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MSW Field Education

Field education is an integral part of your education at the Brown School. It is designed to provide experiences where theoretical knowledge and concepts from the classroom and literature can be applied in a real-world setting. These experiences allow you to practice professional behavior—ethics, comportment, policy compliance—in preparation for continuing your career.

At the Brown School, we do not assign students to specific practica. You are responsible for selecting your own field experience. This approach allows you to build on knowledge and skills closely related to your personal career objectives. You must select practicum experiences from agencies affiliated with the School. The Office of Field Education maintains updated lists of affiliated sites and an online database (Handshake) for students.

We have formulated specific competencies and behaviors for all required components of the curriculum: the foundation, concentration and optional specializations.

All of the forms you will need to document your practicum can be found below.

Student Field Education Resources

Practicum Registration

For the last six years, the Brown School has used the software, Symplicity, to house the student and organization database for field education practicum and career services. Recently, the university made the decision to transition to a new software system, Handshake, to better serve the students, faculty, staff, and organizations who use this tool. As a result, all new students matriculating in Fall 2022, along with active dual and joint degree students, will utilize Handshake for field education searches, registration, and other functions.

MSW Foundation Practicum

Foundation-level practicum sites must meet all of the following requirements:

  • 360 hours of hands-on application of social work theory to real-life situations.
  • Prepares you for generalist social work practice.
  • Located in the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area (within a 60-mile radius of St. Louis City)
  • Have an approved and affiliated on-site Field Instructor with an MSW degree.
  • MSW Field instructors must have the capacity to provide students with a minimum of 50 hours of direct client contact, as defined by the practicum organization. Client contact may be in person, over the phone, or via a web platform.
  • Requires an Integrative Foundation Practicum Seminar, a one-credit class taken concurrently with the first foundation-level practicum. The seminar helps students process their field work and debrief on practice challenges in a supportive environment.
  • Competencies and behaviors are the basis of the foundation-level practicum. The competencies are derived from foundation-level courses and are a mechanism for integrating class and field learning. The competencies and behaviors convey clear expectations for the practicum.

Student Self Evaluation and Student Assessment of the Practicum Experience

  • Self Evaluation of Competencies and Performance
    As part of your practicum requirements, you must complete this self-evaluation two weeks prior to the end of each practicum experience. Once you have submitted the self-evaluation, an email with a link to complete the final evaluation will be sent to your field instructor.
  • Student Assessment of Practicum Experience (SAPE)
    All students are encouraged to complete the Student Assessment of Practicum Experience at the conclusion of every practicum experience.

Educational Learning Agreement

MSW Foundation ELA Form

Forms for International Students in Practicum

Students with an international visa completing practicum in the United States must complete a CPT Form or J-1 Form for every semester in practicum. Please follow the directions on the form.

Timesheets

Foundation Practicum Timesheet

Timesheets should be submitted to Canvas at the completion of every practicum experience. Students may accumulate a maximum of 40 hours per week in practicum. Hours accumulated beyond 40 hours per week will not count toward the required hours for Foundation practicum.

New Practicum Site Affiliation Request

If you know of an organization that is interested in becoming a field site, send them the following links:

Important: An application does not mean a site will be affiliated. They must be approved and meet the requirements.

MSW Concentration Practicum

  • 600 field hours required.
  • Builds on foundation skills
  • Prepares you for advanced practice in concentration areas.
  • May be supervised by a non-MSW professional who has a master’s degree in a social work-related profession. Please contact OFE to determine if your field instructor is affiliated.

Student Self Evaluation and Student Assessment of the Practicum Experience

  • Self Evaluation of Competencies and Performance
    As part of your practicum requirements, you must complete this self-evaluation two weeks prior to the end of each practicum experience. Once you have submitted the self-evaluation, an email with a link to complete the final evaluation will be sent to your field instructor.
  • Student Assessment of Practicum Experience
    All students are encouraged to complete the Student Assessment of Practicum Experience(SAPE) at the conclusion of every practicum experience.

Educational Learning Agreements (ELAs)

International & Out-of-State Practicum

Forms for International Students in Practicum

Students with an international visa completing practicum in the United States must complete a CPT Form or J-1 Form for every semester in practicum. Please follow the directions on the form.

Timesheets

Timesheets should be submitted to Canvas at the completion of every practicum experience. Students may accumulate a maximum of 40 hours per week in practicum. Hours accumulated beyond 40 hours per week will not count toward the required hours for Concentration practicum.

New Practicum Site Affiliation Request

If you know of an organization that is interested in becoming a field site, send them the following links:

Important: An application does not mean a site will be affiliated. They must be approved and meet the requirements.

Mandated Reporting

As emerging social work professionals, our expectation is that students adhere to the NASW Code of Ethics and state law and report incidents of suspected neglect or abuse where required by law; however, we encourage students to discuss these situations with their field instructors to gain full appreciation and knowledge of the reporting process. It is also recommended that students familiarize themselves with individual State Laws (where they are completing practicum and/or where they intend to practice after graduation) that define who is a mandated reporter and provide the circumstances under which you are required to report. Two websites that may be helpful to you in finding the applicable state laws are:

Key Contacts

Key Contacts
Jewel

  • Jewel Stafford, MSW

  • Assistant Dean, Office of Field Education, Teaching Professor, Director, Racial Equity Fellows Concentrations: Individualized, American Indian/Alaska Native
  • staffordjd@wustl.edu
  • 314-935-2785
Alison
Elizabeth

  • Elizabeth Fuchs, MSW

  • Lecturer, Concentrations: Social & Economic Development – Domestic, Master of Social Policy (MSP) program
  • e.fuchs@wustl.edu
  • 314-935-3456
Atia
Sunghei Han
Kate Barbier