Undergraduate Practicum

Undergraduate Practicum in Psychology

Each April, the Department starts accepting applications for the upcoming Fall and Winter terms. Please note enrolment is limited.

Make valuable contacts
Contribute to the community

Cultivate professional skills
Engage outside the classroom

Our practicum course offers students an opportunity to gain professional work experience in an area related to their program. Throughout the practicum, students are guided by both an academic instructor and a workplace supervisor, helping them develop critical skills, solve complex problems, and gain valuable insights into their chosen profession.

How do I participate?

Must achieve at least 3rd-year standing in Psychology
Must achieve a Major CGPA of 7.0 or higher
Submit an application to the Department of Psychology
Application can be found here.

What should students know?

Forms to fill BEFORE placement:

Forms to fill at the END of your placement:

For questions pertaining to PSYC 3901/3902 Practicum in Psychology, please contact the Department of Psychology at practicumpsychology@cunet.carleton.ca Please note students may only participate in one Practicum throughout their degree.

What’s it like to complete a Practicum?

Honours student Sasha Gunpat recently completed a practicum with the Centre for Healthy Active Living (CHAL) at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. CHAL seeks to improve the health and quality of life of children with weight-related health complications and support them and their families in achieving a healthy active lifestyle.

Sasha Gunboat — **Sasha Gunpat presenting at the Practicum in Community Psychology Conference (PRACTICON)**

Sasha notes, “I was lucky enough to work with a fantastic health team that is entirely dedicated towards the well-being of children, youth, and their families. I learned so much about research guidelines, patient-provider interactions, and how to collaborate effectively as part of a team.” For Sasha, a practicum provided “some exposure into the mental health field and solidified that this is the right path for me.” She also appreciated the opportunity to make “a positive difference in the lives of children and their families.” Congratulations to Sasha and the many other psychology students doing exceptional work in our community.

Honours student Dhruv Vallath recently completed a practicum with GentleWays for OurPlanet, an Environmental NGO. GentleWays seeks to inspire individuals to make a positive environmental impact and leave a gentler footprint on the planet by using useful tools, concrete initiatives, and trustworthy information about climate action.

Dhruv “had the wonderful opportunity to work with an Environmental NGO that was focused upon ecological sustainability and conservation.” He learned how to use “the tools and resources of the psychological sciences […] to save the environment” as well as “skills that would help him progress in the career path he chose to excel in.”

Learn more about Allison’s experience completing the Practicum in Psychology, where she was able to gain experience in an applied setting and incorporate her academic studies.

What should employers know?

Practicum students are highly motivated to gain experience and make a meaningful contribution to your agency. All have achieved the advanced level of their program. Our students also present:

A depth and breadth of knowledge in psychology.
An ability to understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
Informational and technological literacy.
Effective communication skills.
An understanding of scientific integrity.
A genuine desire to understand and improve the circumstances of others.
Sociocultural awareness.

A sampling of participating agencies includes:

The Ottawa-�Ӱ�ԭ�� District School Board
Correctional Service Canada
RCMP – Operational Research Unit
CHEO’s Centre for Healthy Active Living
Vista Brain Injury Services, and many more