and outcomes of the project and situates the project within the context of the organisation’s mission and goals. (A word limit of up to 3,000 words dependent on the nature of the project).

Submission

Extensions:
All extensions for assignments must be requested, at the latest, by the last working day before the due date of submission.
Extensions will generally be granted only on medical or genuine compassionate grounds.

Supporting documentation must be provided at the time a student requests an extension. Without documentation, extensions will not be granted. Supporting documentation will be required when requesting an extension. Examples of documents that are acceptable include: a medical certificate that specifies dates of incapacity, a police report (in the case of lost computers, car & household theft etc.), a letter from a Student Counsellor, Education and Welfare Officer (EWO) or Disability Liaison Officer that provides an assessment of compassionate circumstances, or a letter from an independent external counsellor or appropriate professional able to verify the student’s situation.

Late requests for extension will neither be accepted nor acknowledged.

Only the Course Co-ordinator(s) may grant extensions. The length of any extension granted will take into account the period and severity of any incapacity or impact on the student. Extensions of more than 10 days
will not be granted except in exceptional circumstances.

Late submission
Marks will be deducted when assignments for which no extension has been granted are handed in late. All assignments, including those handed in late, will be assessed on their merits. In the case of late assignments where noextension has been granted, 5 percentage points of the total marks possible per day will be deducted. If an assignment that is 2 days late is awarded 65% on its merits, the mark will then be reduced by 10% (5% per day for 2 days) to 55%. If that same assignment is 4 days late, the mark will be reduced by 20% (5% per day for 4 days) to 45%, and so on.

The School of Public Health reserves the right to refuse to accept an assignment that is more than 7 days late. Assignments submitted after the due date may not be graded in time to be returned on the listed return dates.

Students submitting examinable written work who request (and receive) an extension that takes them beyond the examination period are advised that there is no guarantee that their grades will be processed in time to meet usual University deadlines.

Resubmission
If a student is dissatisfied with an assessment grade they should follow the Student Grievance Resolution Process
<https://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/grievance/process/>.

Students who are not satisfied with a particular assessment result should raise their concerns with Course Co-ordinator(s) in the first instance. This must be done within 10 business days of the date of notification of the result. Resubmission of any assignment is subject to the agreement of the Course Co-ordinator(s) and will only be permitted for the most compelling of reasons.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

The School of Public Health greatly values the feedback we receive from our students as it helps us to continuously improve our courses, so we encourage all of our students to complete SELTs regularly for every course.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator