Course Pre-requisites

The practicum may be undertaken only after completion of the first year of the MLIS program (or for part-time students, after completion of at least 6 core courses).

Note: Students interested in placements in health science, archive or records management settings must fulfill specific requirements. See student FAQs for further detail.

Course goals

The Practicum placement experience enables the student to test and evaluate theories discussed in class, to gain experience in an information setting, to refine specific areas of interest, and to explore areas of particular interest for course specialization and future employment.

Course Requirements

• Attendance at fall Practicum Information Session 
• Submission of Practicum application by the 01 February deadline
• Book and attend a Practicum planning meeting with MLIS Program Coordinator in January
• Successfully complete the work placement
• Timely submission of satisfactory student Practicum report
• Satisfactory report from workplace supervisor
• All course requirements completed by March 15th of the student's graduating year

Learning Objectives

Academic:
The student will apply theory learned in the classroom to their experiences in the field.

Professional:
The student will use their Practicum placement experiences to refine their Information Management goals, and to gain further practical skills and knowledge.

Personal:
The student will gain confidence from their Practicum placement experiences, and increase their network of professional contacts.

Evaluation

Practicum performance will be evaluated based upon successful completion of the abovementioned course requirements. Student performance during the Practicum placement, feedback from the Practicum Supervisor (Supervisor’s Report) and the Student (Practicum Report) are of particular importance.

A Pass or Fail grade is assigned by the MLIS Program Coordinator after the Practicum has been completed and all course requirements have been met. All course requirements must be completed by March 15th of the student's graduating year.   

Practicum Report

The student Practicum Report is due two weeks after the conclusion of the work placement.

The Practicum Report must be 6-10 pages (excluding citations) and must be:

• Double spaced
• 10-point font (Arial) 
• Submitted as an attached file via email using the following naming convention: 
  • Surname1st initial_PracticumReport_yyyy-mm-dd (date of submission) (i.e., WatsonJ_Practicum Report_2011-10-15)
• Contain a cover sheet bearing the student’s name, the Practicum supervisor’s name, the name of the Practicum site and the dates of the placement.

The student must submit an analytical report that is clear and concise, and succinctly covers the following points:

• type of organization, the size and nature of the community it serves 
• resources and services of the organization 
• description of the internal administrative structure of the organization and its relationship with external authorities (e.g.  Board of Governors, Trustees, etc.) 
• particulars of the area of assignment, including if applicable: 
• various services and functions 
• organization of work and personnel 
• relationship to other areas of the system

The student must also: 

• evaluate the elements of the placement, and their own particular assignment; 
• evaluate the relevance of the Practicum to the School's curriculum as a whole 
• reflect upon what was learned during the Practicum experience
• provide a self-assessment of their preparedness for the work placement

Please view the Practicum Guide which pertains to your role:

Student [PDF-118KB]
MLIS Program Coordinator [PDF-68KB]
Placement Supervisor [PDF-85KB]