Field Practicum Fact Sheet for Students
Commonly Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between foundation and advanced placements?
A: Foundation placements take place during the first year and advanced placements take place during the second year of a full-time program. For part-time students, the foundation placement occurs during the second year and advanced placements during the third year.
Foundation placements provide students the opportunity to apply the generalist model to practice as they assess and develop or enhance their beginning level practice skills with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations. First year students are required to work directly with clients. Advanced placements allow students to work within their area of concentration where they are expected to take on more complex practice tasks, function more independently and demonstrate advanced skills e.g. multi-system assessments and multi-modal interventions or program development.
Q: Can I choose my own field placement?
A: Students may research and identify agencies/placements in which they are interested. However, students may not interview with potential field agencies without prior approval from the Director of Field. The more restrictions placed on the type of field placement (e.g. hours or days available, geographic location or population served), the more difficult it will be to find a field placement that meets graduate program standards. If the placement is not one where an affiliation agreement is already in place, the application to become a field placement to become a field placement must by complete by March 30th. For additional information, students are encouraged to contact the field director.
Q: Can I do my field placement where I work?
A: Yes, however, in addition to the regular Application for Field, students must submit a Work Site application and have the field placement approved by the Director of Field. The student must indicate how the field placement will differ from their regular employment since the two cannot be the same. The field instructor must be different from the student’s regular supervisor and have two years post MSW experience. Application for Work Site field placements are due by March 30th.
Q: When do I start field and how many hours are required?
A. All students must be in good academic standing to enter or remain in Field. The foundation field is two semesters and totals 400 hours. The advanced field is two semesters and 550 hours. Placements average two days a week, begin in August (the first day of class) and end in May. The School Social Work concentration requires a minimum of 600 hours and typically ends in June.
Q: I work full time. May I do my field placement during the evenings or on weekends?
A: Evening and weekend only placements are not available. Most agencies have business hours that are 9am to 5pm with limited evening and weekend hours. Because all of our classes are evening or weekend our class schedules may conflict with the evening hours that the agency is open.
Q: When do the Field Seminars meet?
A: The Field Seminars meet five times per semester from 4:00 - 5:50pm Attendance is required. See the Field Practicum Calendar and Field Liaison for specific dates. Field Seminars do not meet the first week of classes.
Q: When do I pay my fee for professional liability insurance?
A: The fee for liability insurance is included in the student fee. This fee provides 1,000,000/3,000,000 of malpractice blanket liability insurance coverage for the academic year.
Q: When are applications for field due?
A: Applications for field are due by November 1st each year (June 1st for newly admitted full time students).
Please direct all Field related questions to:
Lolita Godbold
Director of Field Education
(773) 995-2843
lgodbold@csu.edu
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