Field Practicum

The Field Practicum experience at Vanguard University provides the junior or senior psychology major with applied field settings and opportunities for “hands-on” learning. Field Practicum was designed to provide those students hoping to enter human services professions with opportunities for applied learning in which they can relate “academic” knowledge to real-life situations.

Students select an agency (such as one from the following list) where they volunteer a minimum stipulated number of hours per week or semester. In turn, the agency provides “on-location” training and monitors the student’s progress in executing assignments, interactions, and exposure to the profession itself.

IMPORTANT: The student who is considering enrolling in Field Practicum should first contact the coordinating professor, Dr. Julie Howard, at jhoward@vanguard.edu. Ideally, this contact would take place the semester prior to the anticipated enrollment in Field Practicum. In order to complete the required number of practicum hours, it is strongly recommended that students secure a practicum site prior to the first class session. Those students who do not obtain practicum placements within the first two weeks of the class have a difficult time completing hours. To illustrate the difficulty of completing hours, pretend that you are a student taking the course for 4 units of credit and you must complete 125 hours of practicum to receive a grade. In order to complete those hours, you must obtain approximately 8.5 hours of practicum experience a week for 15 weeks. If you do not secure a site until week 5 of the semester, you must complete 12.5 weekly hours. At first glance this may not seem significant, but if you consider that most students are taking a full course load and working, and many have outside obligations to family, finding an extra 4 hours per week can be difficult.

Suggestions for Obtaining a Site:

1. To be paid or not to be paid, that is the first question:

As a Christian University committed to service, and civic responsibility, the faculty hope to inspire students to fulfill their hours in a volunteer capacity. Volunteering has many benefits including offering you the chance to give to others, which increases, passion for life, gratitude, humility, charity, sense of purpose and meaning, a sense of connection to others and the wider community, and empathy to name a few of the benefits. The psychology faculty members are also aware of the economic realities of living in Southern California and attending a private university. Being a steward of one’s time and resources is also an important skill to develop and it is up to you to decide whether you can afford to volunteer at this point. Your grade is not dependent on volunteering. If you do need to be paid you are faced with fewer options, however. Most students needing pay work in group homes, after-school programs, or nursery schools, though you are not limited by this list. Use your creativity.

2. What is your passion?

Though we have some suggestions for practicum placements on this site, you are not limited to these. About what or whom are you passionate? Do you want to work with abused women? Do you want to work with animals in therapy? Are you more interested in the elderly or are you more interested in young children, adolescents, or families? Figure out your areas of interest.

3. What sites match your passions?

Search this site, talk to former field practicum students and search the practicum books available in the social sciences building. You can also contact the Volunteer Center for Orange County (714) 953-5757 for more opportunities.

4. Be creative.

Many hospitals and agencies have volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in a particular site call the main number and ask for the volunteer coordinator.

5. Pray.

Ask for God’s guidance in choosing a site. He knows the skills and talents that you have to offer and He knows what skills you need to develop.

6. Note.

Any site that you choose should provide you with a supervisor, someone who will provide you with training, guidance, and who will support class assignments.

The Realities of Field Placement:

One of the frustrations of Field Practicum students and supporting VU faculty members is that students of today receive little training and supervision by their sites of choice. Due to the economic realities of the current system, many sites and supervisors are overwhelmed by too many clients, too much paperwork, and not enough time and support, meaning that you the Field Practicum student may be asked to take on responsibilities for which you have not been trained and are not being properly supported Though many students enjoy the autonomy afforded by the current system, the realities of being responsible for 6 severely emotionally disturbed children, for example, can be overwhelming without good support and training. The supporting faculty is aware of these concerns and is addressing them in the Field Practicum class.