Department of Social Work

Upon entry into the Bachelor of Science in Social Work program, junior-level students enroll in SWK 3350 – Social Work Experience: Practice and Communication, a course designed to support students in developing professional communication skills in part by completing 60 hours of volunteer work in a community agency. Learn more about SWK 3350 on the BSSW Program Coursework page.

During their senior year in the program, BSSW students enroll in SWK 4500 and 4510 – Professional Field Experience I & II, where they complete a field placement and a concurrent biweekly field seminar during both fall and spring semesters. The field placement is geared towards a generalist experience allowing students to develop practice skills working across micro, mezzo and macro levels of practice in a community-based agency. The field placement is completed at the same agency over both semesters allowing students to deepen their learning and increase their impact over the course of the academic year.

Students are required to complete 240 hours in their agency setting per semester, the equivalent of 16 hours per week during each of the 15 week semesters, both fall and spring. The accompanying field seminar course (offered face-to-face, online and in hybrid formats) meets every other week throughout the course of the two semesters of Field Experience. The seminar course is taught by a Faculty Field Liaison and provides a forum for students to critically reflect on their experiences out in the field in an environment geared towards promoting professional development.

• BSSW year total hours: 480
• BSSW year hours per semester: 240
• BSSW year hours per week: 16

***Please note that REQUIRED MINIMUM number of hours in field placement have been reduced for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years to the following levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic: BSSW & MSW Foundation (400 hours/year); MSW Concentration (500 hours/year). These adjustments to required hours only apply through May 31, 2022.

After having graduated with a BSSW degree, students may be eligible to apply to a Master of Social Work Advanced Standing program allowing them to earn an MSW degree with one year of full-time study.

Field education is a cornerstone of the Masters of Social Work program providing rich experiential learning for students to apply their coursework into real-life practice situations in one of many settings in which social workers interact.

The Foundation year field placement is geared towards a generalist experience allowing students to develop practice skills working across micro, mezzo and macro levels of practice in an approved community-based agency. The Concentration or Advanced Standing year field placement is an advanced, specialized experience designed to support students in deepening their skills in their chosen area of practice.

Each field placement is completed at the same agency over both fall and spring semester allowing students to deepen their learning and increase their impact over the course of the academic year. Students’ field placements will be accompanied by a seminar course (offered face-to-face, online and in hybrid formats) which meets every other week throughout the two semesters of Field Experience. The seminar course is taught by a Faculty Field Liaison and provides a forum for students to critically reflect on their experiences out in the field in an environment geared towards promoting professional development.

• MSW Foundation Year Total Hours: 480
• MSW Foundation Year Hours Per Semester: 240
• MSW Foundation Year Hours Per Week: 16

• MSW Concentration Year Total Hours: 600
• MSW Concentration Year Hours Per Semester: 300
• MSW Concentration Year Hours Per Week: 20

***Please note that REQUIRED MINIMUM number of hours in field placement have been reduced for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years to the following levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic: BSSW & MSW Foundation (400 hours/year); MSW Concentration (500 hours/year). These adjustments to required hours only apply through May 31, 2022.

Can I complete my field placement in my place of employment?

Possibly. Employment-based field placements are considered on a case-by-case basis and must be evaluated on their ability to meet Council on Social Work Education requirements for ensuring an appropriate learning environment and level of supervision. Students interested in this option should discuss this with their assigned Field Team Placement Officer upon enrollment in the program.

Can I complete my field placement during evenings and weekends?

Students must have the guidance and support of their agency supervisor during the course of their field placement. Because of this and the nature of many social work positions, opportunities to complete internships during evenings and weekends are very limited. We encourage students to identify early in the process their plan for accommodating the required number of hours in internship and we discourage students from working full-time while also completing their field education requirements.