B.A.S.W. Field Instruction

Fordham gss banner basw field instruction

Field instruction is a critical part of the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (B.A.S.W.) program. All students in the second year of this major must complete a year-long Fieldwork Practicum and a seminar that integrates the knowledge learned in the classroom with their experiences in the field.

 

  • For the practicum, you’ll work at a social service agency in close cooperation with an experienced supervisor. During your internship, you’ll work with individual clients while being exposed to larger agency and systems practices and issues.

    You have the choice of fulfilling your 420 on-site hours in one of following ways:

    Field Education (Option 1) Field Education (Option 2) Work Study*
    21 Hours 14 Hours 14 or 21 Hours
    3 days per week 2 days per week  
    September to May September to July  

    *Some students may qualify to work either 21 or 14 hours per week at the social service agency where they are currently employed in a social work capacity.

  • The Integrative Seminar is a required course that meets 15 times during your senior year. It is limited to 15 students, all in the BASW program. The seminar is a supportive learning community, which features a variety of learning experiences including discussions, brief lectures, student presentations, and guest speakers.


    Attendance in the seminar is required as part of your obligation to fulfill the 450 hours of the Field Practicum course and is led by your social work faculty adviser. You will not get a separate grade or additional credits for the seminar.

  • Rachelle Kammer, Ph.D., the field instruction coordinator for the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) program, will contact you about meeting in the spring semester before your fall internship begins. You will need to fill out a form about your interests and experiences and meet to discuss field education options.

    Dr. Kammer will try to place you in an internship that balances the program requirements with your interests, schedule, and transportation needs. She also welcomes your suggestions for possible placements in which you might be interested.

    Once you have been assigned to an agency, you and your field instructor will need to complete a Field Instruction Educational Agreement form and email it to Dr. Kammer.