Field Instructors & Agencies

• SOWK 7115 Syllabus
• SOWK 7125 Syllabus
• SOWK 7225 Micro Syllabus
• SOWK 7225 Macro Syllabus 
• SOWK 7225 Micro-Macro Combined Syllabus 

• Full-time Employment and Field Education
  Students working full-time while pursuing their MSW should expect to significantly reduce or discontinue their work commitments to accommodate the requirements of practica. The competing demands of practicum, coursework, and full-time employment tend to detract from the overall learning experience of field education. As such, it is imperative that students adjust their schedules in order to satisfactorily complete the field requirement. Placements with evening and weekend hours are extremely limited. There are no placements that include all hours during evenings and/or weekends.
• Drug screens and background checks
  Most field sites require comprehensive background checks and/or drug screens at the student’s expense. Field sites that do not require background checks and/or drug screens are extremely limited in availability.
• Professional Liability Insurance
  All students are required to carry professional liability insurance while participating in the field education program. Students must provide evidence of coverage to the Field Office prior to practicum start. As a courtesy, the Field Office provides information to students about obtaining professional liability insurance.
• Reliable transportation
  Many agencies require the use of a vehicle or may be located some distance from the student’s home base. Not having a car severely limits field placement options and can compromise student specialization interests.

MSW students enter their generalist field placement in the fall semester and spend two semesters in the same organization. For the first six weeks of fall semester, students attend an integrative field lab/seminar preparing them for field placement. During the seventh week of fall semester, students begin working one day per week (8 hours) at an assigned agency for the remainder of fall semester. Students continue to attend their integrative seminar weekly. During spring semester, students continue at the same field agency two days per week (16 hours) the entire semester. Additionally, they attend the same integrative seminar with the same instructor during spring semester. The two semester sequence of generalist field education (SOWK 7115 & SOWK 7225) are designed to be taken in concurrent succession and may not be separated.

The total clock hours in generalist field education are 312 hours; 72 during fall semester and 240 during spring semester.

NOTE: the majority of placements are during regular business hours and students must be able to meet this requirement.

Generalist Field Education Requirements:
Fall semester – SOWK 7115 (3 credits) Introduction to the Social Work Profession and Field Education: 8 hours per week in field from week #7 to week #15 (72 hours). Designated field days are Thursday OR Friday.

Spring semester – SOWK 7125 (3 credits) Foundation Social Work Field Education: 16 hours per week in field (240 hours). Designated field days are Thursday AND Friday. 

Total of 312 hours in field plus weekly field lab/seminar throughout fall and spring semester.

Students should consult their Program of Study for information regarding when the generalist field experience is slated. Generally, full-time students will engage in generalist field during their first year while extended-time students will engage in generalist field during their second year.

As a generalist experience, students do not choose a field site for their generalist placement. Students must complete a field application. Detailed information about the field education application process is provided to enrolled students by the Field Education Office. This application provides the field faculty with information about the student’s general areas of interest, previous experience, and any limitations identified. For the generalist practicum, students are typically assigned to agencies that provide new and different experiences for students, thus expanding one’s portfolio of practice. Consistent with Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation standards, no credit is given for previous work experience. Generally, placement agencies operate during regular business hours and students are in the field on Thursdays and/or Fridays.

We put a high priority on providing diverse field placements in northeast Georgia. To be approved, agencies must meet CSWE standards and provide superior practice opportunities. Students may express preferences for geographical areas but the Field Office will never jeopardize the integrity of the learning experience for convenience. Students are expected to be able to drive up to a 60 mile radius from their assigned UGA campus or be willing to be placed in the metro Atlanta area for their field education.

April 2,2020: Students should check email and also read instructions for Specialization field assignments

About Specialization Field Placement

Specialization field placement is an advanced educational experience in an agency or community setting. This practicum builds on the generalist year and continues to provide opportunities to integrate theory and practice while practicing at an advanced, more in-depth level. Students take advanced academic courses either prior to or concurrently with specialization practicum. This practicum provides opportunities to demonstrate the competencies and corresponding behaviors for specialized practice.

