Practicum Education Manual - V. Practicum Education for Graduate Students: Master of Social Work (MSW)

A. Goal of the MSW Program

The goals of the MSW program are to:

Prepare MSW students for ethical, competent, advanced-level professional social work practice, with a focus on Interpersonal Practice (IP) or Innovation in Community, Policy and Leadership (I-CPL), particularly in urban settings with diverse, poor, vulnerable and oppressed individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities; and
Foster a commitment to continuing education to maintain competence in practice and to enhance and increase opportunities for MSW graduates to renew their skills and advance within the profession.

The MSW degree program prepares practitioners at the advanced level with analytic and practice skills, integrated with areas of social concern. The curriculum for the two-year MSW program includes a Foundation curriculum for the first year and an Advanced curriculum in the second year, during which students complete four semesters of internship placements, two terms per curricular year. Students in the four-year, part-time program fulfill these requirements in their second and third years. Students admitted with advanced standing need only complete the advanced-year practicum requirements.

B. Descriptions and objectives of the MSW Program

1. Foundation year description and objectives

The practicum education courses in the Foundation curriculum integrate the classroom content taught in social work practice, human behavior, social welfare policy, practice, and research. Students are provided opportunities to address concerns of vulnerable populations affected by poverty, racism, sexism, unemployment, and other factors which affect their social functioning or lead to deterioration of their quality of life. Students learn how to assess and intervene at various levels of society: individual, family, small groups, organization, neighborhood, and community.

The objectives for practicum education in the Foundation year are:

Learning the characteristics of the population served and applying this knowledge to practice.
Engaging with clients (the term client meaning any system level: individual, family, group, organization, or community) to identify concerns and appropriate mutual activity which will lead to the alleviation of the identified problem(s).
Identifying the role of research in knowledge-building, as well as practice and program evaluation in internship placement, and participating in the research practices of the practicum.
Using foundational skills in research to reflect on, evaluate, and improve practice.
Identifying the conceptual frameworks applied and professional demeanor and conduct demonstrated at the internship placement.
Identifying research relevant to practice and practicum setting and describing its implications for advancing practice.
Describing the application of research designs to the investigation of practice.
Using basic statistical measures to describe practice, including client system characteristics, service, and the needs of the client system served; and
applying knowledge from the total social work curriculum in the internship placement.

2. Advanced year description and objectives

A concentration is a group of courses spanning all five of the social work curricular areas: Internship placement, human behavior, policy, practice, and research. The advanced year curriculum allows students to choose between two concentrations which reflect the school's mission: Interpersonal Practice (IP) or Innovation in Community, Policy, and Leadership (I-CPL). The concentrations organize the curriculum, becoming a framework upon which students can build their advanced year.

The Innovation in Community, Policy, and Leadership (I-CPL) concentration

Students who elect the I-CPL concentration will deepen their understanding of settings where this practice can take place through internship placements that relate to urban social planning, community development, policy analysis and advocacy, program development, and system coordination.

The Interpersonal Practice (IP) concentration

Students who elect the IP concentration are allowed to request an internship experience pertaining to: child welfare, families at risk, gerontology, health care, mental health treatment (inpatient or outpatient), schools, or substance use.

The objectives for practicum education in the advanced year are:

Identifying the needs and issues of the people or systems served.
Identifying the societal, community, and agency conditions that influence practice.
Engaging clients (clients may be individuals, families, groups, organizations, or communities) in purposeful, mutually determined, goal-directed professional activities based upon identifiable social work practice conceptual frameworks.
Using consciously cognitive, emotive, and action skills which can be applied in a variety of settings in the service of the client and the agency function.
Identifying conceptual frameworks applied and demonstrating the purposeful use of professional self.
Designing and carrying out evaluative research appropriate to the setting and the student's level of practice.
Specifying an intervention hypothesis that is measurable within the student's practice and the internship setting.
Using empirical data and monitoring to assess progress of service to a client system; and
integrating evaluation into practice to improve the ways social work services and programs are provided.

