Field Education
Field Education is a critical and distinctive aspect of social work education and takes place in the context of field placements. These placements offer students practical and supervised learning opportunities to develop, refine and apply the social work knowledge, values, ethics, and skills fundamental to the development of competent and confident professional social workers.
Field Instruction courses together with the Integrative Practice seminars are designed to assist students integrate the theory, concepts and skills learned in class with their professional practice and social work identity.
Thanks to the numerous individual practitioners who commit to supervising our students every year and the many service agencies and organizations who sign on to be field placement agencies, a variety of field placements sites are available to students to complete their field education requirements.
Changes to Field
The BSW program has implemented a new curriculum. Beginning Summer 2024, four practice-focused electives will replace field-focus SWRK 4200 and SWRK 4300, giving students greater flexibility to choose courses in line with their areas of interest, academic or career goals. Students will still complete two field placements including two new Integrative Practice Seminar courses.
For legacy students (students admitted prior to Sept. 2023), students will register for SWRK 3150 or SWRK 4120 (12 credit hours each) and attend field placement for a total of 399 hours. An additional 21 hours of Integrative Practice Seminars will be completed alongside field placement. The Integrative Practice hours for SWRK 3150 and SWRK 4120 will be incorporated into the class itself and no additional course registration is required.
For contemporary students (students admitted after Sept. 2023), students will register for SWRK 3240 or SWRK 4350 (6 credit hours each) and attend field placement for a total of 390 hours. An additional 21 hours of Integrative Practice Seminars for Field Instruction (SWRK 3220 and SWRK 4240) will be completed alongside field placement. Students registered for SWRK 3240 or SWRK 4350 will also have to register for their respective corequisite courses, SWRK 3220 or SWRK 4240 (1.5 credit hours each).
The option of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is still available for incoming students who have fulfilled field requirements in prior programs. Legacy students will still register for SWRK 3152 (12 credit hours) and contemporary students will register for SWRK 3250 (7.5 credit hours).
Field information for students
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Fort Garry Campus
For students enrolled in the BSW program at the Fort Garry campus.
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Inner City Social Work Program
For students in the Inner City Social Work Program.
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Distance Delivery BSW Program
For students enrolled in the Distance Delivery BSW Program.
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Northern Social Work Program
For students enrolled in the Northern Social Work Program.
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PLAR for Legacy Students
Any BSW student who has two or more years of Social Work employment experience in the past 5 years may choose to apply for eligibility to register for SWRK 3152: Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
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PLAR for Contemporary Students
Any BSW student who has two or more years of Social Work employment experience in the past 5 years may choose to apply for eligibility to register for SWRK 3250: Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)