Field Internships

Fall 2023 Semester:

Internship experience is an essential component of the BA and MSW programs in the Department of Social Work Education at Fresno State.  The national social work accrediting body, the Council on Social Work Education, has designated field as the “signature pedagogy” of the profession to highlight its importance in professional education and training.  A wide variety of agency settings and a strong and diverse cadre of agency-based field supervisors and instructors make it possible for the department to individualize the practice interests of students.  A satisfactory field experience depends on the joint efforts of the student, field supervisor or instructor, faculty liaison, faculty advisor, and the Field Coordinators.

The student actively participates in identifying his/her learning needs and shaping the educational process. Together, the field supervisor or instructor, the faculty liaison, the faculty advisor, and the Field Coordinator, help the student make optimal use of the agency’s learning opportunities and integrate classroom knowledge with field practice.

There are a number of important resources located on this website to support a successful field learning experience. Field instructors can find the field calendar, field manuals, concurrent assignments and information under the Field Instructors tab.  Students can also find information under the BA. MSW 1, or  MSW 2 tabs. This information is organized around applying for field based on program level. Additional resources to support their learning while enrolled in field at the BA, MSW 1 and MSW 2 levels can be found on Canvas under the BA, MSW 1 , or MSW 2 Field Organization.

Field instruction is a practicum and will continue to be delivered through the approved, community-based agencies to which BA and MSW students have been assigned.  Students engaged in internships are also reminded to follow University Reporting Requirements for COVID-19:

If you are a student who is studying, working, living on campus, or participating in experiential learning (such as:  internships, field work, service learning) and test positive for COVID-19, or suspect/have been informed that you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, please complete this Covid-19 Reporting Form. Once received, the appropriate campus officials, including the vice president for administration and the director of environmental health, safety and risk management will be notified, and they will review. We ask that you also self-isolate/quarantine and do not return to campus or your experiential learning location until you've been cleared by a campus official to do so.  As a reminder, your health information is confidential.

Assignments in field are guided by the program Learning Agreement which will be available the first day of instruction.  Due to the wide variability of our community context, individual student needs, and agency capacity to provide varied learning options, students will need to work with their assigned agency and field faculty regarding the nature of field assignments and document plans in the learning agreement.  

Updates on field requirements and policies will be provided via email as they become available through the semester.  Be sure to monitor this website and your Fresno State email carefully for important updates.