School of Medicine

MPH Engaged Practice – APE and ILE

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program at Tufts University School of Medicine emphasizes real-world preparation through comprehensive engaged practice learning experiences. The Applied Practice Experience (APE) and Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) are essential components of the MPH program that immerse you in the ever-evolving public health landscape.

What’s more, we believe in empowering MPH students to make an impact in their communities even before they graduate, putting their knowledge and skills into action to create meaningful solutions. This is why we carefully and thoughtfully incorporated applied and integrative learning experiences throughout the Master of Public Health curriculum. 

We understand the importance of practical application to your career and the community, and the APE and ILE foster your development as a well-rounded, passionate public health professional.

Why does engaged practice matter in an MPH program?

Employers consistently report that practical experience is what sets Tufts MPH candidates apart. Our engaged practice opportunities ensure you graduate not just with theoretical knowledge but with demonstrated ability to:

  • Analyze complex public health data and translate findings into action
  • Develop and implement evidence-based interventions
  • Collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders
  • Navigate the complexities of public health systems and policies
  • Conscientiously engage with public health priorities for your community

Applied Practice Experience (APE) – Turning Knowledge Into Action

The APE forms the cornerstone of our practice-based curriculum, providing you with the opportunity to work with an organization to develop solutions to their public health issues. The Applied Practice Experience can be completed at any time throughout the MPH program. You’ll work with a community partner to complete two practical work products of use to the organization, creating a portfolio of your work for future career opportunities.

This intensive fieldwork opportunity allows you to: 

  • Apply classroom concepts to address genuine community public health challenges
  • Develop professional competencies in real-world settings
  • Build a network of public health professionals
  • Create deliverables that demonstrate your capabilities to future employers

  • The best APEs involves well defined tasks and deliverables that are needed by the host organization. Students spend a minimum of 160 hours over the course of the experience performing their work on behalf of the organization being served. The APE must be:

    • Conceptualized such that the student can demonstrate competencies in public health practice
    • Produce two products that the organization agrees will be useful to them

  • Students begin identifying their APE practicum site in the first semester of study to develop work plans to guide the implementation of their experience. All MPH students enroll in the course, “Skills and Tools for Engaged Practice (STEP),” a three-semester sequence. In STEP II, students meet with a faculty advisor to plan their APE (and ILE). Course directors, concentration leaders, and Career Services staff all help students identify a topic, find a site, identify and propose a scope of work to a preceptor, and get the necessary approvals.

    Students are encouraged to identify an APE that reflects their career goals and passions.

  • Yes, students in any MPH concentration can complete a global health APE. To do so students must identify an appropriate global health field site and apply through the TUSM global health program. Students may complete a global health APE (and/or ILE) located at a Tufts affiliated site or at an independent site. Interested students should attend a global health information session and work with the global health focus leader to navigate the application process. Students may complete a global health APE located at a Tufts affiliated site or at an independent site.

  • To qualify as an APE practicum site, an agency or organization must be positioned to support the APE and willing to designate a preceptor who will provide guidance to the student, be available to meet with the student on a regular basis, ideally at least weekly, and provide feedback on student performance to the STEP course director. Students can complete their APE at sites with existing relationships with Tufts or work with faculty to onboard a new site that they identify.

  • Epidemiology and Biostatistics

    • APE Practicum Site: Global Equity Learning Partners
      • Example Work Product: Development and Pilot of a Health Equity Self-Assessment Tool for Life Science Companies
    • APE Practicum Site: USAID STOP Spillover
      • Example Work Product: Data Analysis and Visualization of Zoonotic Risk Reduction in Bat Guano Farming in Kang Meas, Cambodia
    • APE Practicum Site: Neighbor Health (Project S.H.I.N.E)
      • Example Work Product: Consultant Report: Evaluation and Recommendations for HIV Services Program

    Global Health Science and Practice

    • APE Practicum Site: Christian Medical College of Vellore, Department of Community Health
      • Example Work Product: Home Preparation Guide for Nutritional Supplement Using Local Ingredients: Recipes and WASH Best Practices for Families in Vellore, India

    Health Management and Policy

    • APE Practicum Site: Blue Cross Blue Shield
      • Example Work Product: Infographic Highlighting Equity Achievements from Provider Group Reports
    • APE Practicum Site: Shaquera’s Story Domestic Violence Consulting and Coaching, Inc.
      • Example Work Product: Policy Brief on Abusive Litigation, Coercive Control, and Systematic Racism in Public Policy Responses to Domestic Abuse

