Host a Practicum

Want to bring energy, enthusiasm, and new perspectives to your workplace while providing valuable hands-on experience for an aspiring information professional? There is no better way than hosting a talented iSchool student for a practicum.

What is practicum? 

iSchool practicum provides an opportunity for students to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a project at your organization. Practicum is available for both MSLIS and    undergraduate students for varying credits. Practicum projects should be planned for approximately 100 hours

Please note: The iSchool permits students engaged in an internship to apply for practicum credit for that internship. Students can receive both credit and wages for a practicum experience.

Host/site supervisor responsibilities

Site supervisors must have a relevant degree or significant relevant experience. 
The supervisor assigns a student with professional or near-professional level work, monitors and evaluates tasks and projects. 

Following completion of the practicum, the supervisor completes an evaluation form (this takes approximately 5-15 minutes) and discusses the evaluation with the student. 
Additional mentoring is encouraged, but not required.

Paid or unpaid?

Research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers has shown that unpaid internships lead to fewer job offers and lower starting salaries. That said, we understand that some government and nonprofit organizations may not be in a position to provide compensation for practicum projects and ask that those projects be especially conscientious about adhering to the 100 hour project limit.  Privately and publicly owned companies are expected to provide compensation to interns and practicum students.

BSIS or BSIS+DS practicum: 3 credits

Practicum topics range from business analytics, data engineering, AI, ML, predictive modeling, product management, software development, database management, and IT operations to website development

MSLIS practicum: 2 credits

MSLIS site supervisors are offered a tuition and fee waiver for enrollment in one of our nondegree classes. Practicum topics focus on topics including academic, pk-12, and public librarianship, instructional design, preservation and archival work, reference services, exhibits and events, museum preservation, community history, collections management, and more. 

Promote your practicum on Handshake

Recruit practicum students through Handshake, our free career services platform. If you don’t have an account, please contact iSchool Careers, we’re happy to help you get started.

Use the word Practicum in the posting title and let us know when you’re ready to promote the opportunity. 

When you’ve found a student and are ready to close the job post, Handshake will archive it for you so you can use it again in the future.

The components that make up a good Practicum posting include: 

• Overview: Description of site and in which semester you are seeking a student
• Potential projects include: Can be specific or more general
• Preferred Qualifications: Can list relevant courses or experiences but not necessary
• Apply through Handshake: The system will ask about your requirements including cover letter, resume, etc. Use Handshake’s built-in tools to receive, organize, respond to, and archive applications.