The Integrated Global Health Practicum is the culmination of York’s Specialized Honours (4-year) Global Health BA/BSc program, which provides a first-rate experiential education opportunity for global health students.
The practicum professionalization seminar (GH 4600) prepares students for their practicum through a variety of learning and training activities covering a variety of topics, including professional ethics, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, rights and responsibilities, health and safety, mental well-being and self-care, communication, and conflict resolution. The practicum placement (GH 4601) is designed to bridge theory and practice in a variety of health-related settings through an 11-week (250 hour) research and/or practice-based experience with a designated practicum organization and parallel academic activities. Students are mentored, supervised, and evaluated by qualified supervisors at the practicum organization as well as course directors at the School of Global Health. Practicums are planned, where possible, in accordance with the students’ stream: Global Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Global Health and the Environment; Global Health Policy, Management, and Systems; or Global e-Health.
Upon completion of the practicum, students participate in a two-week intensive applied global health research capstone course (GH 4602) to share the results of their practicum placement projects and experiential learning through student-facilitated seminars.
The practicum courses are taken in succession, GH 4600 (September–December), GH 4601 (January–March), and GH 4602 (April). Together, they offer students a unique opportunity to apply and enrich the knowledge, understanding, and skills they have developing in their course work within health-related settings in Canada and globally. Working in real-world contexts also provide students with invaluable experience that provides advantages for both career development and applications to graduate and professional schools.
Practicum Eligibility
To be eligible to complete the Global Health Practicum, students must meet all of the following requirements by the term preceding their practicum:
- Registered in the BA or BSc Specialized Honours program with a declared a stream
- Maintained a 5.00 GPA
- Completed required core and stream courses (48 core credits and 21 stream credits)
Practicum Process Overview
The Integrated Global Health Practicum course is offered in the Winter term (January-April), but practicum processes, including the application, begin the year prior to the practicum. This table outlines the key steps in the practicum process, but specific details will be shared with eligible students as the practicum approaches.
| Time of Year | Stage of Practicum Process |
|---|---|
| March | Students who are on track to meet the practicum eligibility requirements are: |
| June | Practicum applications are due, and include: |
| July-December | Students’ eligibility is confirmed. Accepted students are matched with a practicum opportunity. Practicum organizations interview students before confirming the match. |
| September-December | Students attend pre-practicum workshops to prepare for the practicum experience. Students complete GH 4600 Practicum Professionalization Seminar course |
| January-April | Students complete GH 4601 Global Health Practicum course: |
| April | Students attend a post-practicum workshop. Students complete GH 4602 Applied Global Health Research Capstone course over two weeks. |