HDE Practicum

HDE Practicum

The Human Development major requires completion of one 4 unit HDE practicum course prior to graduating. Each of the four offered practicums (HDE 140, 141, 142 and 143) study different age groups from infancy to older adulthood and are offered throughout the regular academic year in fall, winter and spring (never offered in summer).  All practicums require weekly participation in an on-campus classroom discussion and fieldwork hours at an approved site relevant to the practicum's age group and population.  

Practicum course registration does not begin in Schedule Builder like other classes, but instead begins with students submitting the quarter's Google Form to REQUEST placement in the next quarter's practicum.  Students are strongly encouraged to register at Pass 1 for a placeholder class they can take if not placed in a practicum.

Click on quarters below to view practicum offerings and Google Form links. Request placement in a practicum by submitting your Google Form responses at 8am the Wednesday prior to the start of Pass 1 for the quarter you wish to take a practicum.  

Quarter                Google Form Submission Dates Wednesday at 8am
Fall 2025:               4/30/25   

Winter 2026:        10/29/25   

Spring 2026:         1/28/26   

Fall 2026:              5/6/26


Detailed instructions and links are emailed to the HDE listserv approximately 1-2 weeks and again one week prior to the start of Pass 1, and included in weekly newsletters.  If you are a declared HDE major but are not receiving these emails, contact our Advising Center ASAP by emailing hcdadvising@ucdavis.edu or call (530) 752-1805.   

Read all general information below to learn details about all practicums.

HDE Practicum Timeline

Practicum Courses 

  • HDE 140 Practicum - "Field Study in Early Childhood"

  • This is a variable 4-6 unit, in-person, letter graded course consisting of a 2 hour weekly discussion/lecture and a minimum of 7 hours of weekly on-campus in-person fieldwork with infants, toddlers and preschool children in the UC Davis Center for Children & Family Studies (CCFS) Early Childhood Lab School (ECLS) or in a transitional kindergarten classroom in Davis.   View the ECLS website for more details, including required background check, vaccines, safety precautions and location.  View and follow the ECLS on Instagram.  HDE 140 is offered each academic quarter in fall, winter and spring. Prerequisite class is HDE 100A, which can be taken concurrently.  Must pass background check.  Attendance and participation required in all discussions/lectures and scheduled lab/fieldwork shifts.

    HDE 140 has three section options:  All discussions and most fieldwork/labs are located at UC Davis.  For fieldwork located at CCFS's Early Childhood Lab School (ECLS), address is 238 1st St., Davis.  Fieldwork for TK is in a local Davis elementary school TBD.  Fieldwork times below represent 4 unit practicums; optional 5 and 6 unit practicums require approximately 3-4 additional fieldwork hours per week per additional unit.

    Section 001 Infant/Toddler:
        Disc/Lec:   R 1:10-3:00P @ CCFS/ECLS
        Fieldwork Options @ ECLS: MW or TR (AM) 8:15A -11:45A 
    Section 002 Preschool (PK) and Transitional Kindergarten (TK): 
        Disc/Lec:   R 4:10-6:00P  @ TBD on campus
        PK Fieldwork Options @ ECLS:  MW or TR (AM) 8:15A -11:45A or (PM) 12:30P - 4P;  TK fieldwork TBD
    Section 003 Preschool (PK):                                                                                                                                                          

       Disc/Lec:   R 1:10-3:00P @ CCFS/ECLS
       PK Fieldwork Options @ ECLS:  MW or TR (AM) 8:15A -11:45A     

  • HDE 141 Practicum - "Field Study with Children and Adolescents"
  • This is a 4-6 variable unit, in-person, letter graded course consisting of a 2 hour weekly discussion plus a minimum of 60 quarterly hours of off-campus **fieldwork with school-age children and/or adolescents (TK-12th grade) in schools or other group settings.  Typically offered twice per year in fall and spring quarters. Prerequisite class is HDE 100A, or 100B which can be taken concurrently, if offered.  Mandatory weekly discussion attendance, participation and completion of all field work hours required. 

    *HDE 141's 4.0 unit practicum requires 60 quarterly field work hours at a qualified off-campus field site. If desired, students can take the course for 5 units, which requires 90 hours of field work or for 6 units, which requires 120 hours.     **Field site options provided by internship coordinator at orientation, or students may find their own.
  • HDE 142 Practicum - "Field Study with Emotionally Distressed Children and Adolescents"
  • This is a *4-6 variable unit, in-person, letter graded course consisting of a 1.5 hour weekly discussion plus a *minimum of 60 quarterly hours of **off-campus fieldwork with school-age children and/or adolescents in 1st-12th grade classrooms or other group settings.  Typically offered once per year in winter quarter.  Prerequisite class is HDE 130 which can be taken concurrently, if offered.  Mandatory weekly discussion attendance, participation and completion of all field work hours required.

