MSW Practicum Office

 

College of Social Work
University of Utah
395 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0260
Phone: (801) 581-5527
Fax: (801) 585-0482

 

Field training, or “practicum,” is an integral part of the social work curriculum. Field training involves being placed in an agency where students engage in social work activities under supervision. Engaging in actual social work activity is an excellent method to develop social work skills and identify areas of interest. All students in the regular (60-credit-hour) MSW programs complete 450 hour of practicum during the first year, then 600 hours of practicum during the second year, resulting in 1,050 hours of field training. Students in the Advanced Standing Program complete a total of 600 hours of supervised field training.

Students complete each field practicum in a community agency under the direct supervision of a qualified social work practitioner. Placements are assigned by the MSW field education director and coordinators, taking into account the employment, volunteer, and life experiences that provide the foundation for each student's individual learning and professional development.

In order to understand the ways in which social work concepts and activities impact populations, students are expected to work in their placements during regular agency business hours (usually Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm) when social workers and administrators are most likely available for coordination, collaboration, and supervision.

Students are only placed in agencies that have been evaluated by the College of Social Work. The agency mission, scope of services, funding sources, staffing, client populations, levels of supervision, and learning opportunities are assessed in relation to professional accreditation standards established by the Council on Social Work Education. Criteria for agency selection include the agency's mission to serve diverse clients and populations at-risk, and its commitment to promoting economic and social justice within the ethics and values of the profession.

 

MSW Practicum Faculty and Staff

Helane Leta
Director of MSW Field Education & International Social Work 		801-585-3161
Mark de St. Aubin
MSW Field Coordinator 		801-581-8901
Trinh Mai
MSW Field Coordinator 		801-581-4259
Scott Sorensen
MSW Distance Ed. Field Coordinator 		435-586-1938
Elizabeth Walker
MSW Field Coordinator 		801-585-6986
Duane Luptak
MSW Field Coordinator 		801-585-5138
Diane Buck
Administrative Assistant 		801-585-7811
Amanda Kirk
Executive Secretary 		801-581-5527

*Viewing online documents require that you have Acrobat Reader installed.
Click here (will open a new window) >

Practicum Service Award Nomination
Practicum Student of the Year Award Nomination
Clinical Instructor Application Form
Clinical Instructor Award Nomination
Clinical Instructor Promotion Application
Agency Site Visit Scheduling Form
Agency-based School Social Work Internship Approval Form
Agency Application Form
Agency of the Year Award Nomination
Clinical Training Agreement
Affiliation Agreement
Optional Practicum Commitment
Non-Standard Practicum / Alternative Practicum Format
Practicum Placement in an Agency Where the Student is Employed
Second Year Practicum Placement in the Same Agency as the First Year Placement

School Social Worker Application - this application is not available on-line, but can be obtained from:

Diane Buck, Administrative Assistant
(801) 585-7811

NASW: http://www.utnasw.org
Dopl: http://www.commerce.state.ut.us
CSWE: http://www.cswe.org