Practicum, Independent Study, or Thesis Requirements

The practicum is a supervised onsite professional working experience, similar to an internship, and focusing on a particular project which is jointly supervised by a worksite supervisor and the student’s faculty advisor. The practicum requires 225 clock hours in the worksite, which includes “indirect” time such as online research, preparation of materials, and report writing. The practicum provides an introduction to the target work environment, with opportunities for networking and demonstrating qualifications to a prospective employer. The practicum project must be a valuable learning experience for the student, and also be of value to the hosting organization, and the details of the project are negotiated in advance by the faculty advisor, site supervisor, and the graduate student. The student and the faculty advisor first meet together to agree on a worksite and focus for the practicum. They then meet with the onsite supervisor and work out a plan that includes a list of objectives, activities associated with each objective and a plan for evaluation. The evaluation and grade are determined jointly by the onsite supervisor and the faculty advisor, and submitted to the university by the faculty advisor. The student should keep a log of practicum activities. A written report on the experience, responding to the practicum objectives, may or may not be required, as determined by the faculty advisor.

The independent study is most appropriate for the student who will benefit by developing expertise on a particular topic. For example, a student who has begun a consulting practice working with parents of children who are struggling in school may want to develop an in-depth knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorder, including the etiology and diagnosis of the condition, and research on treatments and design of interventions. The student will work out a plan with his or her faculty advisor to complete a synthesis of literature on the topic or other scholarly product driven by an applied purpose.

The thesis provides experience in conducting an empirical investigation, but provides a great deal of flexibility based on students’ interests. The investigation may be qualitative (involving interviews and observation) or quantitative (involving measured variables) or mixed-methods and should address a question of practical importance to the student. One approach is to carry out a study of how a site with established results implements effective practice. In a recent example, a student carried out an observational study of a fourth grade ELA teacher who had achieved remarkable gains in English acquisition with her students. The student will work out a research plan with his or her faculty advisor and produce a written thesis. Additional information about the master’s thesis is available on the master's thesis page.