Field Education in Your Concentration Year
What is the goal of the concentration placement?
The concentration field placement builds on the foundation year, helping you develop advanced skills and knowledge within a designated concentration area.
How is your concentration placement selected?
Placement procedures differ in the concentration year. In contrast to the foundation year, students have an active role in the field assignment decision. Based on area of interest, students have the opportunity to interview with approved concentration placement sites that meet the approval process for the concentration year. A final placement assignment will be based on the following data: feedback from the student, feedback from the agency, information available on the student’s concentration selection form, summary sheet, student’s educational needs and goals, and whether a particular field instructor and/or agency can meet these needs.
How many agencies will I interview with?
Typically, multiple options are presented; however, this may not be the case for students in certain geographic locations, in the military sub-concentration, with special circumstances and with limited availability for field. In cases where multiple options are not presented, we work closely with the student to ensure the agency identified meets their learning needs and circumstances.
When will I receive notification of my potential placements?
Typically three to six weeks prior to the start of field, students will receive notification of agencies along with contact information to arrange interviews with each agency.
When does my concentration field placement begin?
Field placement begins approximately two weeks after the start of classes.
How will I be notified of my concentration interview sites?
Students will receive an email notification typically three to six weeks prior to the start of field. This notification will have the placement information and a request to contact your assigned agency for your concentration interview(s). It is extremely important that you contact the selected agencies immediately to schedule your concentration interviews. Upon completion of the interviews, the students and agency representative are required to submit an interview reaction sheet for feedback on the interviews. Notification of your placement site will be sent upon completion of this process. Delay in returning reaction forms can delay your placement.
How many hours a week will I need to complete in my field placement?
A minimum of 20 hours per week for a total of 550 hours is required for the concentration year. Based on student performance, additional hours may be required.
Will I be placed with the client population of my choice?
In the concentration year, students are placed in their area of interest. Students are encouraged to email VACDEV@usc.edu with any agencies that may be of interest. We will contact the agency to determine if it is a qualified USC placement site, and the agency will be added to our database for the potential placement of all students. There is no guarantee that even if a site is qualified that they will have a slot available for your start date. Under no circumstance should a student contact an agency to solicit or confirm field placements.
What days am I in the field placement?
Field placement days are typically Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, given a 20 hour per week placement schedule, during normal business hours (9am-5pm). Other days may be arranged based on your class schedule. Students are required to maintain a schedule that is reflective of two eight-hour days and one four-hour day. Alternative schedules must be approved by the National Field Coordinator.
What happens if my field placement begins late?
Sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances with the student, agency or field instructor, a student may begin a placement late in the program. Delayed notification and placement can also occur due to a student’s geographic location, relocation, submitting a late placement application, change of concentration, change of cohort, military sub-concentration, special circumstances or limited availability for field. In these circumstances, students will receive updates from the agency development team and are expected to work with their field liaison and field instructor to determine how they will meet their required hours for their practicum, which in some circumstances may mean additional hours per week or an extended length of time with the agency.
What specific requirements must be completed prior to my starting the placement?
Many field placement agencies require fingerprinting, criminal clearance and tuberculosis (TB) testing. Some agencies require proof of car insurance, a good driving record, a medical evaluation and/or drug testing. Please discuss the clearance requirements and any required trainings/orientation with your agency during your interviews. If you have a special consideration that has not been indicated on your field placement application, please contact VACDEV@usc.edu, and a member of our placement support team will get in touch with you.
If I have circumstances that impede my placement in certain agencies, will that affect my field placement?
It is imperative that the Placement Committee be apprised of any special circumstances as soon as possible to make appropriate placement assignments that will not jeopardize your confidentiality or the agency requirements. Should this information not be forthcoming, it can impede your successful progression through the program.
Are there weekend and weeknight placements available?
Field placements occur on weekdays during regular business hours. Students are encouraged to consider adjustments in their schedules that can accommodate a weekday schedule. Field placement agencies able to accommodate interns on non-weekdays are minimal. Please contact VACDEV@usc.edu, and a member of our placement support team will get in touch with you to discuss your specific situation. We cannot guarantee placements at alternative times.
Can I do my field placement where I work?
If approved, an agency of employment placement may be considered in the concentration year of the program. The goal of the foundation year is to provide an introduction to the values and ethics of the profession. A consideration for an agency of employment request must meet the following criteria:
- All of the required field hours must take place under the supervision of an MSW field instructor who is not the student’s employment supervisor and meets the standards of our program.
- The field instruction assignment must be different from the student’s regular work assignment.
