Practicum Program

What is Practicum?
The Practicum is an intensive internship and learning opportunity for social welfare students. Under the supervision of a B.S.W. or M.S.W., senior social work majors work 32 hours per week in a community organization of their choosing. 

Social Work Practicum Application (PDF) ➔

Course Information
Students complete the Practicum in one semester, comprised of two 6-credit quad courses—SWK425 & SWK426—for a total of 12 credits. At the end of each quad course, Practicum students are graded by the on-site supervisor according to their progress toward their own learning goals.

Students take SWK420: Practicum Seminar in conjunction with the Practicum. This class meets once a week and is facilitated by the Social Work Practicum Director. Students learn collaboratively in this class, preparing Practicum-related reflections, exchanging learning contracts, sharing their individual agency projects, etc. 

Prerequisites
In order to enroll in the Practicum and Practicum Seminar, students must have successfully completed the following courses: SWK201, 202, 301, 302, 303, 310, 311, and 322.

When to start planning for the Practicum and Practicum Seminar
In the spring of the sophomore year, students and their advisors develop a plan for the remaining four semesters. From this information, the student should notify the Practicum Director which semester of the senior year s/he would like to complete the Practicum and Practicum Seminar (14 credits). If no request is made, the student will be assigned a semester for completing the Practicum. 

Finding the right Practicum site
At the beginning of the junior year, students are granted access to the SWK Pre-Practicum Resources page on Blackboard. This site provides instructions for the Practicum selection process. Current Gordon students can also view existing Practicum opportunities by logging into Handshake and searching under position types for "Practicum".