Frequently Asked Questions

The practicum placement is carried out concurrently with your two-year-long practice courses. Similar to the practice courses [Foundation Practice I and II, Clinical Social Work I and II, or Communities, Organizations, Policy, and Advocacy (COPA) I and II], the practicum placement begins during the first week of the fall semester, and ends the third or fourth week in April of that academic year. For students entering the program as part-time students, your practicum placement begins in the second year.

Students generally have a different year-long practicum placement in each of the two years. Students employed by social service agencies with qualified social work roles may be eligible to use their worksite as their practicum placement for both years with permission from the agencies and the Office of Practicum Education. 

Please refer to the Practicum Education calendar for specific dates and other pertinent information.

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Students are afforded valuable exposure to the full range of social work macro and micro-level roles, diverse populations, clinical and community practice interventions, nonprofit management strategies, evidence-based practice, challenges, and opportunities in contemporary social work. Students will learn to utilize different methods and modalities of assessment and intervention, develop plans, and evaluate services. At the core of the practicum experience, students will also encounter and strategize practical ways to advocate for human rights and social and economic justice while applying social work values and ethics.

Generalist Year practicum placements socialize students to the social work profession, enabling them to engage clients, assess client and community needs, and provide direct service interventions to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Advanced Specialization Year practicum placements build on the foundation skills of the Generalist Year. Students in the Advanced Clinical Specialization will be able to demonstrate an advanced understanding of clinical, ecological, developmental, and socio-cultural theories to inform and improve clinical practice. Students in the Advanced Communities, Organizations, Policy, and Advocacy (COPA) Specialization will focus on policy analysis and reform, community organizing, nonprofit management, research and evaluation, and developing knowledge of the policy making process.

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The development of knowledge and skills in the provision of social work direct services, clinical intervention with clients, and community practice, policy, and advocacy takes place under the supervision of a social worker with an M.S.W. or equivalent (such as an M.S.S.) degree from a CSWE accredited program, who has at least two years of post-master's social work experience. 

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Practicum placements occur in a variety of settings. These may include, but are not limited to, the following:

inpatient, outpatient, or partial psychiatric settings such as community-based mental health, medical and/or psychiatric hospital-based settings
child and family welfare services
addiction services
health care agencies
employee assistance programs
juvenile justice services
educational settings such as after-school programs
nonprofit organizations that provide housing, legal, and food assistance, among others
policy/research institutes
maternal and child health services
community organizations
physical rehabilitation programs
public welfare programs
domestic violence programs

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The Office of Practicum Education assigns students to their practicum placement, working in conjunction with students to ensure that their practicum experience will support their academic coursework and enhance their professional growth. Your practicum placement is a significant part of your academic record and, as such, must originate from GSSWSR’s Office of Practicum Education; students do not arrange their own placements and agencies do not interview students in advance of contact with the Office of Practicum Education.

In assigning practicum placements, the GSSWSR considers the student’s previous experiences, interests, academic and professional goals, along with the GSSWSR’s knowledge of agency resources and appropriate learning opportunities. Students are referred to only one practicum placement setting at a time.  

For full-time students entering the Generalist Year in practicum, the Office of Practicum Education meets individually with each student within two weeks of enrollment in the program and reviews students’ background, experience, and areas of interest to match students with agencies. The Office of Practicum Education meets with part-time students early in the spring semester of their first year in the program to begin the practicum placement process. Continuing students entering the Advanced Specialization Year begin the process of securing their placement in late fall or early spring semester of their Generalist, or first year, in practicum; Advanced Standing students begin this process immediately upon enrollment in the program.

While potential practicum placements are investigated, negotiated, and arranged by the Office of Practicum Education, students may suggest a new agency for the School’s consideration, and the Office of Practicum Education will explore whether the agency meets the requirements for a practicum placement.

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Agencies seeking to provide a practicum placement must demonstrate compatibility of the agency's mission and philosophy of service with the values and ethics of the social work profession and the capacity to provide:

a sufficient number and variety of assignments to develop student knowledge and practice skill in each of the CSWE EPAS core competencies;
supervised in-depth experiences with individuals, groups, families, organizations and/or communities, with opportunity for and expectation of student independent work with clients/client systems;
ample time for practicum instruction to permit individual and (where appropriate) group conferences with students;
practicum instruction from individuals with a master’s degree in social work (or equivalent) from a CSWE accredited program with two years of post-master's social work experience;
adequate space and administrative resources to support student work;
congruence between the student’s practicum assignments and assignments in the practice course taken concurrently with the practicum placement.

