Social work field placements are typically available in:
- hospices
- foster care centers
- family service agencies
- local hospitals
- non-profits
- schools
- congregations
MSW@Baylor Field Placement
Real-World Experience in Your Own Community
Your social work field placement will become the foundation of the MSW@Baylor curriculum. This real-world opportunity to apply everything you’ve learned in the online platform is the fundamental experience preparing you for the social work field.
Under the mentorship of seasoned practitioners, you will have the chance to implement the knowledge, values, and skills learned in the classroom with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations.
Field Placement for Standard and Advanced Standing MSW Students
Much of your MSW education will be comprised of hands-on exposure to field work at multiple placements to gain a variety of different experiences and perspectives. Placements are a result of the school’s partnerships and relationships with social work groups and organizations.
The program track you choose will determine when your social work field placement will begin. For specific information about program tracks and term lengths, reference our Planning Your Studies PDF.
Standard MSW Track
Field placement for social work students in the standard MSW track gives you the opportunity to implement and apply fundamental principles you’ll obtain in core classroom courses. You’ll learn how to engage social work at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels while using research to inform your social work services.
All students who begin the program as a standard MSW student will have two placement site experiences: one in the generalist phase and one in the specialist phase.
Advanced Standing MSW Track
As an advanced MSW student, you will immediately select your specialty in either Clinical or Community Practice and begin to apply conceptual frameworks to understand complex human behavior and the interactions among individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and larger systems.
All students who begin the program as an advanced MSW student will have one placement site experience in the specialist phase.
Program Phases and Specializations
The MSW@Baylor curriculum features both generalist and specialist phases. Standard MSW students begin their coursework during the generalist phase while advanced standing MSW students begin their coursework during the specialist phase.
Generalist Phase
As a standard MSW student, you will begin your field placement with a focus on building foundations in:
- professional ethics
- human behavior and diversity
- data collection
- analysis and evaluation
As students enter the specialized practice phase of the program, they will choose a specialization in either Clinical Practice or Community Practice.
Specialist Phase
Throughout your field placement in the specialist phase, you will develop competencies in either the Clinical Practice specialization or the Community Practice specialization. Regardless of which specialization you choose, you will:
- reinforce social work knowledge
- evaluate conceptual perspectives
- analyze research that guides advanced practice
Clinical Practice
The Clinical Practice specialty prepares you to evaluate and apply practice theories and methods of intervention that are created from a positive, strengths-based perspective. As a social work student specializing in Clinical Practice you will:
articulate and apply evidence-informed intervention to activate interpersonal, familial, and organizational change.
Community Practice
The Community Practice specialty prepares you to work with public and/or nonprofit organizations, communities, congregations, and religiously affiliated agencies. You’ll learn to apply evidence-informed community practice frameworks of intervention
strengthen the capacity of community leadership to make decisions, set priorities, discover and create resources, and build strong, inclusive communities.
How Does MSW@Baylor Field Placement Work?
Our dedicated field placement team partners with you to secure field placements on behalf of MSW@Baylor students. You will work closely with our placement specialists who will conduct outreach to identify and qualify your placement assignment.
This search will be based on:
available opportunities within a 75-mile radius
Once a placement assignment has been secured, you will work with your chosen field placement location to set up an interview and determine a meeting time that works best for your schedule.
During your placement, you will receive 1 hour of individual supervision per week with your field supervisor. Your supervisor will work with you to create a personalized learning plan based on your aspirations and goals. You will have 2 evaluations throughout the placement experience where your supervisor will provide feedback on performance.
What’s My Time Commitment?
Each week, you will spend 20 hours working directly with clients in a supervised environment. You will complete your placement hours during the typical workweek schedule.
Monday through Friday | Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Standard MSW:
20
Hours per week
Advanced MSW:
20
Hours per week
We’ll Help You Find Placement In Your Community
As an MSW@Baylor student, you’ll benefit from our dedicated placement team who will make every attempt in helping you find a social work placement in your own city. This opportunity empowers you to directly affect individuals, couples, and families in your own community.
Our placement team will work hard to place you as close to your preferred location as possible. Despite your ideal scenario, there is no guarantee that there is a suitable organization that meets Baylor’s standards in your vicinity. In such cases, students may have to complete their placement no farther than 75 miles away.
To learn more about MSW@Baylor’s field experience, request information and an admissions counselor will reach out to you.
Request Information