ADMISSIONS
All students must first complete our Lactation Education courses. We recommend that interested undergraduate students in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health take our Lactation Education courses in their Junior or Senior year. Students can start the Lactation Education course series in the Fall or Winter term each year if they meet our prerequisite requirements.
Any PSU student can enroll in those courses as long as they meet the prerequisite requirements. Students can obtain the Undergraduate Certificate in Human Lactation while seeking a degree, after degree completion (Post-bac) or as a non-degree seeking student. Use the link below to review the different student types and then enroll as a PSU student.
Lactation Practicum
Applications for the Pathway 2 Lactation Practicum are closed at this time.We will start accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Pathway 2 Lactation Practicum in mid April 2026.
LACTATION APPLICATION TIMELINE
- April 1st, 2026: Pathway 2 Lactation Practicum Application open for viewing
- April 15th, 2026: Pathway 2 Application submission starts.
- May 15th, 2026: Completed application and all materials due by 5:00pm (PST)
- June 1st, 2026: Applicants notified of virtual interview invitation by email
- June TBD: Interviews held 9:00am-2:00 pm (PST)
- June 15th, 2026: Lactation scholarship recipients notified
- June TBD: Interview participants notified via email of final admission status
- July 31st, 2026: All screening documents for practicum due
- September 2026: Clinical preparation live distance learning course class dates/times – TBD
- September 27th, 2026: Fall term & clinical experience starts.
- Fall 2026 Weekly live evening distance learning classes: TBD
- Fall 2026 term Skills Workshop Weekend: One Skills Workshop Weekend at PSU. Can attend in person or virtually if travel is prohibitive. Date TBD
Practicum Requirements
All students are required to meet to the OHA Health Profession Student Clinical Training Standards which require students to:
- Pass a background check, including 10 panel drug screen
- Provide documentation of updated vaccines/titers.
- Provide documentation of recent TB screen
- Obtain current certification in CPR/Basic Life Support for healthcare providers.
Students can expect to spend an average of two days per week at their clinical site. Site location and schedule are based on availability and may change from term to term.
There will also be a required weekend of skills development classes (Sat & Sun) once each term. Students in the Portland metro area are required to attend in person. Students from outside the Portland metro area can attend in person or can attend virtually.
Practicum Fees
The practicum has fees beyond that for the course itself. The approximate cost is between $200-$350.- Scrubs
- Background Check & Drug Screen
- Vaccines
- TB Screen
- Basic Life Support
- ID fees
Request Information
Contact lactation@pdx.edu or schedule an appointment with our lactation advisors if you have more questions or would like to receive more information about our program.