The Major in Education Sciences and Minor in Education each require 40 hours of practicum that may be satisfied through a research experience in a faculty member's lab or a fieldwork in an educational setting designed for PreK-12 students, college-level students, or adult learners.
The 40 hours may be satisfied through approved coursework taken at UCI with an embedded fieldwork component or through verifiable independent fieldwork.
International students have additional requirements they must complete before beginning their field study. Please see the "Fieldwork FAQs" section for more information on the policies and procedures for international students participating in field study.
*The School of Education is not accepting any in-person fieldwork hours towards their practicum major or minor requirements completed during spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020, winter 2021, or spring 2021 even if arranged independently. All fieldwork during the fall 2020, winter 2021, and spring 2021 quarter must be completed virtually and in accordance with UCI campus COVID-19 policies. Both virtual and in-person fieldwork will be accepted starting in fall quarter 2021.
The 40 hours may be satisfied through approved coursework taken at UCI with an embedded fieldwork component or through verifiable independent fieldwork.
International students have additional requirements they must complete before beginning their field study. Please see the "Fieldwork FAQs" section for more information on the policies and procedures for international students participating in field study.
*The School of Education is not accepting any in-person fieldwork hours towards their practicum major or minor requirements completed during spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020, winter 2021, or spring 2021 even if arranged independently. All fieldwork during the fall 2020, winter 2021, and spring 2021 quarter must be completed virtually and in accordance with UCI campus COVID-19 policies. Both virtual and in-person fieldwork will be accepted starting in fall quarter 2021.
Completing Fieldwork through a Course
The UCI School of Education offers undergraduate courses that include different types of fieldwork or research in preK-12 settings.
If the hours done through a course with embedded fieldwork do not automatically show up on your DegreeWorks, please submit the Fieldwork Verification Form and attach the course syllabus to the form for processing. The syllabus must indicate the amount of required fieldwork hours for the course.
If the hours done through a course with embedded fieldwork do not automatically show up on your DegreeWorks, please submit the Fieldwork Verification Form and attach the course syllabus to the form for processing. The syllabus must indicate the amount of required fieldwork hours for the course.
School of Education Courses Incorporating Field Experience or Research Experience
- ED 100*: Educational Strategies for Tutoring and Teacher Aiding (4 units); 40 hours of field experience
- ED 101: Strategies for tutoring and Teacher Aiding in a Bilingual Classroom (4 units); 40 hours of field experience
- ED 132: Reading and Writing Enrichment for After-School Programs (4 units); 20 hours of field experience
- ED 160*: Practicum in After-School Learning and Inquiry (4 units); 20 hours of field experience
- ED 161: Discovering Science in Out-of-School Hours (4 units); 20 hours of field experience
- ED 191: Advanced Fieldwork in After-School Education (4 units); 50 hours of field experience
- ED 198: Directed Upper-Division Research (2-8 units); number of research hours varies
Courses Offered by Other UCI Departments
- Physical Sciences 5/Biological Sciences 14*: California Teach 1-Introduction to Science and Mathematics Teaching (2 units); up to 2 units may be taken for education minor elective credit; 20 hours of field experience.
- Physical Sciences 105/Biological Sciences 101*: California Teach 2-Middle School Science and Mathematics Teaching (2 units); up to 2 units may be taken for education minor elective credit; 25 hours of field experience.
- Social Science 196*: Global Connect Practicum (2-4 units); up to 4 units may be taken for education minor elective credit; 20 hours of field experience for each 2 units.
- University Studies 192*: The University Experience: A Group Project for Discussion Leaders; up to 4 units may be taken for education minor elective credit; 10 hours of field experience.
*Fieldwork embedded courses from other UCI departments require a fieldwork verification form in order to be applied to your DegreeWorks.
Completing Fieldwork Independently
Students who choose to complete Independent Fieldwork are responsible for finding an appropriate fieldwork site in an educational setting. Students are also responsible for obtaining and submitting all required forms and documentation on or prior to quarterly deadlines.
Steps to complete independent fieldwork verification
- Find a fieldwork site and apply directly
- The fieldwork site must be in an education related setting; private tutoring/lessons, babysitting, observations, and administrative/clerical work will NOT be accepted
- Apply directly with the fieldwork site using their application procedures
- Complete a minimum of 40 hours of fieldwork at the site working directly with students
- Verify completion of hours by submitting Fieldwork Verification Form
- Upload supervisor verification letter through the online form
- The letter should have the following:
- Company letterhead
- Student's full legal name
- Start and end dates of fieldwork
- Total number of fieldwork hours completed
- Contact information of supervisor and organization
- General description of activities and tasks completed
- For specializations, the letter must include the amount of hours that the student completed with the population that the specialization focuses on
- Verify on your DegreeWorks that your hours have been approved. Please allow 2-3 weeks.
