Field Education
Welcome to Field Education!
Field education is the signature pedagogy of social work education, where students connect theory to practice. Field students apply what they have learned in academic study to real life practice situations. Students now look into the eyes and hearts of clients whose needs are real. It is an exciting learning experience, and a turning point, where students develop competence and confidence in their professional abilities.
Field education is designed, supervised, and evaluated based on criteria by which each student demonstrates specified competencies. Field helps prepare students for the professional position they will assume after graduation, and/or graduate study with an MSW program.
The field education requirement consists of a minimum of 200 clock hours during each of two consecutive 8 week sessions (SWK 406 and SWK 408), for a total of 400 clock hours in the field. These hours are accumulated at the rate of 25 hours per week for 16 weeks. All practicum students are expected to become familiar with the Field Education Manual. Students also participate in a field seminar class that meets in conjunction with the field experience.
The importance of the field agency supervisor as educator, guide, evaluator, and role model to the students is considerable. Field supervisors commit to these responsibilities on a voluntary basis, often to give back what they were given and to continue to remain current and challenged in their thinking. Our program, faculty and students are grateful for the field supervisors' dedication to the training of our future social workers.
I look forward to providing additional information regarding field practicum opportunities.
Karen Tapp, BSW, MSSW, JD
