Practicum education is the signature pedagogy of social work education. This means that practicum education is the central form of instruction and learning through which the social work profession prepares students for practice. As a student, you’ll apply classroom learning in real-world settings during your practicum experiences, developing essential skills that help you navigate complex social work challenges and make a meaningful impact in the communities you serve.
Practicum education is a core part of the Pitt Social Work experience and requires thoughtful planning alongside your academic, professional and personal responsibilities.
How Placement Works
| Attend a Practicum Orientation | You’ll learn about the practicum education process. |
| Complete Your Practicum Application | You’ll indicate your professional areas of interest and provide information about your educational background, experience, transportation, scheduling constraints, and more. |
| Your Practicum Advisor Matches you with a Practicum Site | Collaborate with your practicum advisor to identify agency sites accessible from your local geographic area that support your goals and meet the required CSWE competency standards. |
| Proceed With Advisor-Led Placement Process | Your Practicum Advisor will facilitate the placement process in accordance with agency contractual agreements, guiding all aspects from initial contact to placement.
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| Begin Your Practicum | This placement varies by degree and program. See below for more details. |
Additional Placement Information:
- If you are interested in exploring the possibility of an employment-based placement, it is important to discuss this with your Practicum Advisor at the beginning of the placement process. Please note that there are specific steps and requirements associated with employment-based placements, as all placements must support accreditation-required learning competencies.
- Guarantees cannot be made regarding agency preference. As a school, we will assess whether an agency is equipped to provide the necessary educational experiences, including regular, structured social work practicum instruction.
- BASW Practicum Education Requirements
In the BASW Program, students must successfully complete 600 hours (12 credit hours) of Practicum education during their last two semesters in the program. The focus of the BASW Practicum placement is the generalist practice method.
The BASW student is in Practicum placement each semester three (3) days each week for approximately eight (8) hours per day. Students are concurrently enrolled in a three (3) credit practicum lab during each term of Practicum placement, with the instructor for the practicum lab serving as the faculty liaison to the student’s Practicum setting.- MSW Practicum Education Requirements
In the MSW Program, students must successfully complete 1080 hours (18 credit hours) of practicum education. This is comprised of two levels of practicum placement: generalist (6 credits/360 hours) and specialized practice practicum placement (12 credits/ 720hours). Students with advanced standing status are approved for 6 generalist practicum credits for practicum work completed at a Council on Social Work Education-accredited undergraduate program.
- Overview of the Practicum Placement
Practicum Placements: Advising Timeline, Required Hours
The placement advising timeline and required hours differ based on your MSW program option (Oakland Face-to-Face, Online, or Regional), whether you are enrolling as a full-time or part-time student, and whether you are enrolling as a Generalist or Specialized student.
Advising Timeline Placement Required Hours Placement Duration Full-Time, Face-to-Face, Generalist Students Advisors will begin working with you in late Spring/early Summer; placements begin during your first semester 360 Fall, Spring Full-time, Face-to-Face, Advanced Standing (Specialized) Students Advisors will begin working with you in the Spring; placements begin during your first semester 720 Fall, Spring Part-Time, Face-to-Face, Generalist Students Advisors will begin working with you in your second semester; placements begin in the Summer* 360 Summer, Fall* Part-time, Online Generalist Students Advisors will begin working with you in the Spring; placements begin during your second semester 360 Spring, Summer Part-time, Online, Advanced Standing (Specialized) Students Advisors will begin working with you in Spring of your first year; placements begin in the Fall of your second year 720 Final year: Fall, Spring, Summer * Subject to change as course progression plans are revised
- Practicum Education Schedule and Manual
• Practicum Education Schedule-coming soon
• Practicum Manual-coming soon