- For questions about fieldwork, please contact Zulakha Sheikh (zulakhas@uci.edu)
Using Research Hours to Complete Practicum Requirement
Students have the option of completing 40 hours of education-focused research in a faculty member’s lab or with UCI’s Undergraduate Research and Opportunities Program (UROP) to fulfill their practicum requirement. Students interested in being a Research Assistant for a lab should contact the faculty member of that lab directly. If you are interested in UROP and would like more information on how to get involved, please visit their website https://www.urop.uci.edu/about.html.
How do I find research opportunities?
Please visit our Research Opportunities page for a list of labs under the School of Education. This list will have links to active research labs and contact information if you have questions about the lab.
You can also visit our Faculty Directory page to learn about our Education Professors' expertise and research interests. The Faculty Directory page is a great way to find faculty that share similar research interests as you.
You can also visit our Faculty Directory page to learn about our Education Professors' expertise and research interests. The Faculty Directory page is a great way to find faculty that share similar research interests as you.
How Should I ask a professor if I can be a research assistant in their lab?
Students interested in being a research assistant in an Education lab should speak with the faculty supervisor directly or send them an email. Make sure that you are prepared to talk about relevant coursework, research interests, and academic goals. It is also recommended that you review their publications and research projects.
How Do I verify my Research Hours?
A Fieldwork Verification Form is required to verify your research hours. In place of a letter of verification, you can upload a course syllabus if you are receiving course credit for your research, but it must state the amount of hours that you are completing per unit. If your syllabus doesn’t indicate the amount of required hours, please submit a letter of verification from your lab manager or faculty supervisor.
Field Experience FAQs
is there a deadline for fieldwork?
Fieldwork deadlines only apply to students who are graduating (based off the quarter of the graduation application). i.e. students graduating Fall 2022 would need to submit the verification form no later than Dec. 2nd, 2022.
Fall 2022: December 2nd, 2022 by 5:00pm (Week 10)
Winter 2023: March 17th, 2023 by 5:00pm (Week 10)
Spring 2023: June 9th, 2023 by 5:00pm (Week 10)
Summer 2023: September 11th, 2022 by 5:00pm
Fall 2022: December 2nd, 2022 by 5:00pm (Week 10)
Winter 2023: March 17th, 2023 by 5:00pm (Week 10)
Spring 2023: June 9th, 2023 by 5:00pm (Week 10)
Summer 2023: September 11th, 2022 by 5:00pm
how do i complete the practicum requirement for my specialization?
Fieldwork for specializations can be done through Course fieldwork or Independent fieldwork. The following specializations have specific fieldwork requirements that must be met in order to complete that particular specialization:
Hours for specialization fieldwork will be applied to your DegreeWorks after submitting the Fieldwork Verification Form. This applies to hours done through both course and independent fieldwork. Specialization fieldwork can be completed with fieldwork-embedded courses if the fieldwork hours are being completed with the appropriate population for your specialization.
If you are verifying your fieldwork hours with a course syllabus, it must show that you worked with your specialization's population. If your syllabus does not clearly state which population you worked with, you will be required to submit the fieldwork verification form along with a letter from your site supervisor. Please see the "Completing Fieldwork Independently" section for more information on fieldwork verification letter requirements.
- Early Childhood Learning and Development: 40 hours of fieldwork required in an early childhood education setting (Pre-K).
- Children's Learning and Development: 40 hours of fieldwork required in a children's learning setting (ages 5-12).
- English Language Learning: 40 hours of fieldwork required working directly with English language learners in an educational setting.
- After-School Learning and Development: 70 hours of fieldwork required in an out-of-school setting, which will be satisfied by taking EDUC 160 and EDUC 191.
Hours for specialization fieldwork will be applied to your DegreeWorks after submitting the Fieldwork Verification Form. This applies to hours done through both course and independent fieldwork. Specialization fieldwork can be completed with fieldwork-embedded courses if the fieldwork hours are being completed with the appropriate population for your specialization.
If you are verifying your fieldwork hours with a course syllabus, it must show that you worked with your specialization's population. If your syllabus does not clearly state which population you worked with, you will be required to submit the fieldwork verification form along with a letter from your site supervisor. Please see the "Completing Fieldwork Independently" section for more information on fieldwork verification letter requirements.
will i be notified if my fieldwork hours have been approved or denied?