C. Practicum education requirements for the MSW degree

All full-time and part-time MSW students are required to successfully complete two internship placements, each consisting of two consecutive semesters of internship placement, in addition to the required practice courses. Students are required to complete 16 credit hours per week of internship placement, which equals a minimum of 900 clock hours, to earn a MSW degree (225 clock hours and four credit hours each semester for four semesters); each credit hour equals 56.25 clock hours. Full-time students in the two-year program are expected to be in practicum a minimum of 450 clock hours during the first and second semesters of both years. Part-time students in the four-year program are expected to be in practicum a minimum of 450 clock hours during the first and second semesters of the second and third years.

All full-time and part-time MSW students admitted to the advanced standing program are required to successfully complete one internship placement consisting of two consecutive semesters of internship placement. Students are required to complete eight credit hours of internship placement, which equals a minimum of 450 clock hours, to earn a MSW degree (225 clock hours and four credit hours each semester for two semesters); each credit hour equals 56.25 clock hours. Students in both the full-time, ten-month program, and the part-time, two-year program, are expected to be in practicum a minimum of 450 clock hours during the first and second semesters of the first year.

For students in a full-time program, the actual days assigned for internship placement are set by the program curriculum; part-time students should consult with their practicum instructor and Faculty Practicum Liaison.

Minimum requirements per semester: 225 clock hours (four credit hours); a minimum of two days per week, each comprising an "agency day" of approximately 7.5 clock hours. Students in a part-time program may complete the 16 clock hours per week requirement in a condensed time frame as approved by the school and the agency.
Practicum days: Internship placement days for MSW students are generally Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Internship placement days for some students are based on consultation among the student, the practicum instructor, and the Faculty Practicum Liaison, particularly in evening/weekend placements. Students are required to be in internship placement at least two days per week.
A semester is 15 weeks: Students are placed at an agency for two semesters.
Students must remain in their internship placements until the last day of class: Even if the student has attained the minimum clock hours required, a student must stay in practicum until the end of the semester.
Certain agencies may require a three-day-per-week plan: To maintain the integrity of the learning assignments, agencies may require an advanced year student be in practicum three days per week. In the advanced year, a student may request a three-day-per-week internship placement work plan for six credit hours per semester, which consists of a minimum of 338 clock hours per semester.
- A student MAY NOT switch from a three-day-per-week to a two-day-per-week internship placement work plan or vice versa, not even during the inter-semester break.
- Internship placement days for students in a three-day-per-week internship placement are Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.

Students in the MSW full-time and part-time programs are required to have two internship placement experiences. Students in the MSW full-time and part-time programs admitted to advance standing are required to have one internship placement experience. All practicum experiences are concurrent with course work. Below is a chart outlining the MSW internship placement experience requirements:

Year	Hours per week	Weeks per semester	Semesters	TOTAL clock hours	TOTAL credits
MSW Foundation Year	16	14.5	2	450	8
MSW Advanced Year	16 or 24*	14.5	2	450 or 676*	8 or 12*

*Advanced Year MSW students (traditional or advanced standing) may opt to do internship placement for 24 hours each week instead of the traditional 16. This is often called a "three-day placement" and is an option for students in place of some elective credits.

D. Foundation year student requirements and assignments

In the Foundation year, all MSW students must complete a minimum of 450 clock hours (225 clock hours and four credit hours each semester) of internship placement in a two-semester internship placement, in addition to the required practice course. To aid in the successful completion of the internship placement learning experience, all students in the Foundation year are required to:

