BSW Field Education

Field is the heart of social work

The Field Practicum component of the BSW curriculum is very exciting and offers students the opportunity to apply the knowledge, values and skills learned in the classroom.  Students in the undergraduate program engage in two practicum courses for developing competencies in generalist practice.  Students are placed in community agencies to begin integrating and applying the knowledge, skills, and values learned in the classroom.  Practicum courses are designed to provide practice breadth by engaging students in direct practice with various system sizes (individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities).  These courses meet field practicum content objectives and are based on a strengths perspective model and they maintain a focus on the person-in-environment fit, with particular attention given to both the helping process and development of internal and environmental resources for social functioning.  Field agency sites include multi-service community centers, child welfare agencies and group homes, nursing homes, services for the physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged, health settings, advocacy agencies for various clientele, and many other specialized services.  It is also expected that upon completion of the practicum courses, students will have been afforded opportunities to apply professional knowledge and skills to perform multiple social work roles in two fields of practice. Only students who are candidates for the baccalaureate degree in social work are allowed to take the Junior and Senior Practicum courses. 

Practicum courses include S381 Social Work Practicum I and S482 Social Work Practicum II.  Students engage in S381 Social Work Practicum I, a four-credit-hour practicum course in the second semester of the junior year to develop beginning practice proficiency, laying the foundation for the more intensive field experience in the senior year.  Students are enrolled in S482 Social Work Practicum II, a five-credit-hour practicum course in the first semester of the senior year that prepares them for generalist social work practice.  These two practicum courses provide students with a minimum of 560 hours of supervised field experience.  Practicum courses are taken concurrently with practice courses.

For additional information regarding field practicum opportunities, please contact School BSW Field Coordinator, Erika Galyean by phone at 317-278-4864 or by e-mail.