At UK, students are empowered to lead their practicum search. You will find and select your practicum agency through Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC), which includes a nationwide list of approved agencies. Students must purchase a license and register to explore options or suggest new agencies.
Experiential Education
LEARNING THAT MOVES YOU FORWARD.
Turn what you learn into what you do.
Experiential education helps you build the skills, confidence and connections to take the next step in your career through hands-on opportunities across communities, agencies and organizations.
Agency Partners | Army-UK | BASW | MSW
+3,000
Practicum Education Partners
Across the United States
Social Work Practicum Education
Experience one of the nation’s most expansive practicum networks—with placements in every U.S. state and opportunities that extend across the globe.
Practicum education places you in real-world settings where you apply core competencies under the guidance of experienced professionals. Students gain experience across diverse fields, from clinical and school social work to policy, healthcare, and community practice.
We use Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC) to streamline the practicum process. Through ELC, you can explore approved agencies, manage placement requirements, complete documentation, and track your progress—all in one centralized platform. ELC is available through the student services suite (Canvas).
Undergraduate Practicum: Find Your Starting Point
Take your first step into the field through hands-on experiences at more than 3,000 sites nationwide—building the skills, confidence and direction to shape your future in social work.
Students taking a BASW practicum course (SW 444 & SW 445) must demonstrate Foundation-level skill competencies and complete 200 hours of practicum engagement in each course. Seminar classes and related learning experiences count toward their overall practicum requirements.
Students will establish a learning plan and be assessed at midterm and final points, and will spend approximately 14 hours each week in their agencies depending on the length of the semester.
All students preparing for practicum will receive advising and should purchase a user license, register in Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC), and begin contacting agencies 4–6 months before their planned practicum semester. Students drive the process and are responsible for arranging interviews and purchasing ELC.
Experiential Learning Cloud (formerly Tevera) is referred to as ELC. ELC is a secure online practicum management system used to manage placements and processes. Students can purchase ELC through their Canvas account ($195 + tax) or the UK Bookstore ($270 + tax). It’s a one-time purchase used for all practicum courses and activities.
Graduate Practicum: Advance Your Practice
Graduate practicum education is where your knowledge evolves into advanced, specialized practice. As an MSW student, you’ll build on foundational skills and engage in deeper, more complex work with individuals, families, and communities.
Depending on your program track, your practicum experience will vary. Regular-standing students complete both Foundation and Advanced placements, while Advanced-Standing students enter directly into Advanced-level practicum. These experiences are designed to strengthen your clinical judgment, leadership, and ability to navigate complex systems of care.
Regular-Standing students enter without a recent social work degree and complete both Foundation and Advanced practicum in a 60-hour program. Advanced-Standing students hold a recent BSW and enter directly into Advanced-level practicum, completing a 30-hour program.
Regular-Standing students complete three practicum courses with 300 hours each (900 total). Advanced-Standing students complete two Advanced-level practicum courses with 250 hours each (500 total). These requirements are set by the Council on Social Work Education.
MSW students receive weekly supervision from a Practicum Instructor with an MSW and at least two years of experience. If unavailable, a Task Supervisor may oversee daily work while an External Practicum Instructor provides required educational supervision.
Army-UK MSW Practicum Education
Students in the Army–UK MSW program at Fort Sam Houston complete practicum hours tailored specifically to military social work practice. These placements are designed to build the skills needed to support active-duty service members, veterans, and military families—preparing graduates for meaningful work in high-demand, mission-driven settings.
Employer Hosted Placement FAQ
An employer-hosted placement allows you to complete your practicum at your current workplace, using your role to build social work competencies through structured, learning-focused activities that may overlap with your work hours.
Your agency must have a partnership agreement with CoSW, and you must have a qualified Practicum Instructor who meets supervision criteria. You’ll also need to demonstrate how your practicum experience differs from your regular job duties.
You must complete the employer-hosted placement application in Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC), including your job description, proposed practicum activities tied to competencies, and your supervision plan.
Join the University of Kentucky College of Social Work practicum network and help shape the next generation of social workers.
Our partners play a critical role in preparing students through real-world learning, mentorship and meaningful community impact. Becoming a practicum site is a simple, two step process:
STEP ONE: All agencies that host University of Kentucky College of Social Work student interns must have a legal agreement on file with UK. This agreement outlines each parties’ responsibilities and ensures all students are covered by professional liability insurance while enrolled in practicum. A sample agreement is found below.
STEP TWO: Once the legal component is resolved, agencies will need to complete a practicum profile form. This profile provides necessary information to determine if the proposed site meets expectations for an appropriate social work practicum experience and helps students understand what opportunities are available at the agency.
Complete Practicum Profile Form
Have questions about your partnership agreement?
Our practicum team is here to help. You can reach us at coswpracticum@uky.edu.
“Our practicum partners are essential to everything we do—they don’t just host our students, they help shape the future of social work. When you partner with UK, you’re investing in talent, strengthening communities and joining a network committed to meaningful, real-world impact.”