Field Education
The opportunity to learn social work skills in an agency setting is one of the real strengths of our
educational program. Because of the dedication and commitment of professionals, and the number of high quality agencies in our community,
you will develop the skills and expertise needed for a successful career in social work.
The school has a tradition of faculty-based field units and has made a substantial educational and resource investment in field education.
For 2006-2007, we have 16 field units, covering most of the major fields of practice and employment opportunities in social work. We will
have about 200 students in field placements for the Fall semester.
The field units are organized around a social problem area, a field of practice, or a client population. All of the units provide a
conceptual base for practice, as well as a supportive environment to learn, critique, and consult. Each unit places students in a range
of field placement agencies and settings appropriate to its area of practice. Field faculty have scholarly as well as professional
involvement in their particular areas; many have made influential contributions to social work practice. Students should benefit equally
from the continuing contributions and educational supervision provided by experienced social work practitioners, and other human service
professionals who provide supervision and consultation on site. We are grateful for their willingness to provide a field placement for our
students, and we thank them for their commitment to providing our students a quality educational experience.
Our curriculum is designed to provide a generalist perspective and direct practice experience to all students in the first year.
The focus is on learning and applying analytic and interventive skills within an ethically-based, problem-focused approach. Such an approach
affords opportunities for a variety of system interventions within a particular practice situation. In the advanced year, students have the
opportunity to focus or concentrate within a particular problem area of field of practice. The curriculum concentration provides a defined way
of linking field and course work experiences, creating an integrated educational experience during the advanced year.
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