- The activities themselves must constitute new learning for the student: i.e., a new population, utilizing new treatment methodology, and/or in a new field of practice.
- The student’s educational goals should be the primary focus of this request, not simply the needs of the agency.
- The location of the assigned work space for the field placement should be a different location than the assigned work space for the role of employee.
An administrative review and approval is required for such requests. Additional information may be requested; however, we are unable to guarantee that your employment can serve as your placement. If you are interested in learning more about whether your agency could serve as a field placement, please contact VACDEV@usc.edu, and a member of our placement support team will contact you to discuss you specific situation.
Can I do my concentration placement in a different department of my foundation year placement site?
Foundation year and concentration year placements are intended to be in different agencies, each of which must meet the criteria and objectives for that year of field instruction – a generalist experience in the foundation year and a second year experience in the concentration year. In cases where there are learning opportunities, programs, services or populations in a foundation year agency, this may be considered as one of the interview options; however, students will be encouraged to interview with a second agency in order to expand upon the learning opportunities available for the concentration year. The following criteria must be met in order for a foundation year agency to be considered for a concentration year interview option:
- All of the required field hours must be under the supervision of an MSW field instructor who was not the student’s foundation year field instructor and meets the standards of the USC School of Social Work.
- The field instruction assignments must meet the requirements of the student’s specific concentration competencies.
- The assignments must be new learning for the student, utilizing new methodologies.
- The student’s education goals should be the primary focus of this request, not simply the needs of the agency.
An administrative review and approval is required for such requests. Additional information may be requested; however, we are unable to guarantee that your employment can serve as your placement. If you are interested in learning more about whether your agency could serve as a field placement, please contact VACDEV@usc.edu, and a member of our placement support team will contact you to discuss you specific situation.
Will my field placement be close to where I live?
We make every attempt to locate an educationally appropriate placement as close to your residence as possible and seek to place students within 45 minutes to one hour from your home. At times, the best placement match is further from your home than you may prefer.
Will I receive payment?
Most of our field placement agencies do not provide a stipend or salary for students. While some offer stipends for language ability or other special circumstances, we do not select agencies based on whether a stipend is provided, but on the type of learning opportunities available to students. Since we do not require agencies to compensate students, a stipend or a salary is never guaranteed.
Will I receive a grade for the field placement?
Field practicum is a four-unit course for which you will receive a CR (credit), NC (no credit) – or an IP (in progress) at the end of the semester. You will be evaluated by the field instructor and receive a grade for each semester.
If I do not have a car, will I be assigned to a field placement site?
Yes. While we can accommodate you, the number of field placement options for non-driving students is limited and may delay your placement.
Will I be placed with the client population of my choice?
In the concentration year, students are placed in their area of concentration interest. While best efforts are made to provide interview sites that meet your specific areas of interest within the concentration, this may not always be possible depending on the agency environment in your geographic area. Interview site options will always be concentration appropriate.
Where will I be placed if I select the military sub-concentration?
A range of placement options is available for students interested in learning more about working with military personnel, military retirees, spouses and other military dependents. Students will complete 550 clock hours of internship in one of the following approved settings:
- Family services
- Unit military hospitals
- Veteran services organizations
- Salvation Army
- VA outpatient centers
- Vocational rehabilitation centers
- Community-based agencies serving military families and veterans
- Armed forces
- Community mental health centers
- University student counseling centers
- Military correction facilities
- Base/installation (only available for overseas or students residing on base)
- Veteran Affairs
- Vet centers
- Other approved agencies serving military families and veterans
Practicum sites are based on the availability of the agency to accept a student and a field instructor to provide supervision; therefore, no guarantees are extended to students on a specific type of agency that would be arranged. Please note that only students residing on base are candidates for placement on base.
What happens if a military sub-concentration placement cannot be identified in my geographic area?
Some geographic areas may be challenged in finding appropriate agencies that can guarantee a military-affiliated case load. In these cases, the agency development team will identify a placement site in your concentration focus without the military case load. Students can continue with their military sub-concentration coursework, although they will no longer be identified by the university as enrolled in the sub-concentration.
What happens if I defer or take an LOA?
Placement requires a minimum of 30-45 days to secure additional placement options for returning students. We cannot guarantee that your initial interview sites will be available upon your return to placement.
Who do I contact if I have questions about my concentration?
The concentration coordinator is responsible for working with your concentration agency and field instructor and can answer any questions related to the academic requirements of the program. Should you have specific questions about your placement site or sites being considered, please contact VACDEV@usc.edu, and a coordinator assigned to your geographic area will contact you.
