ABSTRACT
The Master of Public Health (MPH) in Long Term Care Administration degree program, offered by the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Columbia University School of Public Health, has been developed in recognition of the nation’s increasing need for skilled health professionals who are well-grounded in all aspects of care of the elderly. The practicum is intended to serve an integrative and connective function, enabling the student to apply in a real-life situation the extensive classroom learning he/she has acquired. It is also intended to serve as the basis for the required master’s essay, in which the student discusses his/her practicum project within the larger context of gerontological theory and practice. The practicum is a learning experience in the real world of the long term care system. The practicum required of students in the MPH program in long term care administration is markedly different in many respects.
