Practicum Placements FAQs

There are an extremely limited number of fully virtual practicum placements. While we are seeing a growing number of agencies that offer virtual and/or hybrid options, the overall number of this type of placement is limited. Additionally, virtual/hybrid practicum placements may not be appropriate for all types of social work practice and there may be […]

While there are some social work practicum placements that may offer a stipend or compensation to students, many placements are unpaid. Paid practicum placements in social work are relatively rare and many of the placements that do provide payment are highly competitive. Because the decision to provide payment to interns is determined by the agency, […]

Students who are already employed in eligible social work based organizations may apply for an employment-based practicum placement. If approved, this allows them to complete their practicum placement at their employer. For more information about employment-based placements, visit our page about Employment-Based Practicum Placements. Additionally, students should refer to the employment-based practicum placement policy in […]

Students do not have to attend practicum placement during school holidays, days the university is closed for “inclement weather”, or school breaks, however, if typical practicum hours are missed for these days, students will likely be required to make up that time. Further details on this will be communicated by the Practicum Office. One exception […]

All students are supervised either by a Practicum Instructor or Task Supervisor at their practicum placement site. A Practicum Instructor is a social worker that has an MSW and 2+ years of post-graduation experience. BSW students may also be supervised by someone with a BSW and 2+ years of experience. If there is not someone […]

Students must complete approximately sixteen (16) hours of practicum placement per week. Students must earn 225 hours each semester (450 hours per year) to meet the Practicum Education requirements. The UNC Charlotte School of Social Work is an accredited program with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and practicum hour expectations are based on […]

The location of your practicum placement site will depend on a variety of factors, including which partner agencies are accepting students for placements, the availability of agencies in your area, your areas/populations of interest, and other factors. For students residing in Charlotte/Mecklenburg County or the immediate surrounding areas, we have a large number of partner […]

Many, but not all practicum placements require an interview. Some agencies have formal interview processes and some are more casual. 

There are many agencies that require advanced practice skills more appropriate to an MSW. These agencies have specifically indicated that they will only accept MSW students or even, only Specialist-year MSW students. One factor that is often considered by both the Practicum Office and the agency is whether the student would gain knowledge, values, and […]

BSW students and generalist MSW students (first-year of practicum for MSW students) have the opportunity to express their interests in areas of social work and populations they are interested in working with, but do not get to choose a specific placement site. Placements within specific areas of social work and/or with specific populations are not […]