The Missouri State University School of Social Work’s Field Education Program welcomes students to the field practicum process. The Field Practicum is the pivotal point in the curriculum where a student is in a supervised social work practice setting and provided opportunities to apply classroom learning in the field setting. The Council on Social Work Education sets forth criteria for field education and proclaims it to be the ‘signature pedagogy’.
While the field semester is a very demanding one, most students find it to be one of the more important and enjoyable components of their education. We encourage you to dream and envision your field placement as something you would be proud to put on your resume, moving you forward as a professional social worker. The placement is a great opportunity to ‘try out’ different aspects of social work and discover new truths about you and your professional goals.
Very few practica are paid. While the field office understands life circumstances, our highest responsibility and priority is to maintain the educational integrity of the field practicum. The educational requirements, the field agency, and/or its clients cannot be slighted for outside employment responsibilities. You are expected to place your practicum as a very high priority. If you have particular circumstances to be taken into consideration (time constraints, etc.), you need to share this with the agency during your interview process so the agency can make an informed decision.
In an attempt to expedite the field placement process students are asked to READ the Field Education Handbook prior to the completion of the required forms and individual meetings with the Field Education Coordinator. If you have any questions after completing and submitting the forms, you may e-mail Lisa Street at LisaStreet@missouristate.edu or contact via phone at 836-6126 (Springfield campus) or Renee White at ReneeWhite@missouristate.edu or contact via phone at 629-3942 (Joplin campus).
The field semester is an exciting and challenging one. We ask each of you to approach the field practicum process with professionalism, meeting deadlines and fully completing the required forms. Prepare for this experience as you would if it were a job interview, as it is not uncommon for students to be considered for hiring by their field agency. Beyond that, the Field Education Coordinator is an invaluable employment reference for you in the future. Give us good things to say about you!