There are several steps that students must follow to register for a practicum course and secure a setting for their practicum learning. Incompletion or lateness in any of these steps can result in a practicum application being placed on hold and/or cancelled. Cancellation of a practicum application can have the impact of delaying and/or annulling the completion of the social work degree.
- Request enrollment in the applicable social work course on Carleton’s mySuccess portal.
- Log into mySuccess using your MC1 credentials.
- Select “School of Social Work” from the left-hand navigation bar.
- Click on “View” under “Courses/Programs.”
- Choose the applicable practicum course and select “Apply.”
- Check off “Enrol” and click “Save.” The Practicum Administrator will need to approve your enrollment before you can move on to the application process. Please note that it may take a few days to process your enrollment request.
- Attend the mandatory practicum orientation provided by the Practicum Coordinator at the start of the term prior to when you will be registering for your practicum course. See upcoming orientation dates here.
- Attend and participate in the Agency Fair to learn more about different practicum settings and organizations in the community. Attendance at the Agency Fair is mandatory for students registering for practicum in the following term. All students are welcome to attend at any point in their degree. See upcoming Agency Fair dates here.
- Complete and submit the practicum application by the established deadline (Step 1 in the applicable course on mySuccess).
- Attend the mandatory Career Services Resume and Cover Letter Workshop to learn how best to prepare these documents for a potential practicum agency. See upcoming workshop dates here. This workshop is optional for MSW students.
- For students applying for a workplace or distance practicum only: Complete and submit the workplace or distance practicum proposal by the established deadline (Steps 2 and/or 3 in the applicable course on mySuccess).
- Review your practicum match when prompted by e-mail (available under “Your Placement (Match) Details” on mySuccess). Once the match has been offered, students will have 72 working hours to accept or decline the match.
- Accept/decline the match. When accepting, submit a tailored cover letter and résumé within 72 working hours of match offer (“Application to Placement Match” on mySuccess).
- Communicate whether you were invited to an interview, along with the interview date, on mySuccess (“Scheduling of Placement Interview). Contact the Practicum Coordinator by e-mail if the organization has not made contact within ten working days or has communicated a refusal of the application.
- Prepare for interview and for sharing of references.
- Communicate placement offer or refusal to Practicum Coordinator by e-mail.
- Once instructed by the Practicum Administrator via email, complete the Practicum Agreement (mySuccess final step) and insurance documentation.
- Inquire about and ensure that all pre-placement requirements (e.g. criminal records check, health-related requirements, training, etc.) are met in advance of the field placement.
- Register for appropriate practicum course and section, once instructed by e-mail. This is typically completed two to three weeks prior to the start of term.
Applying for a Practicum Course
Students must apply to take a Practicum Course by submitting a practicum application through mySuccess deadlines posted here.
Due to large number of students in field each semester, the practicum application deadlines are firm. Applications that are submitted after the deadline may not be considered and can also delay placement in an appropriate agency, and therefore, the student’s completion of the degree program. Students may turn in their Practicum Application Form prior to the deadlines posted and are encouraged to do so.
Students are asked to list their areas of interest for a field placement on the Practicum Application Form. Students should consider the following when listing their preferences:
- Population group: i.e., children, youth, adults, women, families, older adults, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, etc.
- Level of practice: i.e., direct intervention, social administration and policy, research.
- Areas of concentration: i.e., mental health, addictions, anti-violence, disabilities, poverty and homelessness, housing, criminal justice, immigration, child welfare, long-term care, employment, recreation, community development, etc.
- Specific agencies of interest with the understanding that placements in these agencies may or may not be possible to accommodate.
Submitting a Practicum Application Form does not mean the student has secured a placement, nor does it mean that the student is officially registered for a Practicum Course. The Practicum Application Form is there to signal that the student intends to register for the Practicum in the upcoming semester and has reviewed and met all prerequisites.
Police Records Checks
It is the student’s responsibility to have the necessary police record check completed in advance of the field placement. In Ontario, there are provincial laws that require organizations to conduct police records checks for individuals who will be dealing with children and vulnerable adults as part of their recruitment responsibilities. This police record check is required even if students have had a recent police records check completed for some other purpose. Students must apply in person by attending any of the major police stations. The possible existence of criminal convictions and outstanding charges, as well as incidents of all notable police contacts for at least the previous five years, will be considered for release. A criminal record may delay or prohibit certain field placements. Obtaining a police records check can take 6 to 8 weeks or longer so students must apply for this well in advance of the beginning of the field placement. Students will be prohibited from beginning their field placement if they fail to provide a police records check to field settings where this is required.
In Ontario, provincial laws require organizations to conduct police record checks for individuals who will be dealing with children and vulnerable adults. The Level 3 Vulnerable Sector Check is required, even if students have had a recent police record check completed for some other purpose.
Students can apply online or in person in Ottawa or their primary place of residence, by attending any main police station. For more information on in-person and online applications, please go to: https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/reports-and-requests/record-and-background-checks.aspx
The information released by the police as part of the record check might include existence of criminal convictions, outstanding charges, as well as any incident where there has been notable police contacts for at least the previous five years. If any such information is revealed on the police record check it may be difficult, if not impossible, for you to secure a practicum.
Please note that if you are not from Ottawa, your process will be different.
Health Requirements
In certain field settings, students may be required to provide documentation confirming immunization or demonstrated immunity to the certain communicable diseases prior to entry into the setting. Required immunizations generally include, but may not be limited to, the following:
- Rubella
- Measles
- Hepatitis B
- Varicella/Chicken Pox
- Tuberculin Mantoux Screening
It is important that students make appropriate arrangements with regard to supplying the field setting with the required documentation in advance of the field placement.
In the event of a pandemic, the impact for practicum students in health settings may vary but a likely effect would be that the student’s learning contract may be suspended and the student may be re-assigned to different areas. The priorities in the health settings would likely shift and student’s learning objectives might become low priority. In this event it would be important for the Faculty Liaison to work closely with the student regarding arrangements and looking at ways of dealing with this crisis as a useful learning experience for the student.