Practicum Education

The key to success is in practicum.

Community-based practicum training has been an integral part of the social work program at USC since its inception – over 100 years ago. As the first full-time professional social work program in the western United States, we infused practicum work into our curriculum and established a strong, hands-on program. We have never looked back.

Decades later, our students participate in one of the largest networks of practicum education in any school of social work. Our curriculum continues to emphasize the importance of practicum placements in becoming a highly-skilled social worker. Our students benefit from our partnerships with the most active social-service agencies in Los Angeles and the Southern California region. The city is your classroom.

1,200 hours

required practicum training for an MSW at USC

700+

practicum agency partnerships in Los Angeles County/SoCal

My internship was very influential in bridging the gap between my limited understanding of homelessness and the true realities of homelessness.
- Nikita Hearns, MSW ’12 | HUD-VASH Social Worker | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Overview

All of our practicum internships are guided by the Educational Policy and Educational Standards (EPAs) and the Nine Core Competencies of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Through practicum education students apply and integrate the knowledge, theories and concepts of social work practice learned in the curriculum.

To achieve completion of the 1,200 hours of practicum experience required to receive an MSW from USC, internships are a commitment of 16 – 20 hours per week throughout the program. Students are matched with social service agencies, government entities, private organization or nontraditional settings based on career goals, specialization, professional interests and agency needs.

Practicum education is essential for social work training, spanning four semesters and integrating community-based placements, classroom instruction, and simulated client training. The school partners with various community agencies and organizations to offer students practical experience that complements their academic learning. Practicum instructors, who are MSWs from either the agency or the school, supervise and teach the students during their placements. Practicum settings are intended to provide a broad range of experiences that assist in the integration of concepts and enhance workforce. Campus-based students are provided two diverse placements. These placements, located in diverse social service agencies, are chosen for their professional quality, commitment to social justice, and ability to support educational goals.

There are two phases to the online practicum education. You will begin your practicum education with the Virtual Practicum (VFP), which is an online experience that allows you to home in on your practice and gain confidence in a controlled secure environment. The Virtual Practicum is 210 hours – this will take place in the MSW’s intimate virtual classroom. While in a small group session and under the supervision of a USC professor, you will have an opportunity to work with an actor who plays the role of a client in crisis, in real time! This will give you an opportunity to perfect your craft right out of the gate. Once you have established a foundation online, you will complete an in-person, community-based placement that will develop your clinical skills and prepare you to work in a range of settings for a total of 890 hours. By end of the program, you will have completed a total of 1200 hours, 1100 hours during the practicum, and 100 hours during seminar hours.

My practicum placement at an immigration legal service provider allowed me to explore ways in which I could apply our profession’s holistic problem solving approach to improving the access of legal services for immigrants.
- Vanessa Ceceña, MSW ‘13 | Human Rights and Justice Fellow U.S. Immigration and Policy Center | UC San Diego