• What is Field Experience?
• Field Kick Off Pictures 2007
• Read about the experience of two students
• Supervision by a Professional Social Worker
• Becoming a Field Instructor
• Field Instructor Application Online
  Download Field Instructor Application (.pdf)
• Online Agency Application
  Download Agency Application (.pdf)
• Field Partners

---

What is Field Experience?
Field placement gives students the opportunity to take on professional roles in order to learn skills, render services and participate in the provision and development of social work service. The experience reinforces the student's identification with the purposes, values and ethics of the profession; foster the integration of empirical and practice-based knowledge; and promote the development of professional competence.

What are the requirements?
A minimum of 450 hours of beginning level generalist social work practice experience under the supervision of a professional social worker in an appropriate social agency is required during the last semester before graduation. A fee of $300 is also required for this course, SWK 402. The fee covers the cost of a professional liability insurance policy and other expenses related to the field program. Final authority for assigning the grade for this experience rests with the Field Director who will consult with the Field Instructor and the social work faculty liaison in determining the grade.

Professional Liability Insurance- The Social Work Program maintains a group professional liability policy to protect all social work students and faculty against malpractice suits in any incident related to the social work field placement. Coverage consists of $2,000,000 for each wrongful act and $4,000,000 for all incidents related to the Meredith College Social Work Program. The student field fee of $300 funds this insurance and other expenses related to the field program.

What is seminar?
During each semester of field instruction students enroll in and attend a field seminar. This one credit hour course meets weekly and is led by the faculty member serving as the student's faculty liaison with the agency in which they are doing their fieldwork. This seminar provides an opportunity for students to engage in in-depth discussion and analysis of issues related to their application of the practice model. Meeting with students in other field instruction settings broadens their individual perspectives on social work practice and helps them to understand the commonalities of social work practice in different settings. The student can, therefore, come to generalize the learning that occurs as a result of their field instruction experiences.

---

Supervision by a Professional Social Worker
It is the policy of the Meredith College Social Work Program that all field students must receive supervision by persons holding a professional degree in social work from an educational program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. All field instructors must hold the MSW degree and a minimum of two years professional experience or the BSW degree and a minimum of five years professional experience. In the unlikely event that the MSW or BSW supervision is not available in an agency that offers strong and appropriate learning experiences, the student will meet weekly with the faculty liaison for professional supervision.

---

Becoming a Field Instructor
To be considered as a field instructor, please complete the online field instructor application or download a copy. As a field instructor, you will need to complete the agency application as well.

Field Instructor/Agencies
For your agency to be considered, please complete the online agency application or download a copy so that we may better match our interns to an agency.

---

Thank You Field Partners Spring 2007!