MSW Field Information

Overview 

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national accrediting body for all social work programs in the United States. CSWE identifies field education as the “signature pedagogy” to emphasize much of the learning to prepare students for professional practice occurs while practicing their professional skills working directly with clients. Also, the mission of the MSW program at BGSU includes preparing students for advanced practice and professional leadership. The MSW program considers the field education experience as the final “capstone," and the pathway to employment as a professional social worker. 

CSWE has established nine areas of competence to guide evaluating a student’s readiness for professional practice. Students will have all the nine areas addressed in the various courses throughout the MSW program’s curriculum. The field education experience is the time to integrate and demonstrate knowledge, values, skills and cognitive/affective abilities students have gained in the classroom into their practice with clients.  

The field education curriculum in the MSW program at BGSU has two components. First, students complete a practicum. Practica is a Latin word meaning practical training. Practicums are two-to-three semesters depending on the degree track in which a student is enrolled. Traditional or regular standing students complete three semesters, summer, fall and spring, logging a minimum of 900 hours. Advanced standing students complete two semesters, fall and spring, logging a minimum of 500 hours towards. Second, integrated with the practicum, students are enrolled in a seminar class each semester taught by MSW program faculty. The practicum and seminar are combined to make a field education course.  

All students must apply for a practicum. Information on when and how to apply can be found in the “Apply” section of this site. 

Apply

During the semester prior to the student’s planned time for entering practicum, students will apply to the MSW Field Coordinator to request a practicum. The application assesses the student’s academic, professional and personal readiness to begin a practicum. The student will have an interview with the Field Coordinator to discuss appropriate organization options to meet the student’s educational needs and create a plan to satisfy all requirements necessary for the student to begin the practicum the following semester. Students will have an opportunity to share their preferences for practicum with the Field Coordinator during the interview. Students will develop a resume and self-statement highlighting their professional interests and career goals. Students will also interview at potential practicum organizations and provide feedback to the Field Coordinator about whether a practicum organization would be a good fit for them. However, the Field Coordinator makes the final decision on placement of students at practicums.