Field Education

Field Education is an independent and integral sequence of the MSW curriculum. Students are exposed to selected and organized internship opportunities guided by the Educational Policy and Educational Standards (EPAS) and the 9 Core Competencies of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Field Education seeks to apply, and integrate the knowledge, theories and concepts of social work practice learned throughout the curriculum.

Field agencies are expected to provide "in vivo" experiences relevant to the academic content. The student, on the other hand, is expected to apply academic knowledge, social work skills, critical thinking, professional behavior, ethics and values learned in the classroom to direct practice.

All MSW students must complete four semesters of field placement, or a minimum of 1,000 hours of hands-on training, through a field placement. More hours may be added if students select to pursue special programs such as the Pupil Personnel Credential Program in the State of California, which requires 600 hours.

MSW students are matched with various social service agencies, government entities, private organizations or even non-traditional social work settings. To achieve completion of hours, students are required to complete a minimum of 16 hours per week in their first and second semesters, and a minimum of 550 hours, or 20 hours per week, in the third and fourth semesters.

The school matches students with field agency sites based on their geographic location, previous work and volunteer experience, future goals and career track, professional interests and agency needs.