The practicum or field education component is a core part of the MSW experience and is often considered the heart of social work education and its signature pedagogy. The practicum provides students the opportunity to engage in supervised practice consistent with the mission, goals, and objectives of the MSW Program. The experience fosters the integration of empirical and practice-based knowledge, promotes the development of professional competence, and provides opportunities for students to identify with the profession's purpose, values, and ethics. In short, practicum serves as a bridge from the classroom to the community and hands-on practice.

MSW students dedicate 900 hours total to practicum over two academic years. This averages approximately 15-20 hours per week throughout the fall and spring semesters. Most students change their practicum site between their first and second year to ensure diverse and challenging learning opportunities. Proactive planning ensures students get the most out of their field experience, and the field education team is available to provide information and support before and throughout the practicum experience. The details of this process are outlined in the MSW Handbook. Students can bring any questions or concerns to the field education team by emailing um.sw.fieldoffice@umontana.edu.

Generalist Year

During the generalist practicum, which involves 450 hours of concurrent placement alongside classroom courses, students can cultivate self-awareness while applying generalist social work knowledge, values, ethics, and practice skills. Practicum also offers a platform for students to enhance their oral and written professional communication and receive educational supervision from an Agency Field Instructor. Students in the generalist practicum will develop the ability to critically assess, implement, and evaluate agency policies to improve the social well-being of the agency's clientele. Generalist practicum placements are comprehensive and encompass various agencies, providing students with exposure to diverse social work roles and functions and opportunities to work with historically underserved populations.

Specialization Year

In the 450-hour specialization year practicum, which runs concurrent to classroom learning, the focus is on achieving the curricular objectives specific to this year and building on the generalist year's practice foundation. Practicum will enable students to acquire advanced knowledge and skills relevant to an integrated practice focusing on trauma-informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive practice, work in rural and Indigenous communities, and develop leadership skills.

The Process of Securing a Practicum

Before entering the generalist practicum, students must complete an MSW Practicum Application using the practicum tracking software Sonia. The application is intended to gather information about students' backgrounds and interests and assess their social work knowledge and skills.

Selecting a Practicum Site

Students do not have to know where they wish to do their practicum experiences when they apply. The first step is for the student to review the list of practicum agencies. Next, they should schedule a meeting with the Director of Field Education. Students must collaborate closely with the field education office and refrain from independently arranging interviews with agencies. Typically, students interview two to three agency supervisors before finalizing their practicum site selection. Following this, students meet again with the Director of Field Education to make a final selection.

The "Steps to Secure a Practicum Checklist" is a comprehensive guide for the practicum process and the necessary forms. Please note that practicum hours cannot be accrued until all the required paperwork is on file.