Global Practicum Program Expands to Sydney
Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy is taking experiential education to Sydney, Australia, beginning in January 2025.
The third and newest Global Practicum Abroad offering, which allows students to complete their practicum and global engagement requirements at the same time, is a custom collaboration between the School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern’s Global Learning Office, and CEA CAPA Education Abroad.
Registration for the Sydney program—which is open to both second- and third-year students—closes Sept. 28, 2024. In addition to Sydney, School of Education and Social policy practicum students (juniors only) can also complete their practicum and study abroad in Milan, Italy; and Dublin, Ireland.
An information session will be held at 2 pm. Wednesday, Sept. 18 in the Student Affairs Office in Annenberg Hall or via Zoom. It will feature Mindy Douthit, assistant professor of instructor and faculty director of the SESP practicum; and Funmi Ojikutu, associate director of academic advising.
The practicum goes abroad
The School of Education and Social Policy’s much-loved practicum—a quarter long off-campus internship coupled with an academic seminar—has jump-started the careers of countless alumni.
In 2020, a remote option was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the School launched the IES Abroad’s Internships Milan program, followed by Ireland in 2024.
More than 40 percent of SESP students have historically studied abroad, learning from an immersive experience in another academic and social culture. Since 2019, with the exception of a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, SESP undergraduates have been required to fulfill a global engagement requirement by either studying abroad or completing one year of college level foreign language or equivalent.
“It gives our students an additional way to fulfill this experiential education requirement, beyond just a normal internship experience,” Douthit said.
For the domestic practicum, most students find their own placements and are paid, depending on the site. The students who complete their practicum in Milan, Dublin, or Sydney are matched to employers by the provider and often not paid.
Reflection and seminar discussions are important parts of the program, Douthit said. “We want students to think about the practicum more as a place for personal discovery rather than a strategic way to get a future job."
For more information, including cost and fees, contact Funmilayo Ojikutu, associate director of academic advising and experiential learning.