The Practicum

In addition to field experiences tied to specific courses, all students in the master's program complete a one-year practicum that combines approximately 12 hours per week of supervised field experience during the fall and spring semesters with an on-campus seminar. Students can choose from a broad range of community sites with which the program maintains close relationships; it is also possible for students to propose new sites. Employed students may ask for their workplace to be considered as their practicum site, but only to the extent that there is an opportunity for new learning experiences and that the time spent on practicum does not involve paid hours.

If you represent an agency or organization that would be interested in hosting and supervising a practicum student for a year, we welcome your interest. You may download and submit the Community Request to Host Practicum Students Form (Word), or you may contact the Graduate Coordinator, Khanh Dinh, Ph.D., at (978) 934-3950 or Practicum Instructor, Meg A. Bond, Ph.D.

Practicum Basics

This section provides some fundamentals of the practicum experience, including information about Community Psychology as a discipline, its values and methods of engaging with community members for social change.  Also, it includes an overview of the requirements of the practicum course, actual learning contracts, as well as other documents we use.  Finally, we have included FAQ sections to help you gain insight into what practicum experience—from both the student’s and the supervisor’s perspective—can be. Download the files below for more information. Files are viewable in Adobe Acrobat.

Overview

• What Is Community Psychology?
• Practicum Placement Overview
• Practicum Manual
• Practicum Evaluation Guidelines

• Practicum FAQs for Students
• Student Site Proposal Form
• Learning Contract
• Learning Contract Examples
• Weekly Reflections
• Self-Assessment for Professional Growth

For Supervisors

• Practicum FAQs for Supervisors
• Placement Request Form

Placement Ideas and Resources

The following resources are available to help you find practicum placement that is a good match for your interests and the skills you’d like to develop and to make the most of the experience. 

• Past Practicum Placements
• Community Clearinghouse
• Merrimack Valley Hub
• Idealist

General Resources for Community Work

This section covers the resources prepared by previous practicum students. The information included here could be of interest whether you are a prospective student, prospective supervisor or a community member.

Resources to Share 2006
Resources to Share 2007
Resources to Share 2008