Declare interest in a place of employment (POE) to the OPE, if it pertains. A student may be considered for a POE if the student has not previously been placed there and has been employed by the agency for a minimum of one year. There is a formal application and approval process that must be adhered to.
Complete a learning plan at the beginning of the first semester of internship placement outlining the goals, objectives, and tasks for the internship placement. The forms will be made available via the Intern Placement Tracking, IPT, system, and must be submitted using the IPT system. The learning plan is considered a "living document", meaning it should be revisited and amended as necessary throughout the internship and at the start of each term. An example learning plan can be found on the school's website: Learning Plan.
- Complete process recordings or PRACSIS as assigned each internship placement semester. Full and part-time students will complete 5 process recordings or PRACSIS per term. The documents are to be reviewed with the practicum instructor and then submitted to the Faculty Practicum Liaison. The forms will be made available via the Intern Placement Tracking, IPT, system, and must be submitted using the IPT system. Process recordings do not preclude other forms of recordings which may be assigned or required by the practicum instructor or Faculty Practicum Liaison. An example process recording and PRACSIS can be found on the school's website: Student assignments .
Complete a time log to track internship placement hours. The time log will be made available via IPT at the beginning of the term and it is the student's responsibility to record hours weekly. The student will submit the form at the end of the term via the IPT system.
Consult with the practicum instructor on the Midterm Evaluation to assess progress in practicum during the term. The Midterm Evaluation should be completed by the practicum instructor, and task supervisor if applicable, and submitted to the Faculty Practicum Liaison. The forms will be made available via the Intern Placement Tracking, IPT, system, and must be submitted using the IPT system. A copy of the Midterm Evaluation can be viewed on the school's website: Midterm Evaluation.
Consult with the practicum instructor on assessment of student competencies at the end of the term. The Practicum Instructor Assessment of Student Competencies (PIASC) should be completed by the practicum instructor, and task supervisor if applicable, and submitted to the Faculty Practicum Liaison. The PIASC is required in order to determine a grade for practicum. The forms will be made available via the Intern Placement Tracking, IPT, system, and must be submitted using the IPT system. A copy of the MSW PIASC can be viewed on the school's website: MSW Foundation Year PIASC.

Before starting internship placement, all MSW Foundation-year students should review the syllabus for SW 7998. Major assignments related to internship placement will be completed in practice-method courses. A link to the SW 7998 practicum education syllabus is included below.

E. Advanced year student requirements and assignments

In the advanced year, all MSW students must complete a minimum of 450 clock hours (225 clock hours/four credit hours each semester) of practicum placement, or 676* (338 clock hours/six credit hours each semester) of practicum placement over a two-semester practicum placement, in addition to the required practice course. Advanced year students are required to select a concentration, either Innovation in Community, Policy and Leadership (I-CPL) or Interpersonal Practice (IP), when they submit practicum placement material.

*MSW advanced year students may be required to take (depending on program options), or may opt for, a three-day-per-week internship placement, as determined by agency need and student preference. Such a internship placement will require the completion of a minimum of 676 clock hours (338 clock hours per semester), which equals 12 credit hours (six credit hours per semester), of internship placement over a two-semester internship placement.

1. Innovation in Community, Policy and Leadership (I-CPL)

Innovation in Community, Policy and Leadership (I-CPL) contextualizes student learning into three platforms of practice including developing and sustaining effective communities, developing and sustaining effective policies, and developing and sustaining effective organizations through leadership ("macro"). A full range of electives is offered to supplement the required sequence of courses, thus permitting students an opportunity to deepen and enrich their knowledge of particular areas of Innovation in Community, Policy and Leadership.

2. Interpersonal Practice (IP)

Students who elect the Interpersonal Practice (IP) concentration focus on the person in the environment through therapeutic rapport and intervention ("micro"). IP students have opportunities to deepen their clinical intervention skills with individuals and families by choosing an intervention course including but not limited to Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Interpersonal Practice, Family Systems Interventions, Contemporary Psychodynamic Interventions, and Client-Centered Interventions.