    *HDE 142's 4.0 unit practicum requires 60 quarterly field work hours at a qualified off-campus field site. If desired, students can take the course for 5 units, which requires 90 hours of field work or for 6 units, which requires 120 hours. **Field site options provided by internship coordinator at orientation, or students may find their own.
  • HDE 143 Practicum - "Field Studies of Elderly (Older Adults)"
    • This is a 4-6 variable unit, in-person, letter graded course consisting of a 2 hour weekly discussion plus a *minimum of 60 quarterly hours of off-campus **fieldwork with older adults typically in senior living communities, senior health settings, or other senior group settings.  Typically offered once per year in winter quarter.  Prerequisite class is HDE 100C or HDE 160.  Mandatory weekly discussion attendance, participation and completion of all field work hours required.

      *HDE 143's 4.0 unit practicum requires 60 quarterly field work hours at a qualified off-campus field site. If desired, students can take the course for 5 units, which requires 90 hours of field work or for 6 units, which requires 120 hours.
    • **Field site options provided by internship coordinator at orientation, or students may find their own.
    •    

    Not an HDE Major?  HDE 143 is the only practicum that allows non-HDE declared majors to request placement, provided the student is completing the Aging and Adult Development minor AND they have taken the prerequisite class (HDE 100C or 160). Students who meet these requirements may submit their Google Form to request placement, but must also call the HDE Internship Coordinator directly at (530) 752-1321.  Placement is not guaranteed as priority must be given to declared HDE students.  

  • Request Placement in a Practicum - Submit Google Form
  • Ensure eligibility: Must be declared HDE and in upper division standing, have successfully completed prerequisite course (or be concurrently enrolled) and have an HDE-approved graduation plan in OASIS within 1 year from the start of the intended practicum course. 
    If you do not have a current graduation plan, you must schedule an appointment with an HDE staff advisor to create one.  Visit http://appointments.ucdavis.edu/ to self-schedule an appointment, drop-in remotely to Thursday morning Ask an Advisor or call (530) 752-1805 for assistance.
     Read practicum emails sent to HDE listserv and published in weekly newsletter inviting eligible HDE students to submit their practicum request once the quarter's Google Form opens. 
    Submit practicum request Google Form at 8am (refer to blue box above for exact dates and links).   Practicums fill quickly, but the form will remain open indefinitely to fill any remaining vacancies and for wait list purposes, so students may still submit their request after the opening date.
     
  • Placement Notifications and Next Steps
  • Notifications of placement and next steps will be emailed to placed practicum students from Rachael Crotty and Kelly Twibell within approximately 1-2  weeks after submitting your Google Form request (or later if submitting Google Form late).  
    If wait-listed, continue checking your emails regularly for placement emails from Kelly and Rachael, and follow instructions and deadlines. 
    Next steps for placed students include attending orientation for 141/142/143, completing all on-boarding tasks as communicated in placement notification email by Kelly (for 140) and by Rachael (for 141/142/143), and registering in Schedule Builder by the start of the quarter.
    If not placed in a practicum, the next offered practicums will be in the following academic quarter, and a new Google Form for that quarter must be submitted when it opens.  Practicums are never offered in summer.
  • CRNs Emailed to Placed Students
  • CRNs will eventually be emailed to placed students who received a placement notification email and who complete the appropriate steps to receive the CRN.  
    HDE 140: Kelly Twibell will email placed HDE 140 students the CRN to register in Schedule Builder and urgent on-boarding tasks by firm pre-quarter deadlines.  Kelly will drop students who do not meet these firm deadlines.
    HDE 141/142/143: Rachael Crotty will email CRN to placed HDE 141/142/143 students after orientation and after all on-boarding tasks are completed (last task is to submit field site contract to Rachael) at least 1 day prior to 1st class discussion.  

    We strongly recommend students register for a placeholder class during their Pass 1 to take if not placed in that quarter's practicum.

HDE Practicum Course Changes Over the Years

The pandemic-related flexibility that was in effect from Spring 2020 ended with the 2022/23 academic year - with students who graduated by Summer 2023.  Effective Fall 2023, all HDE majors must complete an HDE practicum course prior to graduation.

HDE 140 & 140L Course Structure Changes Over the Years: 

Students who took and passed HDE 140 F25 or later or HDE 140L between W21-S25 or HDE 140 + 140L in F20 or earlier, satisfied their practicum requirement.

Effective Fall 2025, HDE 140L is now "HDE 140 Field Study of Early Childhood." It is a variable 4.0-6.0 unit course with the same lecture/discussion and fieldwork components, except students may increase their fieldwork hours and register for up to 6.0 units.  Among other on-boarding requirements, HDE 140 requires placed students to complete (and pass) a background check prior to the start of the quarter.

Effective Winter 2021 through Spring 2025, this 4.0 unit practicum was known as “HDE 140L: Laboratory in Early Childhood,"  which included discussion and fieldwork, and was a 4.0 unit letter graded course.

Effective prior to Winter 2021, this practicum was offered as two courses taken concurrently, HDE 140 (lecture/discussion) + HDE 140L (variable unit fieldwork labs), but it changed in Winter 2021.      

Questions?

Contact the internship coordinator, Rachael Crotty, by calling (530) 752-1321,  dropping-in remotely to Thursday morning Ask an Advisor or emailing rscrotty@ucdavis.edu (emails will receive a delayed reply due to the large volume regularly received).