At the mandatory practicum Placement Fair held in February of your first year, you will have opportunities to meet with agency representatives and listen to panel discussions from instructors who teach in the four method specialization areas and seven fields of practice. Thereafter, you may schedule one-on-one meetings with practicum Department staff to discuss your interest areas and possible placements in those areas. You will also have access, online and in hard copy, to a Placement Planning book, which provides instructions regarding placement selection, an overview of the various methods and fields of practice, and an annotated list of placement sites. Approximately one month following the fair, you will be asked to submit a form listing your top six placement choices. Most students receive one of their choices. (In rare cases, practicum Department staff may develop a new placement they think would be a great fit for a particular student, but they will approach the student first before moving forward.) NOTE: One of the best sources of information about your second-year placement are students who are now completing their second year. Opportunities will be provided for you to reach out to them as well during the selection process.

Please reach out to your advisor or the Office of Advising (send an e-mail to swadvising@columbia.edu). Your e-mail should detail your questions and concerns.

Your advisor and the Office of Advising want to help you and address any practicum-related concerns you may have, so please reach out to them. All CSSW staff are here to assist and support your learning. We are committed to providing you the best education possible.

For help with additional questions about field-related matters, please contact the Office of Practicum Learning at:
E-mail: swfield_education@columbia.edu
Telephone: 212-851-2307
See also: Practicum Learning staff list