To aid in the successful completion of the internship placement learning experience, all students in the advanced year are required to:

Register for practicum education, which is course SW 8998.
Declare interest in a place of employment (POE) when meeting with their placement assistant, if it pertains. A student may be considered for a POE if the student has not previously been placed there. There is a formal application and approval process that must be adhered to. Link to the policy and application
Declare interest in a three-day-per-week internship placement to the OPE by indicating on Student Profile page in IPT, if it pertains. Certain internship-placement sites will require that an advanced year student agree to a three-day-per week placement as determined by agency need. This internship placement will earn six credit hours for a minimum of 338 clock hours per semester. An advanced year student may not switch from a three-day-per-week internship placement to a two-day-per-week internship placement or vice versa.
Complete a learning plan at the beginning of the first semester of internship placement outlining the goals, objectives, and tasks for the internship placement. The forms will be made available via the Intern Placement Tracking, IPT, system, and must be submitted using the IPT system. The learning plan is considered a "living document", meaning it should be revisited and amended as necessary throughout the internship and at the start of each term. An example learning plan can be found on the school's website: Learning Plan.
Complete process recordings or PRACSIS as assigned each internship placement semester. Full and part-time students will complete 5 process recordings or PRACSIS per term. The documents are to be reviewed with the practicum instructor and then submitted to the Faculty Practicum Liaison. The forms will be made available via the Intern Placement Tracking, IPT, system, and must be submitted using the IPT system. Process recordings do not preclude other forms of recordings which may be assigned or required by the practicum instructor or Faculty Practicum Liaison. An example process recording and PRACSIS can be found on the school's website: Student assignments.

1. IP concentration students complete process recordings. Process recordings incorporate clinical and therapeutic rapport elements. They are composed of session objectives, plans, content, and evaluation of student/worker behavior and client/system behavior.
2. I-CPL concentration students complete PRACSIS.PRACSIS is a variation of a process recording; a PRACSIS incorporates more policy, planning, and advocacy elements, and deletes most clinical and therapeutic rapport components.

Complete a time log to track internship placement hours. The time log will be made available via IPT at the beginning of the term, and it is the student's responsibility to record hours weekly. The student will submit the form at the end of the term via the IPT system.
Consult with the practicum instructor on the Midterm Evaluation to assess progress in practicum during the term. The Midterm Evaluation should be completed by the practicum instructor, and task supervisor if applicable, and submitted to the Faculty Practicum Liaison. The forms will be made available via the Intern Placement Tracking, IPT, system, and must be submitted using the IPT system. A copy of the Midterm Evaluation is included in the appendices, for reference only.
Consult with the practicum instructor on assessment of student competencies at the end of the term. The Practicum Instructor Assessment of Student Competencies (PIASC) should be completed by the practicum instructor, and task supervisor if applicable, and submitted to the Faculty Practicum Liaison. The PIASC is required in order to determine a grade for practicum. The forms will be made available via the Intern Placement Tracking, IPT, system, and must be submitted using the IPT system.
Complete an electronic copy of the Advanced-year Practicum Instructor Assessment of Student Competencies at the end of the term. The PIASC should be completed by the student, practicum instructor, and task supervisor if applicable, and submitted to the Faculty Practicum Liaison. The Advanced-year Practicum Instructor Assessment of Student Competencies is required in order to determine a grade for practicum. The forms will be made available via the Intern Placement Tracking, IPT, system, and must be submitted using the IPT system. A link to the two different MSW PIASCs (per concentration) is included in section VII. Forms and Applications.

Before starting internship placement, all MSW students in the advanced year should review the practicum education syllabus for SW 8998. Major assignments related to internship placement will be completed in practice-method courses. A copy of the SW 8998 practicum education syllabus is below.

F. Advanced standing status

Students admitted to the advance-standing program are required to hold a BSW degree from an accredited college or university in addition to meeting other admission criteria. All MSW students, whether full-time or part-time, are required to complete advanced-year course work. MSW students with Advanced Standing must complete, in addition to the advanced-year MSW course work, eight credit hours of bridge or additional course work in the summer prior to internship placement.

All advanced-standing MSW students are expected to complete one internship placement which consists of two consecutive semesters of internship placement. Students are expected to complete a minimum of 450 clock hours (225 clock hours/four credit hours each semester) of internship placement, or 676* (338 clock hours/six credit hours each semester), of internship placement over the two-semester internship placement. In addition, advanced year students are required when completing their Student Profile page in IPT, to select a concentration, either Innovation in Community, Policy and Leadership (I-CPL) or Interpersonal Practice (IP).

