HPM PRACTICUM
Guiding Questions
Host Organization
- Describe organization – legal classification(s): size/scope; core business(s)/activities; markets; customers/funders/users*
- Attach an organization chart and summary financial report
- Competitive situations – where does organization stand in its relevant sector/industry/market/field?
- Include relevant comparative data on field or market structure in relation to other providers of comparable services
- Resources – what are organization’s principal strengths and weaknesses?
- Describe basis of assessment
- Strategy – what is the current strategy of the organization
Practicum Position
- Identify the unit, project, grant, or part of the organization to which you were assigned
- Provide unit mission, structure budget, performance measures
- Define your role or position – place; reporting line
- What were your major duties or responsibilities?
- Provide job or position description
- Were you assigned to a specific project or task? Describe.
Practicum Assignment
- What were the primary results or outputs of your project or your position? Discuss in detail and give specific examples of content (research results, management decisions, actions, etc.).
- To whom were the results of your efforts reported and what use was made of them? Give examples.
Curriculum Connections
- How, and in what ways did your Practicum position/experience relate to your academic program?
- Applicable concepts, theories, research findings
- Provide specific examples of analytical tools and techniques, models, and so on used in your work
- Connections to specific course
Personal Development
- How has your Practicum experience affected your professional development?
- How has your experience affected your interest in your Practicum organization and in other organizations in similar or different situations and sectors/industries?
- How has or is your experience affecting your career choices and issues?
- How has your experience affected your personal development?
* If your practicum is in a research department or unit or other research site, take “organization” to mean that unit and not the larger parent organization (e.g. the University); assume that “competition” refers to securing grants or other funding.
