Overview of Field Placement
Students submit a Student Agreement/Release of Information Form upon admission. The student will be assigned a Field Advisor who will meet to discuss field placement opportunities that are based on student individual circumstances, areas interests, agency requirements and ability to comply with CSWE competencies. The student's resume is then forwarded to the agency for review by the agency contact and an interview will be scheduled by the agency if appropriate. Interviewing with an agency does not guarantee placement at that agency. The agency determines selection of students for internships.
Second Year and Advanced Standing Students
Advanced Standing students on main campus attend a required Field Orientation during the New Student Orientation of their first year.
Advanced Standing and Second Year students will meet with their field advisor to discuss options for field placement. Second year students may choose to interview for fellowships available and acceptance into a fellowship may dictate the type of field experience that the student will have. * Advanced standing students and second year students are typically contacted in March after any Fellowships applications are reviewed and participation determined. Those who are not applying for Fellowships may be contacted sooner. *
Incoming Advanced Standing Students should not submit any Field Placement Documents until they have become a matriculated student (paid the deposit and have been issued a University of Pittsburgh email address).
Non-Advanced Standing (Generalist) Students
To begin the process, students will meet with their field advisors to discuss option available for their upcoming field placement. Incoming Non-Advanced Standing Students should not submit any Field Placement Documents until they have become a matriculated student (paid the deposit and have been issued a University of Pittsburgh email address).
* First year non-advanced standing students will be contacted in around mid-May. *
Employment-Based Field Placement
Students of either level requesting to use their place of employment as a field site should indicate this on their Field Request Form (one of the forms listed above). Employment-based field placements are not requests to secure field placement with a stipend. This form is for students already employed at a social services agency who might have the opportunity to gain additional social work related experiences at that same agency. Students should discuss the requirements of an employment based opportunity with their Field Advisor. There are specific requirements that the employee must meet in order to meet the critera for employment based placements.
UPB and UPJ students
The actual timing of planning meetings at UPB and UPJ will vary according to the readiness of each new cohort to enter the field. Generally speaking, the planning meeting will occur in the term prior to the students entering the field.
Field Placement Confirmation
Students need to confirm their field placement schedule with their field instructor prior to the start of the field placement. No field placement is confirmed by the School of Social Work without MSW Field Placement Confirmation Form that has been signed by Student, Field Instructor, and Field Advisor. Unconfirmed placements are not valid and hours may not be counted towards the required total. Confirmation forms will be sent to the student and field instructor by the field advisor once a placement has been agreed upon by all parties.