Field Education: Your Senior Year Practice Experience
Overview
Field education is an integral part of the curriculum. It provides
students with learning and insight that cannot be imparted in a
classroom. A field education placement is required of all social work
majors during their senior year. The field placement is comprised of
two 6-credit courses that involve the student in performing social work
practice in a human service agency under the supervision of an
experienced MSW field instructor.
Hours and Course Requirements
Students are required to perform 16 hours (2 days) of field
education per week for a total of 240 hours each semester in
conjunction with SOWK 481 (Methods II) in the fall semester and SOWK
483 (Methods III) in the spring semester. In order to ensure success
in the field placement, students are encouraged to be employed 25
hours or less per week during their field placement year.
Field Seminars and Faculty Liaisons
In addition to time spent at an agency, students are required to
attend monthly field seminars, which are conducted by a faculty field
liaison. A faculty field liaison is assigned to each student,
furnishing a link between the program, student, field instructor, and
the agency. Faculty field liaisons are charged with supporting the
placements that they oversee. As part of that support, faculty field
liaisons meet with their students for a two-hour seminar once every
month, for a total of six seminars each academic year. Students will
attend the seminars on one of their regularly scheduled field placement
days. Attendance at and active participation in these seminars are
mandatory and failure to attend and participate fully could result in
a failing grade for the field placement.
Concurrent Methods Courses
The concurrent methods courses (SOWK 481 & SOWK 483) differ
from the field seminar in that the courses operate with a syllabus and
a class agenda based on theories and content from the text book.
Student cases and questions from field placements are only discussed
if they are linked to the material being presented in class. Methods
instructors will refer students to their faculty field liaison should
specific questions arise about a field placement.
Faculty Recommendation and Eligibility
Entry into a field education placement requires a recommendation
from the faculty. The Social Work Program faculty reserves the right
to deny a field placement to a student who, based on their
professional judgment, will be unable to successfully complete the
placement. Students who are on academic probation, suspension, or
dismissal are ineligible for field.
The field placement always and only
begins in the fall semester. Students are not permitted to begin field
at mid-year or second semester. Field placement and concurrent methods
courses are not offered during summer session.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
- 2.5 overall GPA (Based on entire college work; not just UMBC
course work) - 2.5 GPA in all social work courses
- Completion of SOWK 250, SOWK 260, SOWK 388, and SOWK 397 with
a grade of C or better - Access to transportation to the field placement
- Academic status that does not include academic probation,
suspension, or dismissal - Senior standing
- A positive recommendation from faculty
Contact
For questions or further information, please contact Dr. Adrienne
Ekas, Assistant Dean of Field Instruction at 410-455-2008 or
email Dr. Adrienne Ekas.