School of Social Work

BSW field experience

BSW student Erin Kullman (center) with field instructors Dennis Blust and Anna Hoskins at the Family Health Center.
BSW student Erin Kullman (center) with field instructors Dennis Blust and Anna Hoskins at the Family Health Center.

Undergraduate field practicum

Undergraduate Field Practicum is a six-credit hour (400 clock hours) course taken in the third (fall) semester of the Professional BSW Core. Students begin field instruction one week prior to the beginning of the semester and spend 24 hours per week (usually Monday, Wednesday and Friday) in a field placement agency assigned by the Director of Field Education. These placement assignments are generally made within the local area.

Field placement objectives

The field placement objectives are based on the generalist perspective of social work practice and include:

  • integrating social work theory and practice
  • reinforcing understanding of social work principles, concepts and values
  • developing social work practice skills
  • developing self understanding and a professional awareness of self
  • learning to use supervision and feedback constructively
  • developing a beginning knowledge of agency functioning and the community service delivery system
  • learning to perform a specific social work role in a human services agency
  • expanding concrete knowledge of social policy issues
  • refining personal work habits, time management, and communication skills
  • identifying personal strengths and weaknesses, and
  • reinforcing identification with the social work profession.