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DrPH Applied Practice Experiences

College of Public Health Guidebooks

DrPH Applied Practice Experiences

DrPH Applied Practice Experiences (APE)

Overview

All DrPH students will complete one or more practice-based experiences designed to strengthen advanced practice and leadership skills through meaningful projects for public health organizations. These organizations may include:

  • Government agencies

  • Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

  • Non-profit organizations

  • Industry or for-profit settings

Students may complete their APE in their current workplace or another organization of their choice. Each student must identify a mentor within the organization to guide them throughout the experience.
Please take a look at the section on Practice-Based Mentors for more details.

Competencies

  • Students must demonstrate growth in at least five DrPH competencies across their practice experiences.

  • At least one competency must relate to leadership or management.

  • Competencies should be selected from the DrPH Courses and Competencies list for the student’s concentration.

  • Experiences may consist of:

    • One large project or

    • Several smaller projects spread across multiple semesters.

Learning Objectives

  • Developed in consultation with the faculty advisor and mentor

  • Based on targeted competencies

  • Students should:

    • Honestly assess prior experience

    • Identify gaps and plan experiences to strengthen skills

    • Ensure opportunities to enhance leadership skills

    • Consider how experiences inform the doctoral project

Activities

  • Jointly developed by student, mentor, and faculty advisor

  • Must include:

    • Specific, measurable, time-limited actions

    • Explicit descriptions of tasks, processes, and projects

    • Expected start and completion dates

    • A timeline for the entire activity lifecycle

Deliverables

  • Must meet organizational needs and demonstrate:

    • Achievement of competencies

    • Fulfillment of learning objectives

  • Examples include:

    • Project reports

    • Data summaries

    • Training materials or evaluations

  • Reflection on competencies and learning objectives is required

Evaluation

  • Practice site mentor: Provides ongoing guidance and supports deliverables

  • Faculty advisor: Reviews final deliverables and evaluates achievement of objectives

  • Final submission: Deliverables, reflection paper, and signed evaluation must be submitted to the DrPH Director for review and approval

✅ Tip: Start planning your APE early to align with your competencies and career goals.

APE Process

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DrPH Applied Practice Syllabus

DrPH students who started before 2025 are not required to register for a course to complete their APE.

DrPH Program and Concentration Competencies

Contact your graduate advisor to get a copy of the competencies for the appropriate concentration. You must use the competency list that applies to your concentration for your APE requirement. Students who are admitted to a particular catalog year can select a different catalog year later on, and may request to change their concentration as concentrations become available.

DrPH Competencies Fall 2023 - Present
DrPH Competencies Fall 2022 - 2023 

Advanced Practice Leadership in Public Health Competencies Fall 2022 - Present
Advanced Practice Leadership in Public Health Competencies Fall 2017 - 2022

Public Health and Clinical Laboratory Science and Practice Competencies Fall 2022 - Present
Public Health and Clinical Laboratory Science and Practice Competencies Fall 2017 - 2022

University of South Florida College of Public Health -
Guidebooks