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BSSW Domestic Out-of-Region and International
Field Experience Policy
In keeping with University’s and College’s strategic priorities and the Department of Social
Work’s mission, the BSSW Program established the following policies for student
participation in out of region or international social work junior field and senior practicum
placements (jointly referred to as Field in this document) and related course work. BSSW
Program policy states that the curriculum required Field Experiences are required to be
completed within a 150-mile radius of MSU, M to accommodate faculty staffing patterns,
workload, costs, access, program support and consultation, and curriculum expectations etc.
However, students sometimes want to complete social work curriculum required agency based,
related course work, or optional course work outside of the 150-mile radius in the US, referred
to as Domestic Out-of-Region Field Experience or in a country outside the United States,
referred to as an International Field Experience. These procedures allow the BSSW Program
faculty to insure educational experiences that are consistent with MnSCU academic and
graduation requirements, BSSW Program’s curricula requirements, and CSWE accreditation
standards. The following policies and proc ed ures do not apply to faculty led short term
educational travel experiences.
Students should be aware that participating in any Social Work Domestic Out-of-Region or
International Field or other course related educational experiences may extend
their academic program beyond the typical 4 years for most undergraduates. Students
should work carefully with their BSSW Program Advisor, with BSSW Practicum
coordinator(s) and, for International Field, with the Social Work Program faculty of
record for the course or international program in order to integrate a Domestic Out-ofRegion or international education learning opportunities into an appropriate place
in their curriculum sequence.
I. BSSW Program required coursework for completing domestic out of region or
international field experience
SOWK 315, Junior Field Experience AND SOWK 455, Social Work Senior
Practicum & SOWK 450, Integrative Field Seminar which are required to be
completed together.
Students who want to complete one of the required social work field courses either out-of-region
or in an international setting should start planning at least one (1) year in advance. Students may
wish to discuss pursuing out of region or international Field Experience with their BSSW Program
advisor to address course planning and sequencing options. For domestic out-of-region Field
Experience, student should meet with the appropriate BSSW Program’s Practicum
Coordinator(s). For international Field Experience, students should consult with the BSSW
Practicum Coordinator and the Coordinator of the selected international study abroad program.
BSSW Domestic Out-of-Region & International Field Experience Policy. Revised Fall 2015. Approved
102115.
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I I . Planning a successful domestic out-of-region or international Field Experience
A . Letter requesting Domestic Out-of-Region or International Field Experience. Student
should submit a letter to the BSSW program 1 year (2 semesters) in advance of the
planned Field Experience requesting permission to completed Domestic Out of
Region or International Field, which will indicate where, type of Field Experience,
information about dates/semesters, reasons for requesting, host institution and/or agency
contact info (if known or describe preference). This letter should be received by BSSW
Program Director by the end of the fourth week of the semester in which the request
for approval is due.
B . Planning Documents: The student submits a plan that addresses the following
requirements. All paperwork for the experience is to be submitted to BSSW Program
for final review and approval by end of the semester prior to the planned experience.
Students must also complete all documentation required by M S U , M ’ s International
Program Office within IPOs established timeframes.
1 . Communication tools: Students will document that there is reliable telephone \ and
Internet access including email and audio/video communication methods such as
Skype, Google Hangouts, etc. If weekly or other routine contact is required for
successful completion of course work, students must work with host agency or
institution to assure that technology access allows for the level of contact required.
The reliability of the selected technology will be demonstrated by the use of said
technology during the planning process with the faculty member, host agency,
and/or host institution with which the student is planning the experience.
2. Financial resources: Should problems arise that cannot be resolved through use of
the agreed upon communication tools (see II. B. 1. Above), the student should be
prepared to cover the cost for at least one BSSW Practicum Coordinator’s site visit.
This plan should also address student’s ability to meet other financial obligations.
For example, some field placement agencies or host institutions may require
additional financial commitments.
3. Academic requirements: In consultation with BSSW Practicum Coordinator, host
agency, and host institution, students will arrange to complete required course
related seminars through the host institution or through use of technology mediated
communication tools. Students will present a plan to meet course related outcomes
and to submit all required course materials. This plan should delineate
responsibilities between host institution, agency supervisors, and MSU, M field
coordinator(s) for course registration and grading. All coursework related materials
and documents are required to be submitted in the manner and time frames outlined
in the SOWK 315 or SOWK 450/455 syllabi. Finally, the student should
include a timeline for completing all paperwork requirements for applications,
program, and/or institutional approval in advance; unless otherwise negotiated with
the BSSW Field Experience Coordinator who has final authority for assigning
grades.
BSSW Domestic Out-of-Region & International Field Experience Policy. Revised Fall 2015. Approved
102115.
