A practicum or internship can provide students with hands-on experience, and one or both may be required before graduation. When students have access to both types of job training, deciding which to participate in can be difficult because they appear to be similar. However, because an internship is usually overseen by an employer rather than a professor, it may be more demanding than a practicum. Interns are typically expected to perform more tasks on their own than practicum participants, so an internship has a better chance of paying a salary than a practicum. Another distinction between a practicum and an internship is that the latter usually necessitates more time and commitment than the former.
A practicum differs from an internship in that the former typically requires less responsibility. A practicum, for example, is designed to allow students to apply what they’ve learned in college to real-world situations, but it’s usually overseen by professors. This means they may get a firsthand look at how classroom lessons can be applied, but they are rarely given much responsibility. An internship, on the other hand, usually requires students to work in a setting that is very similar to where they would work if they were to get a regular job. Instead of professors, they are usually given more responsibilities and may be supervised and trained by professionals in the workplace.
Because of the distinction between a practicum and an internship, students who choose the latter are frequently compensated. This is because, unlike learning how to do something in a work setting, an internship usually requires students to actually do the work, which benefits both the employer and the student. Students who participate in a practicum, on the other hand, are rarely paid because they do not perform many tasks. Any practicum-related expenses, on the other hand, are usually covered, and some students may receive letters of recommendation if their hard work is recognized by those in charge of this type of learning experience.
Another distinction between a typical practicum and an internship is that the latter typically requires more hours than the former. Internships can be part-time or full-time, and they can last from a few weeks to several months. In most cases, though, internships last for a semester, a school year or a summer break, and students usually have to show up at least a few days a week to get the full benefit of this type of work placement. A practicum, on the other hand, may only take a few hours per week because it is intended to give students a glimpse of what they might be doing after graduation. Students who are deciding between a practicum and an internship may find that they can benefit from both because, once the basics are learned, an internship can follow a practicum.