Opportunities | Eligibility | Forms | Contact
About the Program
“It’s wonderful how many different avenues there are in music.”
– Angelique Francis, Bachelor of Music (2019)
THE UNDERGRADUATE PRACTICUM provides opportunities for students in Carleton University’s School for Studies in Art and Culture to gain valuable experience in various arts, education, and media organizations. The School only selects its top students for Practica placements, those who have demonstrated a high degree of skill and potential for further learning.
The students are required to spend 84 hours in the placement and write a report. The on-site supervisor will provide a brief assessment of the student’s performance. These are combined to form the student’s grade for the Practicum course.
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Opportunities
In the past, Music students have had placements that allowed them to learn and develop a variety of skills, such as:
- Digitizing, restoring and cataloguing audio from tape and vinyl;
- Editing music scores for publication;
- Researching information about composers, manuscripts, their location, previous editions if any, etc.;
- Setting up and maintaining Websites and researching information on the Internet;
- Practical recording studio techniques, and film-scoring composition;
- Music therapy, or other music-related social work with older and/or infirmed adults;
- Developing and implementing online publicity strategies and resources.
- Writing (refining, abridging) user manuals for digital audio and video software;
- Assisting music teachers by preparing materials and working with students one-on-one;
To date, students have been placed at the Leading Note Foundation, St. Patrick’s Resource Centre, the National Library of Canada, the Canadian Musical Heritage Society, the CBC, ChamberFest, CKCU, theknwldg, Alcorn Music, Carleton Jazz Camp, Rogers Cable, Perley Rideau Veteran’s Health Centre, City of Ottawa Archives, Anglican Social Services, MJM Epic Sound Design, Ottawa School of Speech and Drama, several schools, as well as many other organizations and research initiatives in the Ottawa area and beyond.
Eligibility and Requirements
After discussion between the student and the practicum supervisor in the School for Studies in Art and Culture about potential placements, the supervisor and/or student will arrange for interviews with the external on-site supervisors.
Eligibility to enroll in the practicum is contingent upon a combination of a suitable CGPA (normally 9.0), third or fourth academic standing (second-year standing is allowed in exceptional circumstances), written agreement by an appropriate on-site supervisor, and an application by the student. Practicum placements will not be used to duplicate courses offered by SSAC-Music including performance instruction.
While the practicum supervisor can make suggestions for placements, it is the responsibility of the student to find potential practicum placements and on-site supervisors.
After the required 84 hours are completed, the student will prepare a short report (3-4 double-spaced, word-processed pages), assessing and reflecting upon what the student has accomplished and learned through the practicum.
Forms to Submit
The following forms must be submitted to Tasneem Ujjainwala (tasneem.ujjainwala@carleton.ca) during your first week of practicum.
- Unpaid-Placements-Letter-to-Placement-Employers
- Unpaid-Placements-Student-Declaration-of-Understanding-and-Agreement
Program Contact
For permission to register, and further information about the Practicum program in Music, contact Kathy Armstrong at Kathy.Armstrong@carleton.ca.
Note: Students must obtain health and safety training from their placement employer. Please report any health and safety concerns related to unpaid work placements to your departmental co-ordinator and the Office of Risk Management, at risk@carleton.ca.