If your Fieldwork Verification Form was approved, and you have completed the full 40 hours required, your fieldwork hours will be applied on your DegreeWorks 2-3 weeks after submission. You will not receive an email notifying you that your hours were approved.
If your fieldwork hours were denied, you will receive an email notification.
If your fieldwork hours were denied, you will receive an email notification.
i submitted my fieldwork verification form and letter, but my hours have not been applied to my degreeworks. what should I do?
Fieldwork hours are not automatically applied after submitting fieldwork verification. We have one fieldwork counselor reviewing each fieldwork verification form and letter, so you should allow three weeks for your fieldwork to be reviewed and processed.
After three weeks, if your fieldwork hours have not been applied on your DegreeWorks and you have not received an email notifying you that your fieldwork verification form was denied, please feel free to follow up with our Student Affairs Office at educadvising@uci.edu to check on the status of your fieldwork verification form.
Please note that your fieldwork will not be applied to your DegreeWorks until you have verified the FULL 40 hours required for the Education Sciences major or Education minor. If you verify less than 40 fieldwork hours, it will be kept on file until you complete and verify the remaining hours.
After three weeks, if your fieldwork hours have not been applied on your DegreeWorks and you have not received an email notifying you that your fieldwork verification form was denied, please feel free to follow up with our Student Affairs Office at educadvising@uci.edu to check on the status of your fieldwork verification form.
Please note that your fieldwork will not be applied to your DegreeWorks until you have verified the FULL 40 hours required for the Education Sciences major or Education minor. If you verify less than 40 fieldwork hours, it will be kept on file until you complete and verify the remaining hours.
if i am an international student, what policies do i need to follow to complete fieldwork?
If you have a F-1 visa, you are required to have Curricular Practical Training (CPT) approved before starting Course or Independent fieldwork hours. Please note that you must be matriculated at UCI as a full-time student for at least 3 quarters to qualify for CPT. Please visit the UCI International Center’s website for more information on CPT: https://ic.uci.edu/students/currentStudents/employment/curricular-practical-training.php.
After reviewing the CPT policies and presentation, please print and complete the student portion of the CPT Application https://ic.uci.edu/forms/CPTApplication.pdf. You will need to make an appointment with an academic counselor to have your form signed. You must bring your offer letter to your meeting or your CPT form will not be signed.
If you are a J-1 visa student, please speak to an advisor at UCI’s International Center prior to starting your fieldwork requirement.
If you have a visa different than those listed above, please speak to your visa sponsor for policies that you must follow to complete fieldwork.
After reviewing the CPT policies and presentation, please print and complete the student portion of the CPT Application https://ic.uci.edu/forms/CPTApplication.pdf. You will need to make an appointment with an academic counselor to have your form signed. You must bring your offer letter to your meeting or your CPT form will not be signed.
If you are a J-1 visa student, please speak to an advisor at UCI’s International Center prior to starting your fieldwork requirement.
If you have a visa different than those listed above, please speak to your visa sponsor for policies that you must follow to complete fieldwork.
Can i complete fieldwork in another country?
Independent fieldwork completed outside of the United States will be approved on a case-by-case basis. If you are considering completing independent fieldwork in another country, you must have the Student Affairs Office review the fieldwork site prior to starting your hours.
If you are taking an online Education course at UCI during the summer and are considering an international site for the course fieldwork requirement, you will need to ask the instructor for approval prior to the start of the course. The Student Affairs Office will not review international sites for course fieldwork requirements.
If you are taking an online Education course at UCI during the summer and are considering an international site for the course fieldwork requirement, you will need to ask the instructor for approval prior to the start of the course. The Student Affairs Office will not review international sites for course fieldwork requirements.
what happens if i cannot receive proper documentation for my independent fieldwork hours?
Prior to starting at the site, students completing Independent Fieldwork are expected to notify their field site supervisor that a letter of verification will be required to verify their fieldwork hours . If you cannot submit proper documentation to verify your fieldwork, your fieldwork verification form will be denied and the hours will not count towards your practicum requirement.
I worked with students in an educational setting before i matriculated to uci, can i use those hours to complete my fieldwork?
Hours completed before you matriculated to UCI cannot count towards the Education Sciences Major or Education Minor fieldwork requirement. You can begin completing your fieldwork requirement starting the first day of your admitted term (e.g. first day of Fall quarter).
If you are a F-1 visa student, you must matriculated at UCI as a full-time student for at least 3 quarters before applying for CPT and starting your fieldwork requirement.
If you are a F-1 visa student, you must matriculated at UCI as a full-time student for at least 3 quarters before applying for CPT and starting your fieldwork requirement.
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