Master’s Students

• Email ISO@sph.cuny.edu to confirm if your fieldwork project meets the requirements of your F-1 Visa
• Provide ISO with a copy of your fully executed and signed Learning Agreement and an offer letter, on letterhead, from your field site
• Send ISO a completed and signed CPT Request Form (ask ISO for instructions if needed)
• Complete a W-9 Form if compensation will be received

CPT positions must be fewer than 20 hours of work per week during the Fall and Spring terms. International students may work over 20 hours per week during the Summer term.

Visit the Office of International Students page for additional information.

Prior to enrolling in PUBH 696 or EPID 700, students must have completed at least 18 credits toward their degrees, including: 

• PUBH 613 (Designs, Concepts, and Methods in Public Health Research​) 
• PUBH 614 (Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis Methods in Public Health Research​) 
• Two courses in their area of concentration

For Einstein Scholars, the above prerequisites are waived.

Population Health Informatics students taking EPID 700 – PopHI Project, it is recommended that this course be completed in a student’s final semester.

Projects can be completed in-person, virtually, or hybrid and may involve program planning, implementation or operation, applied public health research, community health education and outreach, health advocacy, or other appropriate public health-related work. Projects should have clear goals, activities, and associated deliverables. By the end of the fieldwork experience, students will have completed at least two robust deliverables for the use and benefit of their host site.

Projects must align with three core competencies and two concentration competencies. These can be found under the SPH Degrees & Programs.

Students can view a table of past fieldwork project titles here.

First, review the Fieldwork Enrollment Checklist. It is important to note that students cannot register for the Fieldwork course until the following steps have been completed and approval is given by OEL:

1. Complete the Fall 2025 Pre-Registration survey on Handshake (linked in the Field Notes weekly email).
2. Fulfill the Fieldwork Orientation Requirement.
3. Secure a fieldwork project (receive approval from OEL if the project site is not approved or you want to conduct fieldwork at your job).
4. Receive your HSR Determination Letter (the response to your completion of the Fieldwork HSR Decision Tool).
5. Have your completed Learning Agreement signed by your site preceptor and faculty advisor.
6. Complete the In-Person Acknowledgement form if your project requires any in-person work.
7. Submit your signed Learning Agreement, HSR Determination Letter, In-Person Acknowledgement form, and chosen option to meet the Fieldwork Orientation Requirement to OEL@sph.cuny.edu by the deadline to receive approval for enrollment.

Monitor the Field Notes newsletter (sent to your SPH student email every Monday) for important announcements and links to required materials. If you are not receiving this weekly email, contact OEL@sph.cuny.edu immediately. 

Students are responsible for finding, and securing, an appropriate fieldwork project. To aid the fieldwork site search, OEL recommends the following the strategies:

• Use Handshake to search for relevant opportunities and review fieldwork projects from our partners here
• Visit the OEL Approved Sites database and reach out to organizations of interest
• Conduct your own search to explore potential projects relevant to your concentration and career goals. 

Learn more about the approval process for fieldwork projects by attending a Live Fieldwork Orientation or watching the recording.

Supervised Fieldwork (PUBH 696) is a prerequisite for Capstone Project (PUBH 698). The data or information produced in your fieldwork project should provide the basis for the research question, analysis, and findings reported in the capstone paper. For more details, please see the Capstone Handbook.

Students may choose from two options for their capstone paper – a Research Paper or a Practice Paper. 

Epi/Bios students are required to complete a capstone paper or master’s essay that involves hypothesis testing using quantitative data and statistical analysis. View the Epi/Bios Capstone Proposal Guidelines for more information. 

For Population Health Informatics students, there is no separate capstone course after completing EPID 700.

Since the fieldwork site search is student-led, students have the flexibility to find a project that works with their schedule. Students often modify their work schedules or use vacation time to complete their hours. Scheduling needs should be discussed with potential preceptors to see if the hours can be accommodated. 

Students who have recently accepted or plan to accept paid internships, fellowships, or part-time work may be eligible to apply such opportunities as fieldwork, provided that the role extends beyond the previous scope of the student’s experience in the public health field.

Students also have the option to request approval to conduct fieldwork at their place of employment. For the request to be considered, the following criteria must be met:

• The site is an appropriate public health setting
• The fieldwork project requires work outside of the student’s current scope of work and responsibilities 
• The fieldwork project is within a different department 
• The project preceptor is not the student’s current work supervisor
• The fieldwork project hours are conducted outside of the student’s normal work hours

Students must speak with an OEL advisor to confirm if an opportunity at your workplace is eligible for fieldwork. OEL has the discretion to confirm or deny a student’s request, depending on the suitability of the worksite.