The Ohio State University

MSW Field Practicum Overview

The field practicum, an integral part of professional social work education, is designed to enhance the student's achievement in practice as well as to provide opportunities for the integration of social work knowledge, values, and skills leading to autonomous practice. The regular two-year curriculum is structured so that the field practicum typcially begins winter quarter and extends through the end of spring quarter. Students are assigned to the same field site for the year and enroll in four credit hours of Social Work 789 each quarter. Typically, students are assigned a different field site for the second year; students spend three days (24 hours) per week in field practicum, enrolling in six credit hours of Social Work 889 per quarter. The first-year practicum is arranged in support of the generic base of social work practice. The second year is arranged in support of the student's concentration.

The college utilizes a variety of instructional settings in the Columbus and Franklin County area and also offers settings in other communities within the state. To assure high-quality field practicum settings, students may be required to travel within a 50-mile radius of the Ohio State Columbus campus. In addition, students are required to be enrolled in at least one three-credit-hour practice course during each quarter of field instruction.