    Nutrition

    • APE Practicum Site: Boston Medical Center Teaching Kitchen
      • Example Work Product: Quality Improvement Survey Development and Dissemination Plan for Boston Medical Center’s Teaching Kitchen Programs
    • APE Practicum Site: Sodexo, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital
      • Example Work Product: Program Implementation and Stakeholder Presentation on Home-Delivery Meals for Patients with Limited Food Access Post Discharge

    Population Health Promotion

    • APE Practicum Site: Peruvian Association of Preventive and Social Dentistry (APOPS)
      • Example Work Product: Community-Informed Oral Health and Nutrition Lesson Plan for Elementary School Children in Cuemal, Peru
    • APE Practicum Site: Olde Towne Medical and Dental Center
      • Example Work Product: Patient Survey to Assess the Needs, Barriers, and Facilitators of the Medical Center’s Patients
    • APE Practicum Site: Boston Children’s Hospital
      • Example Work Product: Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Dashboard on Controlled Substance Metrics

Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) – Demonstrating Public Health Expertise

The Master of Public Health program culminates in the Integrative Learning Experience capstone that brings together the knowledge and skills you have acquired throughout your MPH studies and APE. It is an opportunity to synthesize knowledge across multiple public health disciplines and showcase your expertise in an area of interest, representing a testament to your growth and preparedness to make a lasting impact in the field of public health.

ILEs are high-quality written products, including research manuscripts, program evaluation reports, training manuals, policy statements, legislative testimonies with accompanying supporting materials, and program proposals. Through the Integrated Learning Experience, you have a platform to:

  • Integrate theory, research, and applied skills
  • Produce deliverables relevant to public health audiences
  • Prepare for leadership in diverse public health roles and specialties
  • Contribute meaningful programming to a public health issue

  • ILE projects must:

    • Demonstrate synthesis of foundational and concentration competencies
    • Further the student’s educational and professional goals
    • Be developed and delivered in a manner that is useful to stakeholders
     

  • Starting in the STEP courses, students will consult with faculty to identify which foundational and concentration-specific competencies align with their educational and professional goals. Students will then develop an ILE proposal that incorporates those competencies. The proposal will guide the implementation of the project, which should be completed near the end of the MPH program.

  • There are a variety of options for completing an ILE. For some students, the ILE may be completed together with the organization and preceptor the student worked with for their APE and consist of an extension of an APE work product. For other students, the ILE may consist of a new project completed with a mentor at an external organization, or with a Tufts faculty member. The mentor or preceptor signs off on the student’s work, assuring that the ILE was successfully implemented and the final product is of high quality.

  • A successfully completed ILE will be useful to stakeholders, either directly or through the publication of study findings, and effectively address the selected foundational and concentration-specific competencies.

  • Epidemiology and Biostatistics

    • A Comparison of Time to Diagnosis Between Neuroendocrine, Pancreatic, Colorectal, and Esophageal Cancers: Are these cancers being missed?
    • The Impact of Bariatric Surgeries on the Prevalence of Diabetes in a Medicaid Population

    Global Health Science and Practice

    • Assessing the Experience of Immigrants Participating in the New American Cities Program for Leah Zallman Center for Immigrant Health Research
    • Assessing the Knowledge and Barriers to Care for Men with Hypertension in Khomas Region, Namibia for Namibia Ministry of Health & Social Services

    Health Services and Policy

    • Creating an Evaluation Toolkit for Title IX Girls Running Club

    Nutrition

    • An Identification of Factors Associated with an Overweight or Obese Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index in Massachusetts Mothers

    Population Health Promotion

    • Information to inform the Development of Communication Strategies to Recruit New Southeast Asian Patients for the Metta Health Center

Online and On-Campus Engaged Practice Flexibility

Whether you're studying online or at our Boston campus, the Tufts MPH engaged practice experiences are equally rigorous and rewarding. On-campus students benefit from our extensive Boston-area partnerships, while online students can complete their requirements through local placements in your community.

With expert faculty, strong partnerships, and a commitment to interdisciplinary experiential learning, the engaged practice learning experiences in the Tufts MPH program prepare you to think critically, act ethically, and lead effectively.

Whether you join us on our vibrant Boston campus or through our flexible online program, you'll benefit from structured, immersive learning opportunities that bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application.

Turn Public Health Theory Into Practice

The Applied Practice Experience and Integrated Learning Experience in the Tufts MPH program provide you with the opportunity to address complex public health challenges from day one. These experiential components allow you to build career-ready skills and applied theoretical knowledge, positioning you as a practice-ready professional upon graduation.

Apply now to the Master of Public Health degree program to join a community of practice-ready professionals who are equipped with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills to advance population health.

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