BSW Program

The BSW Senior Year Practicum provides learning opportunities in generalist social work practice.  Students are placed in agencies that can offer a full spectrum of social work experiences and support the BSW curriculum. The generalist requirement takes precedence over requests to work with specific populations or specific issues.

Please review the current Manual to assist you in your planning process: BSW Field Practicum Manual 2022-2023

It is essential that students plan carefully for their practicum, particularly with respect to the mandated hours per semester, educational and supervision requirements.

  • The Office of Practicum Education expects that students with traditional hours of availability will be able to do their internships during the regular weekday, business hours.
  • Extensive planning is required for students with non-traditional hours of availability.
  • This Practicum office will offer students suggestions of agency sites but strongly encourages students who work full-time to complete a practicum in an organization that would qualify for an employment based placement or submit a self-referral form.

Practicum Placement Process:

  1. Submit the practicum application (located below) for entering your course (4187/4287)
  2. All students are assigned a Practicum Education Specialist within weeks of submitting their application. The Practicum Education Specialist will work in close partnership with onsite and fully online students to assist with the placement process.
  3. Practicum Education Specialist will support all students in the confirmation/finalization of their practicum plan.
    1. This process can include an agency interview for students being referred by their Practicum Education Specialist or completing a Self Referral option. At this interview, the educational opportunities and agency expectations should be discussed between student and agency. Interview-Guidelines-and-Questions
    2. If the student has applied for an Employment-Based practicum, the Practicum Education Specialist will schedule a meeting with the student, prospective practicum instructor and current employment supervisor to review educational opportunities and agency expectations.
  4. Practicum Education Specialist will confirm the practicum plan between the agency and the student.
  5. Student will register for their course when available.
  6. All students obtain the maximum clearances required by the state in which the practicum is located, as outlined by Castlebranch system.  (Information found in Request your Clearances).
  7. All students entering a practicum course will be required to attend an orientation prior to the beginning of their practicum experience.

BSW Time Requirements for Practicum: (400 total hours)

  • BSW Senior students MUST attend their practicum for a minimum of 15 or 16 hours per week
  • The practicum is two semesters long
  • Required 200 hours per semester

Complete the BSW Practicum application here

Options to complete your Practicum: (You must pick one of these options below when student submits the BSW Practicum application)

 1. Office of Practicum Education Placement:

    • A Practicum Education Specialist will be assigned to locate a placement for your upcoming year based on the application. Student must have 2 days available during the weekday to be eligible for this option.

2. Employment Based Proposal Information and application here

    • For students who would like to complete a practicum at their place of employment. The Employment Based-Proposal, completed in addition to the main practicum application, will be due before this plan can be confirmed.

3. Self Referral Information and application here

      • A student can independently contact an agency to solicit their own practicum including making inquiries to determine if an agency is interested in a student intern.
      • Students who want to intern at a specific agency or who only have evening/weekend availability are required to complete a Self-Referral.
      • The Self-Referral Form, completed in addition to the main practicum application, will be due after completing an interview with an agency.