Each MA student faces the choice of whether to write a thesis or do one of the practicum options. Although it is possible to do both a thesis and a practicum, most students do one or the other. One of the graduate teaching assistants will be available to provdie information on the Practicum and placement opportunities. The practicum provides students with professional level experience in a policy-related organization combined with weekly seminar meetings, readings and written work that integrates theory and practice. The practicum is offered only in the spring semester of each year.
Most students take the practicum in their second year, but some do it earlier.
Timing depends on what works best for the student's interests, needs, and schedule. The WSTU Program gathers information on internship opportunities in a wide range of organizations. Placement arrangements, including an application, interviews, and a contract, are completed in November-December of the preceding fall term. Thus, students who wish to take the practicum in the spring of their first year must decide before the end of their first semester. Professor Deitch and a graduate assistant will provide individualized assistance in finding a placement if the student begins the process by November or earlier.