All advanced standing MSW students are expected to complete internship placement during the first and second semesters of the first year of the degree program. Students in the full-time program are expected to complete MSW degree requirements in one year; students in the part-time program are expected to complete MSW degree requirements in two years.

*MSW advanced year students may be required to, or may opt for, a three-day-per-week internship placement as determined by agency need and student preference. Such an internship placement will require the completion of a minimum of 676 clock hours (338 clock hours per semester), which equals 12 credit hours (six credit hours per semester) of internship placement over a two-semester internship placement.

G. Part-time study

Part-time MSW students' complete degree requirements in four years, including two internship placement experiences. The first internship placement covers two semesters (fall and winter) in the second year of the program. The second covers two semesters (fall and winter) in the third year of the program. The internship placement requirements are the same for the part-time program as for the full-time program.

MSW students in the part-time, advanced-standing program complete degree requirements in two years, including one internship placement experience, which consists of two semesters (fall and winter) in the first year of the program. The internship placement requirements are the same for both the part-time, and full-time advanced-standing programs.

No placement is less than two days per week. For part-time students, scheduling days/hours for internship placement is set in consultation among the student, the practicum instructor, and the Faculty Practicum Liaison. The schedule shall allow for continuity of service to clients, and the ability to meet curriculum expectations for practicum education, as specified in this manual. Students in the part-time program may complete the 16 clock hours per week requirement in major blocks of time, no less than 4 hours, unless approved by the school and the agency.

Student internship placement should be scheduled during normal business hours, which for some agencies includes evening and weekend hours. However, evening and weekend only placements should not be expected.

The goals and standards of the part-time and full-time programs are the same, as are the admission and academic requirements. Information about part-time MSW study may be obtained from the School of Social Work, Office of Admissions and Student Services (OASS).

H. Three-day-per-week placement

MSW advanced year students may be required to agree to, or may opt for, a three-day-per-week internship placement as determined by agency need and student preference. MSW Foundation year students are not eligible. Some agencies may require students to make a three-day-per-week commitment to maintain integrity of teaming assignments and continuity of client care. A minimum of 676 clock hours (338 clock hours per semester) for a total of 12 credit hours (six credit hours per semester) are required; this is a two-semester internship placement.

Three-day-per-week placements cover Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. A student MAY NOT switch from a three-day-per-week internship placement plan to a two-day-per-week internship placement plan or vice versa.

I. Place of employment (POE)

A MSW student entering the Foundation or Advanced year may be considered for a place of employment (POE) if he or she has not previously been placed there, including undergraduate internship placements, and the student has been employed by agency for a minimum of six months. A student must be in good academic standing (no M or U grades in internship placement) and demonstrate a strong academic record. Tasks to be performed as a student must be different from those the student performed as a staff member.

To be considered, a student must declare interest in a POE when meeting with their placement assistant. Students who are approved for a work site placement will still be expected to complete all requirements and tasks pertinent to internship placement. Link to the work site placement policy and application

J. Dual relationships with agency

Dual relationships refers to any situation where multiple roles exist between a student and a practicum instructor, the student and clients within the agency, the student and other employees or associates of the agency. Dual relationships are any pre-existing personal and/or professional relationships with the agency that have the potential for either conflict of interest or negative impact upon practicum education objectives. Students shall not be placed at an agency with any person with whom he/she has a familial or quasi-familial relationship, even if that person is not assigned as a practicum instructor.

As a result of this policy, it is prohibited for students to return to an agency for an internship placement where they have completed a previous internship placement or employment. Agencies in which the student has completed volunteer work may be considered but must be approved by the Office of Practicum Education.

K. MSW foundation year SW 7998 syllabus

L. MSW advanced year SW 8998 syllabus

Return to Practicum Education Manual Table of Contents