Students planning to enter field internships submit their applications early in the semester in which they are enrolled in SOWK 3310 (Practice with Individuals) or in the semester prior to their final year. Students must have completed all required major and general education core courses before entering field education. A minimum overall grade point average of 2.25 and a grade point average of 2.5 in social work courses is required at the time of application. If it is discovered that a student has misrepresented the completion of these requirements, they will be removed from the field placement and the student will be subject to disciplinary action. Students are interviewed by the Director of BSW Field Education or BSW Program Coordinator for off campus sites to explore interests and share information. Internships are finalized by the Director or Coordinator during the semester preceding the term of the field experience.
Students are required to purchase professional liability insurance through the Department of Social Work. This is a blanket policy which applies to all social work students in their internships.
The Director of BSW Field Education or BSW Program Coordinator reviews the application packet for completeness and evaluates the student's qualifications for entering field experience. Applications are accepted starting the first week of January when students are enrolled in Practice with Individuals (SOWK 3310). Applications must be submitted no later than March 31st. It is advantageous to the student to get applications in sooner rather than later. After the student has submitted the application the student will be contact by the Director or Coordinator to arrange a meeting. In the meeting students will discuss field placement options and the professional interview that the student will complete with an agency. Students will bring a photocopy of their current valid driver's license. Every student is required to pay an $8.50 fee which covers professional liability insurance. Students should be prepared to pay the liability insurance with check or money order only (no cash or credit cards are accepted). Placement will not be located until the fee is paid.
Students are notified of the agency's willingness to serve as a field internship site. The agency may contact the student or may request that the student contact the agency to arrange a pre-placement interview with the Field Instructor in the prospective field experience agency. In this interview, both the student and the agency Field Instructor discuss the objectives and expectations of a field experience in that particular agency. They also discuss the student's reasons for selecting the agency and his/her knowledge of the agency, the agency's clientele, and the roles of the student and agency staff. The agency Field Instructor may explore areas of concern from the student's application packet to determine the student's suitability and "fit" with this particular agency. The student may explore concerns regarding career goals and the suitability of the placement in pursuing those goals. In general, the pre-placement interview should serve to assure an optimum field experience for the student and provide an early educational assessment of the student for the agency Field Instructor. Scheduled hours are to be determined in this meeting. Confirmation of the internship is made during the interview if both student and agency staff concur regarding the suitability for placement.
The student and the agency should complete the confirmation of Field form at this time, and the student is responsible for ensuring that the completed form is returned to the Director of BSW Field Education and the BSW Program Coordinator if the student has one within 15 days.
Some agencies will require additional information related to the student before they are able to offer an internship. Immunization records, a criminal background check, and a drug screening are examples of such requirements. Students are alerted to this information by the Director or Coordinator when possible and are encouraged to advocate for themselves if they are uncomfortable complying with this information.
Students participate in a departmental field orientation prior to their placement within the agency. The orientation is designed to equip them with the necessary information for a successful internship and covers topics such as: roles and responsibilities, expectations, professionalism, learning styles, safety, supervision, evaluation, and classroom assignments.
Internship Structure
Social Work Field Practicums (SOWK 4451 & 4452) consists of a two semester concurrent placement of approximately 16 hours per week, for a total of 430 hours. The internship is taken in the last two semesters in school along with a practice class and seminar each semester. The field experience is educationally directed and professionally supervised to provide students with the opportunity to engage in generalist social work activities in social service agency settings. Students are placed in agencies located primarily in Northeast Tennessee within a 50 mile radius of the university or the campus location where the student attends. Field internship settings are always needed. If an agency is interested in being a field site for a student they should contact the Field Office.
Prerequisites
Students must have completed all required major and general education core courses before beginning the field internship. A minimum overall grade point average of 2.25 and a grade point average of 2.5 in social work courses is required at the time of application. Only those students whose written application to the major in social work has been unconditionally approved are eligible for field. Internships are arranged during the semester preceding the field experience through the Field Education Office.