Welcome to Field, the Heart of Social Work Education!

Field Education (also known as internship or practicum) is a sequence of courses that take place in agencies that provide actual social work services to clients and communities. Each field placement will last an entire academic year, and will give you the opportunity to learn social work skills that can only be developed by actually doing the work. You will be closely supervised by an agency-based supervisor with an MSW (called a Field Instructor) who will not only oversee your work, but who will also help you understand your experience through the perspective of social work knowledge, values and skills. In addition, your field experience will be a chance to integrate what you are learning in your classes with what you are discovering in the field.

For a glimpse of the array of placements available to students, click on the Field Placements link, where you will find a list of agencies who are interested in working with our students. You will see that social work is practiced in every area of human services: from mental health to medical settings; child welfare to senior services; substance abuse programs to criminal justice settings; social justice and advocacy agencies to policy-making organizations; schools to homeless programs. This is one of the great benefits of a social work degree: many options for employment in a wide range of organizations. Social workers can be found everywhere, bringing the unique social work perspective to whatever they do.

Many graduates report that their placements were the best part of their social work program. Field is challenging, a little scary, but mostly exciting and rewarding. It will be a life-changing experience, will bolster your confidence as a social worker, and will deepen your understanding of what social work is all about.

Again, welcome to Field, the Heart of Social Work Education!

Jill Kelly, LCSW
Director of Field Education

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Last Updated:
June 5, 2008 10:38 AM
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