Q: How do I know my Application has been received?
A: Upon receipt of your application, the Application portal will generate an automatic Confirmation email to the email account you provided in your application. This simply indicates that your application has been received and this office will further contact you to follow up about next steps. Applications are processed in the order they are received.
Q: What is the Practicum Placement Process?
A: Once all applications have been received, a Practicum Education Specialist will be assigned to you to help you through the process. They will contact you to introduce them self and let you know what you need to do to secure a practicum. Agencies have the right to accept or deny students following the interview. If accepted, you will receive a confirmation email from your Practicum Education Specialist.
Q: Can I be placed by the office while doing a self-referral to explore my options?
A: You may only choose one practicum option at a time. If you choose to be placed by this offfice, you may not simultaneously seek a Self-referral. Doing so would take up a valuable practicum site from other students who are waiting to be connected with an agency. On the other hand, if you choose to do a self-referral, this office will not search for agencies on your behalf unless your self-referral is unsuccessful and you ask this office to place you.
Q: Can I have more than one practicum referral to choose the one I like best?
A: The practicum placement process is a highly competitive process between Temple University and other local Social Work programs. However, we do not allow Temple students to compete for practicum slots against other Temple students. As such, we send students on one interview at a time.
Q: Can I see a list of the practicum sites to explore my options?
A: There is a tab in this portal called Current and Previous Practicum Sites for students to review for examples of sites. The information you provide in the Application helps this office find a good match based on the relationships we have with agencies. However, if you wish to pursue a self-referral, this office encourages you to tap into your professional networks for suggestions of possible practicum sites.
Q: I work full-time. Can I do my practicum in the evenings and on weekends?
A: There are a limited number of agencies with evening and weekend hours as most MSWs who supervise interns work Monday-Friday during daytime hours. If you cannot designate one full day or two half-days to your practicum, you must choose the Student Self-Referral option. Students can seek out agencies that can accommodate interns who need to do their internships outside the M-F 9-5 time frame. If you work in social service setting, it may be possible to complete internship hours at your agency; please explore the employment-based option in this case.
Q: Can I choose my own practicum?
A: Students may complete a Self-Referral Form for one or more agencies where they would like to be placed or which they have already contacted. This is not a guarantee that they will be placed at this agency. The agency must meet all requirements for partner agencies of Temple SSW and must provide an appropriate learning experience