Higher Education 31: 355-377, 1996. 355 (~) 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. The purpose, value and structure of the practicum in higher education: a literature review GREG RYAN*, SUSAN TOOHEY & CHRIS HUGHES Professional Development Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia (*Author for correspondence) Abstract. The practicum constitutes an integral part of many professional courses in higher education; and is manifest in several different forms depending on the discipline: field expe- rience, cooperative education, sandwich programs, internships, clerkships, clinical practicum, and the like. This paper provides an overview of different ways in which the practicum has been conceptualised, implemented and evaluated in higher education. It focuses attention on the purpose and value of the practicum; the relationship between the practicum and the learn- ing outcomes of a course as a whole; and the structure and placement of the practicum within a course. Findings indicate that whilst the practicum is widely accepted as a valuable and successful component of professional education, it has a number of shortcomings; and the lack of good quality research into the practicum makes it difficult to draw unequivocal conclu- sions. A number of questions are posed to guide further research into the role of supervision during practicum placements; the kinds of learning goals and outcomes that are best achieved through the practicum; and the impact on student learning of the length and structure of the practicum. Introduction Higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to better prepare their graduates for the world of work; and within professional courses, the practicum continues to be an important means by which this expectation is addressed. Depending on the discipline, the practicum appears in many forms: as field experience, cooperative education, sandwich program, intern- ship, clerkship, clinical practicum, and the like. The published literature is diverse and idiosyncratic in nature, and rarely attempts to take a broad, cross- disciplinary view in order to compare the effectiveness of different models. In its attempt to provide such an overview, this paper considers different ways in which the practicum in higher education has been conceived and constructed; and in its review and critique of relevant literature, addresses three areas: 9 the purpose and value of the practicum; 9 the relationship between the practicum and the learning outcomes of a course as a whole; and