The Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation levies a $200.00 per student per placement administration fee for students enrolled in RLS 449 and KIN 491/493 (Full-Time Practicums). A $100.00 fee is levied for students enrolled in KIN 490/492 (Half-Time Practicum). The fee is collected from the agency and is payable when the student begins his/her practicum. An invoice is mailed to the agency at the commencement of the student’s placement.

The only exception is with health care institutions/clinics who have current Affiliation Agreements with the University of Alberta. Check with the Practicum Supervisor/Instructor for clarification.

In some cases, not for profit agencies may apply for a fee waiver. Check with the Practicum Supervisor/Instructor for more details.

It is possible for a student to locate his/her own practicum placement however the one condition is that the placement being requested is not regularly offered to U of A Practicum students. If that is the case, then the position is open for competition. In those cases where it is a new placement and a placement is being developed for that person, he/she would not go through the interview process. However sufficient time must be available for the Practicum Supervisor/Instructor to be in contact with the potential agency supervisor to ensure that he/she has an understanding of the Professional Practicum Program. It sometimes takes up to 12 months to arrange placements with new agencies. International placements may take longer than 12 months to arrange and procure appropriate visas. Students wanting placements outside of Alberta (including international placements) must normally have a minimum GPA of B- (2.7/4.0).

A student's placement must also meet the criteria that it complements his/her previous experience and it is compatible with his/her pattern or concentration.

The student must also inform the agency of the administration fee and/or fee waiver requirements. Normally the administration fee is waived for international placements. 

All students who have arranged an approved international experience must provide the following documentation to Practicum Instructor/Supervisor prior to departure:

• Passport

• Extended Medical insurance coverage, including emergency medical evacuation

• Visa (from host country) if required

• Emergency contact information (e.g. Parents)

• Security Clearance Check (if required)

• Proof of Vaccinations

• Letter of Acceptance from the Sponsoring Agency

• Detailed position description from the Sponsoring Agency

• Travel Itinerary (departure return dates, flight numbers, etc.)

• Signed U of A Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims, Assumption of Risks and Indemnity Agreement (available from Practicum Instructor)

• Copy of your Confirmation that you are Registered with Consular Affairs, Government of Canada (Bon Voyage Canada -http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/publications/bon-voyage-but )

• Produce confirmation that you attended a Pre-Departure Orientation – International Education Abroad Session– check the event calendar for

Your learning objectives are submitted to the Practicum Supervisor for review and discussion before any practicum positions are available for review by the student. There are a few positions which are highly desirable and many students may want these positions. If all things are equal and only one position is available, it will be filled by the student whose learning objectives best fits the position description.

It is imperative that you complete all of your interviews and complete your rankings of agencies. Failure to do so by the deadline outlined for each term, may affect the student's selection of a desired placement. 

Many factors affect your final placement however the most important ones are the compatibility of your learning objectives to the placement experience, your interview skills, and the degree to which you were prepared for the interview.

Students will review the posted positions on the practicum website and identity their top choices. Students will then meet with the Practicum Supervisor/Instructor with their cover letter, resume and learning objectives (Meeting #2). At this meeting the top choices will be narrowed down to 2-3 interviews based upon previous experience, patterns of concentration, perquisites, and personal learning objectives.

All students in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation who require a Security Clearance Check, for the purposes of the Professional Practicum, are personally responsible for contacting the appropriate police agency (Edmonton Police Services; RCMP; etc), completing their application form and paying the required fee (approximately $30). Depending upon the time of year, it may take a couple of weeks to a month (or longer) for security checks to be completed.

This process must be completed by the student prior to the commencement of the Professional Practicum. In some cases confirmation of acceptance of the student by the agency will be dependent upon the submission of a completed Security Check.

Under certain circumstances the student’s security check will be returned with a “NOT CLEAR”. If this is the case, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the police agency to have this resolved. There is no reason to panic, as in some cases the security check was not able to proceed because identification was unclear and further documentation is required.

If the “Not Clear” is a result of a previous criminal record, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the agency and provide whatever details he/she wishes to share. In some cases, the agency may accept the student regardless of the previous record, but in some cases the student’s placement may not proceed. The decision is up to the agency and the policies it has in place with which to deal with such matters. Students unplaced as a result may have to accept a placement that is not their first preference. The Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation will do its best to procure an appropriate placement for the student under those circumstances

All of the forms are on-line on the practicum website. You will complete your rankings of agencies on-line.

In a few cases some students will not be placed after the first round of interviews for a variety of reasons. You may have received a low ranking on all of your interviews and/or you were not satisfied with the interviews and/or you gave an agency a lower ranking. In any case, you will revisit the available positions and select more for another round of interviews.

Should this occur, meet with the Practicum Supervisor to discuss other alternatives. You will likely set up more interviews.

In a few instances this may be appropriate however you should take some time after all of your interviews to make your decision.

Review your learning objectives and give the highest ranking to those positions which would meet these criteria. As well, determine which positions provide a broad experience and complement your previous experience. Consult with the Practicum Supervisor for advice at any time.

The purpose is to explain the practicum website, go through the placement process, answer students' questions, and to provide helpful information on application preparation and interview tips.

Career Centre provides career counselling, advertises employment positions available and maintains a job bank. Students are strongly advised to take advantage of the resume-writing and interview

Please click here for list of sample practicums.

The majority of students are placed in the Edmonton metropolitan area however the Faculty will place students on a continuing basis in the Edmonton/Red Deer/Calgary corridor if the numbers of students warrant it.

Students going out of province or abroad are responsible for all costs associated with passports, visas, other related travel documents, health care, vaccinations, course registration fees, exchange student documentation, charges associated with long distance phone calls and faxes, etc. Students are also expected to have reliable access to e-mail to enhance communication.

Request the detailed policy from Practicum Supervisor.

In some cases students may be screened out of an interview by the potential agency supervisor because of the high number of students requesting interviews. The criteria used includes previous experience, appropriateness of personal learning objectives, pattern/route of concentration, attainment of professional certifications, courses completed, and career goals.

It has been suggested to the potential agency supervisor(s) that practicum interviews resemble, as closely as possible, employment interviews. Students should be well prepared for each interview.

Preparation may include a combination of the following:

- visit the Career Centre's website for information and tips on resumes' and interview techniques;
- research the agency - understand fully the position being offered and research initiatives and priorities of the agency;
- speak with previous practicum students who were placed with that agency;
- speak to the practicum student presently completing a practicum with that agency.

It is important for students to keep in mind that there is some degree of competition for highly desirable positions. The onus is on the student to prepare for each interview.