General OUSSW Practicum Questions

Common Practicum Questions from Students

Answers to General OUSSW Practicum Questions

1. How many hours are involved in the Practicum experience?
   
   MSW program
   The 2-year MSW program requires a total of 1010 clock hours in practicum placement.  Students earn 460 hours in their first year of graduate school and the remaining 550 in their second year.  Students who enter the MSW program in Advanced Standing have fulfilled the first year practicum requirement as a part of their BSW program and complete 550 hours in practicum in their concentration year.
   
   BSW program?
   Students in the BSW program earn 10 of their 46 social work credits in two practicum courses, SWK 4315 and 4325 taken during their final undergraduate year.  A total of 600 clock hours must be spent in undergraduate practicum placement.  Generally, students spend 20-24 hours each week at their site and earn 300 hours each semester.  Undergraduate students completing a practicum must be concurrently enrolled in required classroom courses.

2. What is the process of Practicum Placement?
   See the Application Process page for more information.
   
   
3. How does a student learn about potential placement sites?
   The best way to learn about sites is to consult the Practicum Agency Directory on this webpage.  The Directory contains a list of many but not all of the practicum sites with which the School has an affiliation agreement. New agencies are added all of the time, frequently at the request or recommendation of students.
   
   
4. Can students be paid for practicum?
   There are two ways in which students may be paid for their work in practicum: they may be placed in an approved Employment-based Practicum Placement (EBPP) or they may have an approved practicum stipend.  The process of approval for an EBPP is lengthy and frequently takes several months. Students are advised to consult the guidelines on EBPP in the Practicum Manual if they have any interest in pursuing application for an EBPP.

   Some agencies and organizations provide stipends for practicum students. There are very few stipends and students who are interested in a practicum stipend are advised to investigate the possibilities early in the practicum planning process.

5. Can students complete a practicum where they are currently employed?
   Under certain circumstances, a student may be given permission to complete a practicum where he or she is currently employed.  This is called an approved Employment-based Practicum Placement or EBPP. Only placements that will offer a student a new learning experience will be approved. While a student may continue at the agency at which he or she is employed, the student may not continue in the same job nor with the same supervisor.  A student must have been an employee of the agency for at least six (6) months and must have satisfactory employee evaluations in order to be considered for an EBPP. Students who would like to be considered for practicum assignment where they currently work must complete Part III of the Application for Field Instruction, which is an EBPP proposal.  See guidelines for the EBPP in the Practicum Manual on this webpage.
   
   
6. What if a student finds a new job with a new agency?  May that work serve as a practicum placement?
   A new job with a new agency will NOT be approved for a practicum placement. If the agency offers the student payment in the form of a practicum stipend, the placement can count as practicum. See guidelines on practica with stipends in the Practicum Manual on this webpage.
   
   
7. Can previous or current work experience be counted as practicum?
   No previous work experience or current work experience may be counted toward practicum hours unless it is in an approved EBPP.
   
   
8. What are stipend opportunities?
   There are a limited number of stipends for students in practicum placements and most are awarded through a competitive process. Some stipends are awarded by practicum sites while others are awarded by outside entities.  Students should weigh their need for a stipend when considering placement sites.
   
   
9. May a student complete a practicum out-of-state?
   There are no opportunities for out-of-state practicum placements for the Academic Year 2007-2008.
   
   
10. Do all practicum sites have a dress code?
    Some sites have dress codes and others do not and those that do have considerable variation in their requirements. You will need to ask this question at the sites at which you interview.
    
    
11. Must a student purchase Malpractice Liability Insurance?
    Each student placed in a field practicum must be covered by a minimum of $1,000,000/$1,000,000 in malpractice liability insurance and must provide proof of such insurance coverage to the Practicum Coordinator and the practicum site prior to the beginning of the practicum.  Students must purchase their own insurance, and liability insurance at reasonable student rates is available from the Student Professional Liability Insurance Program as well as from other sources. Students interested in purchasing insurance through the Student Professional Liability Insurance Program must first be members of the National Association of Social Workers.  For more information, visit www.socialworkers.org and www.americanprofessional.com.

    Students completing a paid practicum may be covered by their employer’s insurance policy.  If so, they must provide written verification of this coverage to the Practicum Coordinator prior to beginning placement.

12. How do I get more information about the Practicum?
    The best way to get more information is to peruse this site thoroughly.  If after doing so you have other questions, you may contact the Practicum Office at the School of Social Work at 405-325-4683 in Norman or 918-660-3383 in Tulsa.

Answers to Common Practicum Questions from Students

1. Does my supervisor have to have an MSW?
   All MSW students must be assigned to a Practicum Instructor who has an MSW.  BSW students may be assigned to a Practicum Instructor with either an MSW or BSW.  Each student must meet with his or her Practicum Instructor for at least one hour of supervision weekly.
   
   
2. May I count school and national holidays toward practicum hours?
   If a site is closed for a holiday but the University is not and it is a day that the student would normally be in placement, the student may count that time toward total practicum hours.  Had the site been open, the student would have been there.  Examples of such holidays are Veterans’ Day and Presidents’ Day.

   Students are not expected to be in practicum placements on days that the University is closed. Examples of such holidays are Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving. No time may be earned for practicum on such holidays unless the student is actually at the placement on the day and fulfills responsibilities of the practicum placement.

   Students who celebrate religious holidays not observed by the site may be granted leave time by the Practicum Instructor, but time granted for such observances may have to be made up.  Such plans for leave time should be negotiated with the Practicum Instructor and addressed in the Teaching-Learning Agreement.

   Students may not count time at their agency for University or national holidays when the University is not in session.  An example of such a holiday is Christmas.

3. If my agency is closed for a reason other than a national holiday, such as due to weather or spring break, may I count that time toward my total accumulation of practicum hours?
   You may count the hours toward practicum ONLY if the agency is closed for a national holiday, such as Veterans’ Day or Presidents’ Day. If you are placed at a school and it will be closed for spring break or if the agency closes for snow or ice, you will need to develop a plan with your practicum instructor for making up those hours.
   
   
4. May I count conferences toward my practicum hours?
   Sometimes hours spent at conferences may count toward practicum hour totals.  This will depend on the individual student’s practicum instructor and faculty liaison and on the goals for that student in his or her practicum placement.  A student who wants to count hours at a conference toward practicum totals must discuss the activity with both practicum instructor and faculty liaison and it must be added to his or her Teaching Learning Agreement.
   
   
5. May I count hours I earn in a practicum-related class toward my total accumulation of practicum hours?
   Hours you spend in class may NOT count toward your practicum hours.
   
   
6. May I count the hours I spend in travel to my practicum site as practicum hours?
   Hours spent in commuting to your practicum site are considered commute time and may NOT be counted toward your total accumulation of practicum hours. If you are asked to travel from your headquartered site as a part of your placement, you MAY be able to count that time. An example would be if you are placed at a site in Norman and you must travel from that site to another town for training, a meeting, etc. If this is the case, discuss how to count this time with your practicum instructor.
   
   
7. May I finish my hours earlier than the official last day of placement?
   Students are expected to be in practicum from the beginning until the end of the term.  Any deviation from the practicum calendar must be authorized by the faculty liaison assigned and must have the agreement of the practicum instructor. Students who need to make significant modifications to the practicum schedule must complete and submit a request for a modified practicum. Such requests must be approved by the Practicum Coordinator.
   
   
8. Will I have to purchase a parking pass?
   You may be required to purchase a parking pass in order to have parking at your practicum site.  This will depend on your agency. There is not funding available through the School to cover this expense.