Graduate Music Practicum

Overview

The practicum is a graduate course that involves a part-time student placement in an on- or off- campus work environment, which in the past has included work at libraries, archives, museums, and other relevant organizations, including various departments with the federal government, arts and culture organizations, and large-scale festivals and concert programs. The student is expected to spend one full workday per week with the host institution; the total time onsite is expected to be 130 hours for the practicum course. The student earns one half-credit for successful completion of a one-term placement, which should fall within a regularly scheduled academic term (fall, winter, summer).

The Experience

The purpose of the practicum is to provide a learning experience of a kind not otherwise available in a standard academic setting. A practicum involves exposure to both theory and practice in a given field, and an opportunity to consider the application of broader ideas to specific settings. The choice of practicum should be based on a student’s research interests, and the practicum itself should lead to a final paper that theoretically and/or critically engages with the practicum experience. This is not a course for students who are only interested in acquiring practical experience: the academic component is crucial for a successful practicum proposal and course.

The Proposal

In consultation with the Supervisor of Graduate Studies a student will develop a practicum proposal outlining the practicum site, anticipated responsibilities, reading list and an outline of deliverables for the on-site practicum supervisor and the internal faculty supervisor. All requests for a practicum placement must be approved by the Graduate Committee. 

The practicum is not a requirement for completion of the M.A., so admission to the course is not guaranteed. Inadequate or incomplete applications, weak academic performance, or unavailability or unsuitability of the requested placement are all reasons for the rejection of an application. Although the program may assist in setting up certain practicum placements, it ultimately remains the student’s responsibility to make and pursue contacts, develop and submit the proposal and carry out the work for the practicum.

Restrictions

1. Practica in Music and Culture are available only to full-time students in the MA in Music and Culture program who have completed at least one full term of study.
2. Up to one credit of practicum experience can be used towards completion of the degree requirements.

Exceptions to the above restrictions may only be granted by the Supervisor of Graduate Studies in unusual circumstances.

Approval and Application

1. Students interested in a practicum should contact the Supervisor of Graduate Studies early during the term prior to the anticipated practicum in order to discuss possible placements. It is the student’s responsibility to make the contacts and develop the proposal. An Internal Supervisor (i.e., a faculty member who will oversee the academic component of the practicum) and External Supervisor (i.e., someone in the host institution who can provide reports and serve as a liaison) should also be identified.
2. A practicum proposal must be completed and submitted by the student. The proposal will include contact information for the host and indicate in detail relevant background information and experience for the applicant, the nature and scope of the practicum activity (including a proposed paper topic and bibliography of relevant sources), and the work that is expected to be completed (along with clear indications of how that work will be assessed). It is essential that the proposal details the nature of the academic component to the practicum and how it relates to the practical experience. The practicum should conclude with a formal paper that theoretically/critically engages with the work accomplished. This proposal is due on the first day of the month prior to the term in which the student wishes to take this course (April 1, August 1 and December 1 are the respective submission deadlines for the summer, fall and winter terms). The Graduate Committee will review the application and will communicate to the student the results of its deliberations by the middle of the month. Should any revisions be needed to the proposal, students will need to submit those and have the revised proposal submitted and approved before the start of term.
3. The Graduate Committee will consider the application and make a decision at the latest two weeks before the beginning of the term in which the practicum is to take place. The decision will include the assignment of an Internal Supervisor (i.e., a Carleton faculty member who will oversee your practicum). Note: This means that before your proposal is accepted your main point of contact is the Supervisor of Graduate Studies. But if you are approved, then you should communicate with and submit all required material to your Internal Supervisor.

Academic Timeline (Carleton)

Evaluation

1. A progress report and paper outline and updated bibliography will be submitted at mid-point in the practicum. This will allow any adjustments to the scope of the project to be noted. See below (under Instructions for Host Institutions) for more information about this report.
2. The evaluation of work carried out during a practicum will be undertaken by the External Supervisor and the Internal Supervisor. A final report from the External Supervisor will comment on the work completed, and will take into account performance during the placement. Ultimately, the final mark will be the responsibility of the Internal Supervisor. However, in determining that course mark, the Internal Supervisor will assign equal weighting to the work performed during the term (as assessed in the External Supervisor’s report) and the final paper. That paper will be evaluated on the basis of its theoretical/critical rigour and its engagement with the practical placement, i.e., for its academic component, as well as its organization, style, etc.

Instructions for Host Institutions

While the Supervisor of Graduate Studies for the Carleton MA in Music and Culture assists the student with securing the Practicum placement, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to make contact with the host institution and to develop the proposal. The host institution should appoint an individual to serve as on-site supervisor (the External Supervisor) for the practicum¸ who will function as representative for the host institution in dealings with the Music and Culture program, and provide on-site supervision for the practicum itself.

Once initial contact is established, the potential host institution is encouraged to work with the Carleton Music Supervisor of Graduate Studies and with the student to assist in the development of the proposal and the practicum itself. The proposal must be approved by the Music Graduate Committee at Carleton before the practicum can proceed.

Once the proposal is approved, the Committee will designate a Carleton supervisor (the Internal Supervisor) who will work with the student on the academic component of the specific practicum placement, which includes the student’s midterm progress report and end-of-term paper (to be assessed by the Carleton Internal Supervisor).

By accepting a practicum student placement, the host institution commits to providing one term of supervision for the student in an appropriate work context. Once approved, adjustments to the practicum components can be made, granted that compelling reasons for the change exist and that the changes result from consultations that have taken place between the External Supervisor, the Internal Supervisor and the student.

Evaluation

The evaluation of work carried out during a practicum will be undertaken by the External Supervisor and the Internal Supervisor. The External Supervisor will provide evaluation of the student at two times during the term:

(i) A progress report will be submitted to the Internal and External Supervisors by the student at mid-point in the practicum (in conjunction with a paper outline and updated bibliography). This will allow any adjustments to the scope of the project to be noted. The External Supervisor will submit a progress report to the student’s Internal Advisor; this report does not need to be extensive, but should describe in a general way the work being undertaken by the student, the number of hours worked to date and the External Supervisor’s overall level of satisfaction with the student’s performance.

(ii) A final report from the External Supervisor will address the work completed, and will take into account performance during the placement. The following information should be included in that final report:

•  What was the nature of the work undertaken by the student?
• What were the specific tasks?
• How successful was the student in undertaking these tasks?
• In general, what were the strengths and weaknesses of the student in this placement? 
• To what degree did the student meet your expectations for this placement? 
• What mark would you assign to the student’s performance in the placement?

In assessing the overall success of the practicum, the final report by the External Supervisor should apply one of the following evaluative terms: Excellent, Very Good, Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The Carleton Internal Supervisor will then assign a letter grade for the practicum, giving equal weight to the External Supervisor’s final report and the end-of-term paper. Final responsibility for the grade rests with the Carleton Internal Supervisor.