Specialization Field Education Requirements:

Students must be academically eligible to enter the specialization practicum. The practicum setting must support the area of specialized practice (either Micro, Macro, or Combined) the student has selected. The practicum is 300 hours per semester for two (2) consecutive semesters in the same agency (usually fall and spring) for a total of 600 clock hours. During fall and spring semester students complete 20 hours a week for fifteen weeks. There is no concurrent seminar with specialization practicum. Students are supported by an assigned faculty liaison and are fully engaged in an experiential learning encounter within an agency.

Field coordinators conduct an individualized placement matching process for each student guided by student provided information in the specialization field application. Specialization students identify placement preferences in the following areas:

• Setting of Interest
– Examples: school system, substance abuse/recovery, mental health, etc.
• Problem Area of Interest
– Examples: abuse/neglect, women’s issues, mental health, etc.
• Geographic Placement Preferences
– Examples: Athens area, Metro & North Atlanta, Surrounding Counties East of Athens, etc.

The School of Social Work strives to maintain numerous and diverse graduate level field placements with a high priority on sites with the N.E. Georgia region. Agencies that have been approved by the field office meet CSWE standards for an educationally directed field experience and provide superior practice opportunities for training professionals. Students will be assigned to field placements within these regional agencies. Students are able to identify geographical placement preferences; however, the Field Office will never jeopardize the integrity of the learning experience for convenience. Students are expected to be able to drive up to a 60 mile radius from their assigned UGA campus or be willing to be placed in the Metro Atlanta area to complete this educational requirement.

The responsibility for approving and selecting agencies and initiating placement arrangements rests with the Field Education Office. Students are not allowed to contact agencies without permission from the Field Office. Field education faculty assesses the suitability of agencies as student training sites and approves those that meet the School’s requirements. Only Field Office-approved sites can be used for field education.

Students should consult their Program of Study for information regarding when the specialization field experience is slated. Detailed information about the field education application process is provided to enrolled students by the Field Education Office. This application provides the field faculty with information about the student’s areas of interest, previous experience, and any limitations identified. Consistent with Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation standards, no credit is given for previous work experience. Generally, placement agencies operate during regular business hours and specialization students are in the field on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

March 18: The School of Social Work has received approval from the University System of Georgia for students to engage in alternative remote field activity beginning Monday, March 23. This represents an exception to the suspension of student academic activity that as of March 18 is in place until March 30, 2020. This exception does not extend to other academic activity and is exclusive to field education.

To fulfill the hours requirements and educational competencies, we are providing alternative field learning activities that can be completed off-site. Examples of alternative field learning activities are listed in the document Alternate Field Learning Activities (PDF document) by competency area. Field instructors/task supervisors may develop alternative field learning activities beyond the examples listed. Students and their field instructor/task supervisor(s) should complete the Field Education Remote Competency Development Planning Sheet (MS Word document). This tool will guide you in creating a plan to continue your academic progress in field. Completed planning sheets must be electronically signed by you and your field instructor with copies submitted to field instructors, faculty liaisons, and your field coordinator. Your faculty liaison will serve as a first level reviewer of your completed plan. Additionally, the Field Office remains available to provide consultation and answer questions via email, Zoom, or phone.

In summary,
(1) Students may engage remotely in field work effective Monday, March 23, 2020.
(2) Internship hours during this period will be counted toward academic requirements.
(3) Students MUST complete a Field Education Remote Competency Development Planning Sheet.

Please continue to refer frequently to uga.edu/coronavirus for institutional updates.

• March 18: See section titled Remote Field Activities.
• March 26: Video message from Field Office Director
• March 26: MSW Specialization revised field hour requirements
• March 26: MSW Generalist revised field hour requirements
• March 26: Visit the Field Education Evaluations web page for updated links
• April 2: Specialization field assignments instructions

**This form is intended for students who have completed the BSW field education orientation during the spring semester.

1. Login to the Field Application website: field.ssw.uga.edu
2. Fill out your personal profile information.
3. Fill out your application. You may click “Save Changes” and edit your application later.
4. When you have completed your application, click “Submit.” Be careful; once your application has been submitted you can no longer edit it.