Practicum Timeline.
What should I do in my first semester?
Getting acclimated to grad school, and potentially a new city, should be your first priority. However, there are ways you can start preparing for your practicum search early on.
- Having a strong resume will be critical to finding a practicum. Take advantage of our resume & cover letter drop-ins to make sure you have a strong foundation for your resume.
- Navigate to our Career Library to explore the vast resources available to you including guidance one resumes, cover letters, and interviewing as well as certificate-specific career resources.
- Log into the Blackboard section for PH976 and download and begin working on the Practicum Plan Workbook to help you understand some of your interests and the practicum that you may be able to complete with your certificate.
When should I actually start searching?
Many (not all) academic fellowships, large pharmaceutical companies, and consulting firms begin recruiting for the summer very early in the fall semester. If you are interested in this type of work, we highly encourage you to start looking for these types of opportunities in late September. Otherwise, you should plan to begin searching for your practicum at the beginning of the semester before the semester you whish to do your practicum. Note: It can take a long time for the hiring process to occur. Just because you start looking early doesn’t necessarily mean that you will land early. Some organizations take a few weeks to make a decision, while some can take a few months. Each student’s timeline will vary.
When do most practicum get posted for each semester?
Practicum are posted all year, and there is no guaranteed timeline for when postings will come out in most cases. However, there are typically patterns that we see where practicum postings are more abundant.
- Spring Practicum: Mid-October – January
- With a slowdown from Mid-December through Mid-January
- Summer Practicum: March – May
- Fall Practicum: August – Early October
It is critical that you adhere to the following practicum submission deadlines to ensure a passing grade for PH976. Given the flexible nature of the course, you may not be able to adhere exactly to these timelines. In this instance it’s important to email sphpract@bu.edu to discuss your situation.
- Practicum Proposal: Should be submitted 2-3 weeks before you start if possible as hours completed prior to approval do not count toward your requirement.
- Midpoint Review: Should submit as close to your halfway point as possible, and generally no more than 1-2 weeks after.
- Final Review: May be submitted within 21 days after your practicum concludes.
Important Practicum Dates for Graduation
If you are finishing your practicum in the semester you are also graduating you must adhere to a particular submission deadline in order to ensure enough time for review and grading. If you submit after this deadline it may affect your graduation date.
- Spring Graduation: April 23rd
- Summer Graduation: August 12th
- Fall Graduation: December 5th
Important Information Regarding Practicum & ILE
In order to graduate with your MPH degree, you must successfully complete a school-approved Practicum (minimum of 240 hours) and an ILE (Integrated Learning Experience). Each semester has an ILE registration deadline which requires that you have completed – or are in the process of completing – your Practicum. ILE deadlines are updated on the Academic Calendar. If you plan to complete a Practicum in your final semester along with the ILE, you must have an approved and registered Practicum before you can register for the ILE. Therefore, it is imperative that you do not wait until your final semester to begin searching for a Practicum.
The Career and Practicum Office has many services and resources to assist you with the Practicum search process, however, students are ultimately responsible for securing their own Practicum. To schedule an appointment with a Practicum Advisor, please contact sphpract@bu.edu.
CAUTION: If you are unable to secure a Practicum before that semester’s ILE registration deadline, you will not be able to graduate during that semester. Note that this could have significant visa and tuition impacts for international students.