Field Contract
Planning for field placements is an integral part of your education in the MSW program. We realize that in
doing so there are many things you need to consider including but not limited to your personal interests and
schedules. While not comprehensive of all field requirements we hope that by highlighting the following items,
we will identify topics that students frequently identify as significant to their planning process. Please review,
sign, date, and return the Department of Social Work with the other admission paperwork that we ask for you to
complete.
Hourly Requirements: While some flexibility in field hours may be negotiable to an extent, students should
expect that they will need to accomplish 15 hours of their internship Mondays through Fridays. There may be
agencies willing to have students complete some hours over a weekend or evening hours, but as students
anticipate their field requirements, they should expect that they may need to complete all hours during daytime
hours, Monday through Friday. This factor may have particular significance for part time student in planning a
personal schedule that will accommodate field requirements.
Semesters Required: Field arrangements are designed so that students can remain in a single site for an entire
academic year, or over two contiguous semesters. Students must successfully complete two semesters in a
sequence without interruption. It is not possible to receive credit for one semester of field, skip a semester and
return at a later time to complete the second half of the requirement.
Establishing a field placement: Students’ should save all emails and information regarding deadlines and
announcements about field. This information will be communicated via email and it is the student’s
responsibility to read and respond to emails issued through the university in a timely fashion. In order to
maintain and complete field successfully, it is the responsibility of the student to submit all required documents
including the field application, and resume by the assigned time. Late applications, or students who neglect to
arrange a meeting for field placement may not be placed according to the planned curriculum and this could
effect a student’s ability to take other courses in which field is a pre or co-requisite.
Paperwork and deadlines: It is important for students to read the field calendar and field manual carefully
each semester and be aware of due dates for all field assignments. Outstanding evaluations could result in a
student receiving an unsatisfactory grade. All assignments must be submitted electronically via Blackboard. A
signed hard copy of both the Student Self-Evaluation and Field Instructor Final Evaluation for each semester
must also be submitted to the Field Office.
I understand that turning in late paperwork (field application, signing up for a first year meeting for field,
liability insurance etc.), will result in restricted registration for field.
Signature: _____________________________
Date: __________________
Print Name: ____________________________
Adapted with permission from David Pettie, SUNY Albany