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4. Personal, academic, & pre-professional behavioral expectations: Students are
expected to comply with the MSU, M’s institutional student policies, the
Department of Social Work’s polici es, and i f parti cipating in an
international Field Experience , MSU, M ’s International Program Office
policies. Students are expected to know and follow the NASW Code of Ethics and
the International Social Work Code of Ethics as well as the academic and
professional practice standards of the host agency, institutional, and state or
country.
III.
BSSW Program Review Policy and Procedures
A. L et t ers of Request : If more Dom est i c Out-of-Region or International Field
Experience requests are received than can be handled by program in any given
semester, priority consideration is given to requests that meet one or more of the
following requirements. In addition, decisions to support requests will be made based
on a clear and professionally presented letter of request.
1. Access to field experience and related course work opportunities t hat are
significantly different from those available within the 150 mile radius of
MSU, Mankato.
2. Significant change in personal and/or family responsibilities.
3. Significant economic or financial need.
4. Presents clear support for academic plan and career goals.
B. BSSW Program Update for Domestic Out-of-Region or International Field
Experience: The assigned Field Experience Coordinator will review the student’s
arrangements to complete their field experience with the BSSW Program no later
than the 10th week in the semester before the student is scheduled to complete the
field experience. Steps, as listed in Section II. B. 1-4 above, which are relevant to
the student’s specific field experience request should be complete or able to be
completed by the end of the semester in which the student’s field experience
request is being reviewed.
C. The number of Domestic Out-of-Region or International Field Experience may be
limited: The BSSW Program may cap the number of field experiences in any semester
or cohort group due to concerns about faculty workload, departmental staffing,
funding, technology access, institutional demands, and/or government or institutional
concerns about safety.
D. The BSSW Program may delay consideration of, cancel, or deny letters of request or a
prior approved Domestic Out of Region or International Field experience(s) if:
1. The student does not complete planning and related documents within
timelines stated above.
2. The student does not clearly demonstrate ability to meet the above
requirements in the planning and final documents (See III. B. 1-4).
3. The student presents with academic or professional behaviors that are or may
negatively impact the student’s standing in the BSSW program or are not
BSSW Domestic Out-of-Region & International Field Experience Policy. Revised Fall 2015. Approved
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consistent with academic and professional expectations of MSU, M’s, the
BSSW Department of Social Work, and the Professions’ codes of conduct.
4. The student plans a field experience that does not appear to be consistent with
the Department mission, goals, and curriculum as well as with CSWE
accreditation requirements.
5. The BSSW Program encounters unexpected faculty staffing or other
institutional demands that negatively impact its ability to support approved
field experiences or national or international security concerns.
E. Students may request a delay in completing their Domestic Out-of-Region or
International Field Experience for 1 semester. Please be aware that a delay may require
the student to repeat the planning process if their host agency or school is unable to
accommodate a delay.
F. Requests for exceptions to the policies and procedures outlined in this document will be
addressed as needed by the BSSW faculty. These policies are not intended to usurp
the opportunity for student appeal. (See BSSW Student Handbook).
G. Evaluations of the Dom estic Out of Region or International Field Experiences may be
conducted by the involved faculty person, by the Department, or by the Program for
assessment purposes.
IV. BSSW Program Optional Course Work for completing domestic out-of-region or
international Field Experience and related course work. These courses include:
Exploratory Studies (SOWK 291); Social Work Honors Paper (SOWK 495); Individual Study
(SOWK 499); Independent Internship: Social Work (SOWK 497)
A. Students may elect to complete a project, paper, or research activity or an
internship outside the 150 mile radius of MSU, M or in an international
setting in conjunction with one or more of the optional courses listed above. The
student, for the courses listed above, is required to arrange for supervision and/or
mentorship from a social work faculty member who negotiates the number of
credits, assignments, monitors the course outcomes, collects the necessary
paperwork and assignments, and assigns the grade.
B. These optional course experiences may be planned any time in the student’s
academic program and may be developed around domestic or international travel
that the student plans in consultation with a social work faculty member who has
agreed to function as faculty of record for one or more of the optional courses listed
above. Students should also consult with M S U , M ’ s International Programs Office
if planning to complete one or more of the above courses in an international setting.
The above listed optional courses may not be substituted for the required BSSW
Program’s junior field course (SOWK 315) or senior practicum (SOWK 455).
C. Students planning to complete one of the above courses through out-of-region or
international experiences are not required to follow the procedures described in this
document unless requested by the instructor of record for the course.
BSSW Domestic Out-of-Region & International Field Experience Policy. Revised Fall 2015. Approved
102115.