Field Curriculum

Field placements expose students to the broad field of social work, as well as to a wide range of experiences. The internship experience is directly related to classroom learning and serves to synthesize theory and practice. Through this experience, students gather more information about their commitment to social work values and ethics and their professional identity.

Becoming a professional social worker demands that a student embark on an exploration of challenging theories, complex analyses of policies and programs and self- examination as he or she uses new information to deal with the complex problems presented in professional social

 Field Placements are assigned to begin two times per year:  August and January semester/modules. 

 Students must apply by the deadlines to be placed for the desired semester/module.  BSW students must complete a total of 480 field hours and MSW students must complete 960 field hours to meet the academic requirements. 

 Students complete internship hours during the traditional workday in an agency setting, normal hours defined as when services are provided to clients and supervision is available (evening, night and weekend hours are the exception as few agencies function at full capacity during those times).  Students complete hours when varied agency services are provided, as well as, agency activities occur (staff meetings, trainings, opportunity for observation of other helping professionals).

 The field courses in each year of the program, Generalist SW7007/7008 and then Specialized SW7502/7503 must be taken consecutively to maximize learning experiences.

Field Hours

BSW students complete a total of 480 hours while completing the BSW program.

  • SW 4100 - BSW Field Course (480  hours)

MSW students complete a total of 960 hours while completing the MSW program.

  • SW 7007 / SW 7008 - Generalist Field Courses (480 hours)
  • SW 7502 / SW 7503 - Specialized Field Courses (480 hours)

In the final analysis, students’ learning outcomes are directly linked with the students’ investment and commitment to the field experience. Agency participation, field supervision, and academic learning are important to creating a constructive field experience; the student’s personal investment in getting all possible learning out of field work, however, is the most essential element to create a rich and meaningful learning experience to fully engage and build social work competencies.

 

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