Practicum FAQs

No. Practicum I, SOWK 3600, is only offered part time over the fall and winter terms.

Practicum I, SOWK 3601, is only offered full time over the winter term and is reserved for students who have been newly admitted into the BSW program with third-year standing.

No. Practicum II, SOWK 4600, is offered full time in the fall and summer terms only. The part-time offerings of Practicum II, SOWK 4601 & SOWK 4602, are available in any two consecutive terms (i.e., fall/winter, winter/summer, and summer/fall).

You may be required to provide a letter from the placement agency/organization identifying the type(s) of check(s) you require. If the agency/organization cannot provide this letter, please contact Megan Stansel, Practicum Administrator, at SSW.Practicum.Admin@cunet.carleton.ca.

A letter from the School of Social Work will not waive the fee for a Police Record Check since practicum students do not meet the definition of “volunteer” used by the Ottawa Police Service (OPS). According to the OPS website:

“The Background Clearance Section uses the definition from Volunteer Canada for the criteria of waiving the fees.

Definition: A volunteer is a person who works for an organization without being paid, a person who voluntarily offers themselves for a service or undertaking, or a person who performs a service willingly and without pay.

For this reason, the Background Clearance Section charges for practicum/co-op placements since the applicant receives a credit towards program completion and, in some circumstances, gets remunerated for their placements as compensation. It is not a volunteer opportunity but a compulsory credit to complete their program requirement.

The OPS has never waived the fees with a letter for students completing placements or co-op studies. We also identified this category as an example of applicants requiring a police records check for employment purposes.”

The costs incurred for all pre-placement requirements, including police record checks and health requirements, are the responsibility of the student. If you encounter any financial barriers to completing your pre-placement requirements, please contact Megan Stansel, Practicum Administrator, at SSW.Practicum.Admin@cunet.carleton.ca.

If you live in an OPP-policed community, you will be required to provide a letter from the placement agency/organization identifying the type(s) of check(s) you require. If the placement agency/organization cannot provide this letter, please contact Megan Stansel, Practicum Administrator, at SSW.Practicum.Admin@cunet.carleton.ca.

For more information on OPP Record Checks, please visit their website.

Processing times for Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Record Checks are currently higher than normal. It may take over two months for you to receive your results.

According to the Ottawa Police Service (OPS):

“Online applications are generally processed in 7-10 business days.

Timelines are subject to a Monday-Friday work volume. Any requirement to other police services may add additional processing time. Processing timelines do not account for postage processing (if applicable). For additional information regarding postage processing, please refer to Canada Post.

The Ottawa Police Service Background Clearance Section strives to serve you promptly. Please help us meet our timelines by filling out your online records check application accurately and carefully.”

Yes. Students registered in a BSW or MSW practicum course as the primary focus of the term are eligible to opt out of the U-Pass under the experiential learning term category. For more information, including deadlines and criteria, please read through the following web page: Opt-In and Opt-Out – U-Pass.

To submit an opt-out request, students will need to select the “participating in a co-op work term” opt-out option in Carleton Central. Please see the following instructions: U-Pass Opt-Out Process – U-Pass.