Practicum

A practicum is a supervised fieldwork experience in which student affairs and/or other professionals guide, instruct, and supervise the student’s introduction to a particular functional area or project. It offers the opportunity to gain additional insights of a particular office or program by focusing on specific issues, problems, concerns and demands of that particular unit.

The practicum experience serves as an important segment of the formal education process, providing students with an opportunity to integrate and connect theory to practice. Practicum students complete 60 contact hours in a field placement that is germane to their course of study and personal interests.

An important part of the practicum experience is the practicum seminar facilitated by the program faculty. The purpose of the seminar is to offer students an opportunity to discuss and share learning insights related to their job assignment. In addition, the seminar can be used as a workshop setting to provide students the opportunity to develop other professional skills.