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In some cases, students may use a current employment site as a practicum education setting. Students must be employed in a human services capacity and the agency must be able to meet the requirements of a social work practicum placement. Students must be employed by the agency for a minimum of three months before beginning their work-site practicum placement and have completed the probationary work period by July 1st of the calendar year for which the placement is sought. In these instances, the GSSWSR works closely with the agency and the student to establish a learning experience that recognizes the complexity of the student-employee role, while providing educationally rich advanced learning opportunities for the student to apply the principles, knowledge, and practice skills learned in their courses. 

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In the Generalist (first) year in the program, students are in the practicum the equivalent of two full (7.5-hour) agency work days/week in both fall and spring semesters. In the Advanced Specialization (second) year, students are in the practicum the equivalent of three full (7.5-hour) agency work days/week.

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Student schedules are arranged by the student with the Practicum Instructor and are based upon both agency need and student class schedule. Practicum placement begins and ends commensurate with the fall and spring academic semester schedule. Part-time students may elect to carry out the equivalent of two full (7.5-hour) agency days/week throughout their practicum experience by extending time in practicum through June, in the second year, and beginning in August the third year (see below: If I am a part-time student, what is the time requirement in practicum?)

 Please refer to the Practicum Education Calendar for specific practicum calendar dates and other pertinent information.

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Some agencies require flexible work hours and/or days, including availability for some evening hours.

Agencies may require students to apply for clearances and/or background checks as a requirement of the practicum. Some agencies, especially those serving children or individuals in health care settings, require child abuse and/or criminal history, including state and FBI clearances. In some instances, agencies also require physicals, specific immunizations and drug screenings. Students must be aware that having criminal backgrounds or negative findings on screenings may delay start of placement or prevent them from being placed in agency settings. This may also impact their ability to obtain licensure as a professional social worker. The student is responsible for all costs associated with these clearances and tests.

Occasionally a car for travel is required.

Some agencies state that skills in language(s) beyond English would be beneficial for a successful placement experience.

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For students in the 32-Month Traditional path, Practicum begins their second year in the M.S.S. program. Practicum starts in September and ends in mid-late April of that same academic year. Students carry out two full (7.5-hour) agency work days/week in their first year of practicum. In the second year of practicum, they carry out three full (7.5-hour) agency work days/week.

Alternatively, 32-Month Traditional path students may elect to carry out the equivalent of two full (7.5-hour) agency work days/week in their second and third year of the M.S.S. program. Students who elect this option begin practicum in September and continue through June in their second Generalist Year of the M.S.S. program, and begin their Advanced Specialization Year practicum placement at the beginning of August until late April of their third year in the program.

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Yes. The Practicum Education counts as a class and a final grade (Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, or Incomplete) is given at the end of each semester by the Practicum Liaison and is based on the following criteria:

student’s professional conduct, attendance, and full participation in practicum learning at the agency placement;
appropriate use of supervision with the Practicum Instructor and communication with the Practicum Liaison to further their learning;
completion of required time in practicum;
timely and complete submission of all assignments, including the learning agreement and process recordings, participation in individual and practicum-site meetings with the Practicum Liaison, and the Final Practicum Evaluation completed by the Practicum Instructor.

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The Office of Practicum Education takes into consideration whether students have their own car or will require the use of public transportation to their agency. Students who do not have a car are expected to utilize public transportation. Generally, practicum placements are found within one to one and a half hours of a student’s geographic location.

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The Field Education Office takes into consideration whether students have their own car or will require the use of public transportation to their agency. Students who do not have a car are expected to utilize public transportation. Generally, field placements are found within one to one and a half hours of a student’s geographic location.

The Field Education Office offers opportunities for placements in several states. Students are encouraged to discuss plans to be out of state early in the placement process so that a strong placement opportunity, if available, can be secured.

It is the expectation that students will interview at their field sites before they are accepted for placement. Although an in-person (on-site) interview is recommended, some agencies may be agreeable to phone or virtual interviews for students who are unable to interview in-person due to geographical distance prior to beginning the program.