About Practicum

About Practicum at Menno Simons College

The Menno Simons College (MSC) Practicum is a supervised work experience in a setting related to international development or conflict resolution. The practicum placement is an opportunity to build your professional network and gain experience related to your studies in a field in which you want to work. The practicum is also intended to help you evaluate career directions and plans for the future. The majority of practicum placements are with nonprofit organizations that do not offer stipends or honorariums. 

Some students complete their practicum in Winnipeg, while others seek placements around the world. A local 3-credit hours placement is approximately 80 hours of 'on-site' work over the span of one or two semesters. An international placement is a minimum of three months in another country.

All students will integrate theory with practise through seminar participation and academic assignments. The final grade of pass or fail is based on two aspects:

  1. the evaluation of the site supervisor
  2. academic assignments
 

Academic Credit

Upon successful completion of the practicum placement, students receive academic credit towards a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies or Conflict Resolution Studies. Students may receive either three or six credit hours upon successful completion of their local practicum. In the case of an international placement, students are eligible to receive six credit hours for a three-month placement.

 

Eligibility and Prerequisites

A practicum is required for a four-year major in International Development Studies and a four-year major in Conflict Resolution Studies. Students completing a three-year major in International Development Studies or Conflict Resolution Studies have the option of participating in practicum. In order to register for a practicum, students are required to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 and must have completed the following courses:

Prerequisites for CRS Practicum

  • CRS-1200(6) Introduction to Conflict Resolution Studies
  • CRS-2210(3) Conflict Theory & Analysis
  • CRS-2211(1.5) Coaching Skills Workshop
  • CRS-3220(3) Models for Conflict Transformation
  • CRS-3221(1.5) Mediation Skills Workshop

Prerequisites for IDS Practicum

  • IDS-1100(6) Introduction to International Development Studies
  • IDS-2110(3) Participatory Local Development
  • An additional 6 Credit Hours of IDS Core Courses
 

Where Do I Start?

  1. Consult with the MSC Academic Advisor to ensure that you have the prerequisites needed to apply for a practicum.
  2. Review practicum information on the MSC practicum pages.
  3. Fill out the intake survey, after which the MSC Director of Practicum will contact you to set up an initial meeting. To access the intake survey, please log into your University of Winnipeg Microsoft 365 (M365) account.  

What's Next?

After meeting with the Director of Practicum, you will follow up with tasks discussed in the meeting. This includes self-reflection about what you hope to get out of the practicum and the kind of work you are interested in doing, as well as researching and contacting potential placement organizations. Once you have found a site supervisor and organization willing to host you, submit the appropriate—local or international—application form. After the application is approved by the Director of Practicum, they will process the permission waiver for you to register for the course. You may also be interested in reviewing a draft outline for a local practicum course. 

Timeline for Practicum

We encourage you to meet with the Director of Practicum three months before the term in which you wish to start a local practicum. For an international practicum, meet with the Director of Practicum at least eight months before the start of the semester in which you would like to travel. 

If you are having difficulty finding a placement, the Director of Practicum can provide you with some organizations and identify people to contact. Ultimately, it is the student's responsibility to find a suitable placement. 

Local Application Deadlines

  • Fall practicum applications: submit by August 25
  • Winter practicum applications: submit by December 10
  • Spring practicum applications: submit by April 10 
 

Local Placements

 

International Placements

 

For more practicum opportunities, including local placements and international placements, contact the MSC Practicum Director. 

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