Getting started

Note: Seniors have two options for completing capstone requirements. One is the more individualized, one-on-one with a faculty member, focused either on social welfare/work (usually those considering a career or job in social welfare choose this) or research (those not pursuing a social welfare career, or considering graduate school where research will be emphasized choose this option). We now offer a theme-based course at least once per year (currently it’s Soc 410, but that number may change). The theme changes depending on the areas of specialty of the faculty member teaching it, so inquire. What follows are the guidelines for the individualized Soc 403 capstone (social welfare emphasis). 

Advising – Soc 403 prerequisites:

1. Soc 315 (you can be taking it in the Fall);
2. Soc 327 (offered once on campus and once online each academic year)
3. Admission to the Anth/Soc program;
4. Senior standing or permission;
5. Prerequisite(s):
   1. Students taking the Soc research-based component of the concentration must take Soc 455;
   2. Students taking the Soc Welfare component must take Soc 420

You should schedule in advance–that is, before the term in which you have registered for 403—a time to sit down and discuss practicum placement, the different possibilities, and your learning and professional interests, before the start of the term in which you want to register for practicum credit. You can contact possible sites based on your interests and our discussion, and I’ll give you contact information so you can schedule an interview. It’s important that you let me know what you’re doing, who you’re planning to contact–keep in touch.

In addition, there is some lead-in work to designing a research project. The project is modest, as most of the hours for the social welfare version of 403 come from fieldwork. The research can be based somewhat on a student’s learning objectives. We’re simply formalizing and systematizing what was prior to this year a less formal means of learning in the field. In fact, the journal-writing now becomes a component of data collection, so in some ways there are economies to be had by incorporating a research component.

When can you take 403 credits?

Any term during your senior year. You must take the 403 as a 5-credit course. Some social welfare providers in town will ask you to make a multi-term commitment. We can offer additional practicum experience beyond the 5-credit 403 through Soc 407 (ask us about that). More credits make sense if you’re having a good experience–many of our students have graduated and been hired by the agencies where they were doing their capstones. Even if that doesn’t happen, this is an important part of the program, in terms of professional socialization, in terms of using observation skills and note-taking to glean sociological insight, and in terms of building a network of contacts and professionals, some of whom could provide you with letters of reference when you’re searching for work.

Before you start

You have several things to do prior to beginning your practicum. Here’s a basic calendar of tasks:

How many credit hours?

You need a minimum of five for the program, and 403 is only offered as a five-credit course. For each hour of practicum credit you sign up for, you should expect to work about 30 hours over the course of the term. That means for 2 credits, you would need to average about 6 hours per week (60 hours over the term), for 5 credits, about 15 hours per week, for a total of 150. So over a 10-week period, here’s the breakdown:

1 credit:     30 hours
2 credits:   60 hours
3 credits:   90 hours
4 credits: 120 hours
5 credits: 150 hours

This time includes keeping your journal, organizing and writing up your reflection paper at the end (although I wouldn’t expect that would be more than 3 hrs per week). The research component should comprise somewhere around 30% of these credits (which would be around 45 hours of work out of 150 total in a term).