LIS 672, Practicum (previously LIS 675 Professional Field Experience) enables a student to earn three hours of credit and gain valuable experience in a library or other information-related organization. Any internship a student receives course credit for will be assessed tuition and fees. Please read over the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Course Description

The student assumes entry level professional duties and responsibilities in an operational setting under the close supervision of an information professional (the Placement Supervisor). LIS 672 requires 140 hours of experiential learning and the completion of a multimedia capstone project under the direction of the course instructor (his/her faculty adviser). It may be repeated.

Course prerequisite: Completion of 18 hours of graduate work in library and information science and consent of the course instructor.

LIS 672 requires completing 140 hours of field work and a multimedia capstone project accompanied by a 2-3 page reflective paper about the internship experience during the semester or term in which the student is registered for the course. When considering LIS 672, the student should be certain that, absent a major and unanticipated development, he or she can satisfy these obligations. The Placement Supervisor is not able to grant an extension of time; only the course instructor can do that. A grade of "incomplete" ("I") is rarely awarded in this course. The consequence of not completing the 140 hours and the capstone project by the end of the semester or term is serious, very likely an "E" grade.

The packet of materials for LIS 672 contains a 2-page learning contract and a 3-page evaluation form. Students cannot register for this course online, nor is the student permitted to register for it until the course instructor has approved the learning contract. After the contract has been approved, the course instructor will inform Student Affairs who will then enroll the student in the course. The Placement Supervisor, who supervises the student's work, completes the evaluation form at the end of the semester.

Upon approval, there will be two dates at the bottom of the second page of the learning contract: the date that the placement supervisor's evaluation is due, and the date that the student capstone project is due. The evaluation is always due on the last day of the semester or term.

You may download a copy of the LIS 672 Learning Contract here.